Mathis Magic


Mathis Magic is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on September 17, 1979, by Columbia Records and contained an equal balance of new material and songs associated with other artists.
Although this album did not make any appearances on Billboard magazine's Top LPs & Tapes chart, it did reach number 59 during a four-week run on the UK album chart. On December 31 of that year the British Phonographic Industry awarded the album with Silver certification for sales of 60,000 units in the UK.
On January 27, 2015, Funkytowngrooves gave Mathis Magic its first pressing on compact disc as one of two albums on one CD, the other album being Mathis's Columbia release from March 1978, You [Light Up My Life (Johnny Mathis album)|You Light Up My Life].

Reception

Peoples review praises the album's disco arrangements of "Night and Day", "That Old Black Magic", and "To the Ends of the Earth": "While other singers have embarrassed themselves redoing such hallowed material, Mathis makes it work." The reviewer concludes, "Twenty-two years after his first hit, 'Wonderful, Wonderful', Mathis' voice and phrasing are as ingratiating as ever."

Track listing

Side one

  1. "No One but the One You Love" – 3:14
  2. "Night and Day" from Gay Divorce – 5:03
  3. "Love" – 3:48
  4. "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind" – 3:42
  5. "New York State of Mind" – 5:18

Side two

  1. "She Believes in Me" – 4:22
  2. "That Old Black Magic" – 5:43
  3. "You Saved My Life" performed with Stephanie Lawrence – 2:50
  4. "To the [Ends of the Earth (Nat King Cole song)|To the Ends of the Earth]" – 2:53
  5. "Heart, Soul, Body and Mind" – 4:10

Recording dates

From the liner notes for Columbia Original Album Collection">Columbia Records">Columbia Original Album Collection:
  • June 5, 1979 – "Night and Day", "That Old Black Magic"
  • July 9, 1979 – "No One but the One You Love", "She Believes in Me", "You Saved My Life"
  • July 23, 1979 – "Heart, Soul, Body and Mind", "Love", "My Body Keeps Changing My Mind", "To the Ends of the Earth"
  • September 5, 1979 – "New York State of Mind"

Personnel

From the liner notes for the original album: