Abracadabra (Steve Miller Band album)

Abracadabra is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Steve Miller Band. The album was released on June 15, 1982, by Capitol Records.

Abracadabra charted in nine countries, including Germany where the record reached No. 1 for a week. Four singles were released from the album in various countries: the title track, "Cool Magic" (#57 on the Billboard Hot 100), "Keeps Me Wondering Why", and "Give It Up", with the title song charting the highest at #1 on the pop chart.

Unlike most of the band's previous efforts, most of the album was not composed by lead singer/guitarist Steve Miller. Drummer Gary Mallaber had brought in a handful of demos from another band he was in called Tracker (which other Steve Miller Band members John Massaro and Byron Allred were also a part of, along with ex-members Lonnie Turner and Greg Douglass) in hopes that one of them would be used for the album. Miller ultimately opted to use all of the demos, resulting in Mallaber receiving an impressive eight co-writing credits. Miller, meanwhile, produced two of his own songs; the title track and the "Heart Like a Wheel"-soundalike "Give It Up".

Critical reception
Billboard said of "Cool Magic" that it's a "catchy midtempo pop tune that takes dead aim at car radios everywhere." Billboard also described it as being "harder rocking" than the title track. Cash Box called it "a light, straightahead pop/rocker that, in places, brings to mind the Beach Boys or the Beatles."

Personnel

 * Steve Miller – vocals, guitar, Synclavier, synthesizers on track 2, Roland Jupiter-8 on track 2 and Roland Juno-60 on track 2
 * John Massaro – guitar
 * Kenny Lee Lewis – guitar; bass guitar on track 2
 * Byron Allred – keyboards
 * Gerald Johnson – bass guitar
 * Gary Mallaber – drums, percussion, keyboards

Additional personnel
 * Greg Douglass – guitar on tracks 3 and 8
 * Lonnie Turner – bass guitar on tracks 3 and 8

Technical
 * Produced by Steve Miller and Gary Mallaber
 * Recorded and mixed by David N. Cole
 * Additional recording by Gary Mallaber
 * Executive Producer – John Palladino
 * Photography – David Alexander
 * Art – Tommy Steele
 * Design – Tommy Steele, Jeff Lancaster