Written by ELO frontman Jeff Lynne, "Strange Magic" is the sixth track on Electric Light Orchestra's fifth studio album Face the Music. By this time, the band had shifted their orchestral sound to make it brighter and more radio-friendly. The strategy paid off, as this song and "Evil Woman" were both big hits.
The song is about a captivating woman, but "Strange Magic" is also a good description for this song's sonics. Compressed to a tight 3:27 for the single release (it runs 4:29 on the album), the song packs in an intriguing array of harmonies and hooks while integrating the famous ELO string section. The lyric is suitably trippy, and very repetitious, with the title appearing five times per chorus.
The weepy-sounding guitar lick is provided courtesy of Richard Tandy, who was somehow persuaded to take his hands off his various keyboards to pick up a guitar. Normally, Tandy's array of Moog synth, clavinet, mellotron, and piano was so omnipresent that it led to the stereotype of prog-rock bands having a stack of keyboards onstage.
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