Watch Jeff Lynne & Co. Performing a Stunning Rendition of “Strange Magic”
via The Midnight Special / YouTube
Another fantastic performance from the old episodes of the US music show The Midnight Special is here. This time, it’s a wonderful 1976 version of “Strange Magic” by the Electric Light Orchestra.
This video is from a show that was aired on March 6
During that show, the band performed alongside host Helen Reddy, and other artists like Frankie Avalon, The Miracles, and Tanya Tucker. Along with “Strange Magic” from their fifth album “Face The Music,” which had come out four months earlier, ELO also played “Evil Woman” and “Nightrider” on the show. The clip of “Nightrider” was shared online last month.
Jeff Lynne & Co. had been on the show a few times before this performance. They even hosted it twice, once in 1975 and again in 1977. The show also had special segments dedicated to them.
The year 1976 was significant for the band.
Their album “Face the Music” achieved gold status, marking the second ELO album in a row to do so. The song “Evil Woman” also brought the band success in the top forty charts, adding to their already loyal progressive and FM audience. “Strange Magic” followed this trend, reaching number 14 on the US chart. During this time, the band toured extensively in the Top 40 markets, setting the stage for their successful album “New World Record.”
Lynne revealed to Classic Rock in 2019:
“We’d got a different line-up together and started doing these American tours, which turned out amazingly well. We seemed like such a strange group for an American audience, with two cellos, a violin, Mellotron and a bit of French horn. It was just an odd sound.
