𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭 - 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 - 𝟒𝐊 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 - 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐨 𝟏𝟗𝟕𝟒

"Magic" is a 1974 song by Scottish pop rock band Pilot, and was the first hit single for the group. It was written by band members David Paton and Billy Lyall for their debut album, From the Album of the Same Name.
#4kremastered
#pilot
#magic

[leokimvideo]

Looks amazing, most magical La La La song ever

[Austech]

A blast back to the early days of my childhood. I was 7 when Scottish band Pilot burst on to the music scene with "Magic". I am very surprised to see that it only peaked at #12 in Australia, for how often you heard it I have no idea how it was not top 10, or even top 5. It was that perfect 3 minute song that radio demanded in those days. But they certainly made up for it with their next single, "January" which was a number one hit in Australia. But lets stick to "Magic". As far as I know, this is the official video. I took it from an old 1974 copy of Countdown, which was analogue and hadn't been digitised by the ABC. I wanted quality over "eye popping", and have remastered it keeping almost all of the original detail. I also wanted to do a bit of testing and remastered it directly without deinterlacing it. It came out surprisingly well. Almost all versions of this song on Youtube are from TopPop and other music shows. I ditched the old audio for a lossless FLAC track.

While Pilot may look like a baby faced dude accompanied by a guitarist with a haircut that could only have been performed by his mother, that guitarist was not wielding that double headed Gibson SG monster just to be a show off. Pilot was full of very talented musicians. Lead singer David Paton had originally joined the Bay City Rollers, but never recorded with them (note : he is NOT related to the Bay City Rollers disgusting sex fiend manager Tam Paton). Paton then became a member of another Band called 'Fresh', which changed their name to Christyan and published a single, "Nursery Lane", in 1971. While still playing with the band, he took a job as a musician in a nightclub called Tiffanys where he met guitarist Ian Bairnson.

In 1973, Paton was a co-founder of Pilot. With Ian Bairnson, keyboardist Billy Lyall and drummer Stuart Tosh, they recorded several demos with EMI Records and recorded their first album "From the Album of the Same Name" which was published in 1974. On it was included their first major hit, "Magic" and Bairnson, who was still not an official member of the band, joined them after the recording of the first album.

I wont go too far in to the band, I was am hoping to get hold of "January" to remaster shortly. In 1976 Paton and Bairnson started working with producer Alan Parsons, the sound engineer on the classic's The Beatles Abbey Road and Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon. Parsons had produced all three of Pilots albums, including "Magic" and "January". In 1975 Alan Parson's declined on offer to work on Pink Floyd's follow up album "Wish You Were Here" to concentrate on his own music - The Alan Parsons Project.

Parsons was held in very high esteem and only used the best of musicians on his albums ( Like Australia's Vanda and Young's band "Flash And The Pan", the Alan Parsons Project was strictly a studio only affair, which means albums but no touring).


So why have I posted all that ? Sirius / Eye in the Sky - David Paton - Bass, Ian Bairnson – acoustic and electric guitars. What brilliant musicians they became. Sadly Ian Bairnson died of dementia in a nursing home in April this year aged 69. It is cruel in a way to listen to his guitar brilliance in Sirius and Eye In the Sky and know that his brain then lost it's ability to remember how to play like that. I suppose we all have it coming one way or another, but losing your mind is cruel. It is what I personally always fear the most. Over the last few months, my wife and I have had to deal with the decline of her widowed mother, who was supposed to be moving in with us. 6 weeks ago she suffered a fall at home and wasn't found for 12 hours when we sent police there for a welfare check after getting no answer on the phone for hours. As well as breaking her hip, the early signs of dementia she had went from 5 to 100 you might say. She is now in a care home and at times doesn't recognise us.

Bairnson was also known for playing with a sixpence rather than a guitar pick – one of few guitarists to do so other than Queen’s Brian May. He also played guitar on several of Kate Bush's album's - including guitar on "Wuthering Heights". Also, ""While at Abbey Road recording I Robot and Two's a Crowd, (Alan Parsons Project and Pilot), some guy in the studio next door enlisted Ian (Bairnson) and David (Paton), to provide some authentic Scottish backing vocals to a song he was working on. Mull of Kintyre became the top-selling single in UK history for Paul McCartney and Wings."

