Magic - I'll Just Play (1969)

From mega-rare album "Enclosed" - Armadillo Records 1969

Guitarist Duane King and his bassist brother Nick joined the Lansing, MI band the Next Exit in 1968. The rest of the band included Gary Harger on drums, Mike Motz on lead guitar, and organist Clyde Hamilton. After a name change to Magic and a single on their own label in early 1969, Hamilton left the band and Motz was replaced by Joey Murcia, a Miami native who had played with that city's Birdwatchers. Murcia, as it happened, was a session player for TK Records in Miami and assured the band he could get them a record deal, so Magic packed up everything and moved to Miami. TK Records had an entirely black R&B roster at the time, but Magic, who often covered R&B songs, fit right in, becoming the label's first white signee. They recorded their first LP Enclosed in the summer of 1969, which was officially released on their own Armadillo label. The summer of 1970 found Magic returning to Lansing in search of a major-label contract. A Detroit producer, Scott Regan, helped to get the band signed to the Motown-owned Rare Earth label, and, in 1971, Magic began recording their second album. The self-titled album was released in 1972 to favorable reviews and featured Stevie Wonder playing keyboards on several songs, but not long after the album's release, Motown shipped off to California, closing down Rare Earth and leaving Magic without a label. They recorded some demos in hopes of landing another record deal, but the band never recovered from the Motown move and called it quits. Murcia went back to session work and played with numerous major artists -- the Bee Gees, Joe Walsh, and Joe Cocker among them-- who recorded in Miami.

Once again a very rare album as the original first pressing of the vinyl. When this unknown US psych band released this debut album in 1969 the high point of the psychedelic movement was already gone and the hippie times were coming to an end.
There were numerous really good bands who released just one album which failed to chart in the end of the 60's and Magic was doubtless one of those.

"Enclosed " LP recorded in May, 1969. The full reissue from the Master Tapes, plus their Armadillo and monster 45s plus 5 previously unreleased tracks from the Enclosed sessions, never before heard!! Psychedelic guitars abound on this project, debut album American band's, referring to the style of Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers Band (two guitars). I recommend especially great, extensive song 'I'll Just Play' It's just amazing for the whole 12 minutes with all of those backward sounds and great guitar parts it's a really good work still and recommended for the acid rock fanatics.

The A-side of the album includes good psychedelia pieces after another. "ETS Zero" and especially "One Minus Two" are the biggest highlights of the first side. Both are really impressive but the rest of the songs are entertaining too. Side B begins with "Who Am I to Say" which ain't nothing special. It's pretty much just an intro to the grande finale jam "I'll Just Play". The album is a real Jekyll/Hyde release, with most of side 1 comprised by comparatively weak commercially oriented rock with some country flavor, while side 2 features an extended psychedelic guitar jam along the lines of Neil Young's "Down by the River", but they played with even more passion! Exactly what you want in your hippie rock great songs, jaw-dropping jam at the end!