In 1982, The Steve Miller Band released “Abracadabra”. The song, written solely by Miller, became the title track of a studio album that also came out in 1982.
When The Steve Miller Band released “Abracadabra”, it had been six years since they had a Top 5 single. In 1976, the group released “Fly Like An Eagle”, which would become their final hit single for years (although they did reach the Top 10 with “Jet Airliner” in 1977). Needless to say, the band needed a hit. Still, Miller admits he had no idea that. “Abracadabra” would be the one to put them back on top again.
Miller was told by the band’s record label that they needed a big hit, since their 1981 Circle Of Love album failed to produce any successful singles. Miller later acknowledged the original version of “Abracadabra” was not very good.
”Abracadabra” started off as a great piece of music with really atrocious lyrics,” he later told the Monterey Herald. Miller conceded that “Abracadabra” may have stayed terrible, if not for a chance encounter with a music superstar.
Why It Took Steve Miller Three Years to Write “Abracadabra”
Miller might have left “Abracadabra” as the mediocre piece of music it was. However, a chance encounter with Diana Ross changed everything for him and his band.
“One day I was out skiing in Sun Valley,” Miller recalled. “And lo and behold, who did I see on the mountain but Diana Ross? I skied down off the mountain to go have lunch. I had played with Diana Ross and the Supremes on Hullabaloo in the 60s. I started thinking about the Supremes, and I wrote the lyrics to ‘Abracadabra’ in 15 minutes.”
Miller instinctively knew as soon as he rewrote “Abracadabra” that it was a hit. But surprisingly, The Steve Miller Band’s record label at the time didn’t feel the same. In fact, Miller remembers that they “didn’t like it at all”. Disheartened, Miller canceled his big United States tour, and instead took his band to Europe, where it quickly landed at the top of the charts. Buoyed by that success, Miller’s record label relented and released “Abracadabra”.
“Abracadabra” became a two-week No. 1 hit, their last one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also remains one of their most popular songs to this day.
“I’ve done the song with a 60-man guitar orchestra,” Miller said. “I’ve done the song with Kenny Chesney’s band. I’ve done the song with a classical violinist.”
Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images
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