It would seem Ian also had the misfortune to play the guitar on (all?) Bucks Fizz albums. And interestingly, a well known James Reyne song
Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, I would be here all day. He was a great guitarist.

Another tragedy of Pilot was the loss of keyboardist and co-founder Billy Lyall. Lyall co-wrote Magic with David Paton and was also destined for bigger things although he did do some work with the Alan Parson Project. Lyall was gay, and sadly died in the AIDS pandemic at the age of 36 in 1989.

I will try and do something with "January" soon. On another note, I have caught someone stealing my videos and resposting them on Youtube as his own work. Obviously this is annoying, if people download my videos for their own use, no problem. Downloading and reposting on Youtube as their own work, no. If you see any, please let me know. Mine are easily recognisable by Rage font for name and artist, but missing the Rage logo. I also deliberately vary the intro time of the font so I can guarantee if a video is mine. I had a go at this individual who is now engaging in sending me abuse via email. Yay. Anyone want to bomb his email with abuse for me ? He has been at it all day. I do wonder why I bother at times.

As usual, please subscribe, like, share, comment etc etc. Cheers, Austech

[suejenkins]

Another blast from the past, this song always brightened my day whenever I heard it back in the day, and still does to this day :)
Austech this song is about you and how you bring out the Magic in these classic video clips with your touch of fabulous remastering work. thanks for sharing.

[Braveheart-]

Great remaster. Still remember this when going to school in Kilmarnock, Scotland during the 1970's. Most of my friends were into Slade, Mud, Suzi Quatro and Sweet while the girls were drooling over Donny Osmond, David Cassidy and of course the Bay City Rollers. Pilot on the other hand did really well to get a song to Number 1 with January when you think of the competition they had. Should have been bigger during the "Glam Rock" era but did ok. Looking forward to the January remaster. Keep up the good work.
Bill

[jimbonet]

Ah the days of AM radio, WPLB to be exact. FM radio would come a few years later when I got my first stereo system.
I had just turned nine when this reached number five during the summer of 1975 here in the USA.
Looks superb as always Austech, thanks for sharing!

[abraham_benson_official]

Oh, wow! I didn’t even know there was an official music video to this song! I’ve only seen the TOTP performance and the TopPop performance.

[europa]

ah thats who sang that song. cheers for the upload and uploads!

[planetpjr]

Using a pennie as a pick? I gotta try that. These guys got some cool guitars!

[jackiegeritz]

It's magic you know
Never believe it's not so
It's magic you know
Never believe it's not so

Never been awake
Never seen a day break
Leaning on my pillow in the morning
Lazy day in bed music in my head
Crazy music playing in the morning light

It's magic you know
Never believe it's not so
It's magic you know
Never believe it's not so

I love my sunny day
Dream of far away
Dreaming on my pillow in the morning
Never been awake
Never seen a day break
Leaning on my pillow in the morning light

It's magic you know
Never believe it's not so
It's magic you know
Never believe it's not so

It's magic you know
Never believe it's not so
It's magic you know
Never believe it's not so

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: David Paton / William Lyall

[paulrankin]

Great quality as always. NZOZ 1980 gave you a shout out on one of his Cold Chisel vids. High praise well deserved.

[Austech]

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a copy of "January" to remaster. There are plenty of copies of their Top Pop appearance but I was keen to do the official video which it seems is much rarer. Like this one.

[danmyname]

I love this song so much. Only thing I find the top end is way too bright. This has nothing to do with Austech which has done a brilliant job upscaling it. Would do wonders to my ears had they tone it down a bit.

[chockergram]

The Jean Michel Jarre / Patrick Juvet cover in French is pretty good, too. Definitely lyrically better - none of that ‘I love my bed’ stuff, it really is about the magical effect of love.

[Robil]

Woah Guitarist is using a coin for a pick - for that bitey sound.