MAGIC SPELL

Magic Spell biography
Around 1980 or 1981, I applied for a job in a very commercial radio station and was hired almost as a trainee, with basic salary, but after some months got bored, but before I left, found a couple of boxes in a basement with like 200 albums and a label "Never to be played" , asked the manager who told me "If you want you can keep them, but only if you take all of them". So carried the two boxes into my old WV and placed them somewhere in my house.

A few years ago, tried to listen them, but with some honorable exceptions as a 'copy of "Wally's" debut album and the only release of Billy Joel's Prog band Attila, most deserved a special place in the trash can. So gave most of them to charity (Maybe they could get a buck or two for each copy) and kept a few, including an intriguing record with a horrendous cover of a gas pump that never had the time to listen.

But a couple weeks ago somebody suggested this Swiss band MAGIC SPELL, and immediately remembered that cover, so took the album it was a really good blend of Symphonic and huge amounts of Hard Rock and Psychedelia, so we accepted them.

Sadly I didn't expected the absolute absence of information about MAGIC SPELL. Not even in their only album you can find any relevant info about the band (Not even a picture), except for the names of the members, so this is what we could research.

Apparently this Swiss band was formed and active during the mid-late 70's and their only album ("Is There Anywhere A Gas Station") was released in 1980, most likely after they disbanded (rumors). The original formation included Roman Spiess in the bass, Stefan Clavadetscher on the drums, the keyboardist Mengia Clavadetscher (Who has obvious Wakeman and Ken Hensley influence) and the good guitarist Victor Waldburger who seems more interested in hard rock than in Prog.

The vocals are pretty decent despite the clear German accent and some people compare them with Eloy, but to be honest, they sound like Eloy meets Uriah Heep with some Genesis influences.

But we are here for the music and "Is There Anywhere A Gas Station" deserves to be listened, so if you find a copy in an store on a garage sell or a second hand store, get it, because it's worth the price.

Iván Melgar-Morey :::::::: Perú