The Magic Numbers
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- For other uses of the term, see magic number
| The Magic Numbers | ||
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| Background information | ||
| Origin |  Ealing, England |
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| Genre(s) | Alternative rock, Indie | |
| Years active | 2002 – present | |
| Label(s) | Heavenly/EMI | |
| Website | TheMagicNumbers.net | |
| Members | ||
| Sean Gannon, Angela Gannon, Romeo Stodart, Michele Stodart | ||
The Magic Numbers are a four-piece band from England comprising two pairs of brother and sister who previously went to The Cardinal Wiseman Roman Catholic High School in Greenford. The group was formed in 2002, releasing their critically acclaimed debut album titled The Magic Numbers in June 2005. Their follow-up album, Those the Brokes was released on November 6, 2006.
The Magic Numbers are: Romeo Stodart (lead guitar, vocals), Michele Stodart (bass, vocals), Sean Gannon (drums) and Angela Gannon (melodica, percussion, glockenspiel, vocals).
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[edit] History
[edit] Backgrounds
The Stodarts are the children of a Scottish father and a Venezuelan mother and were born in Trinidad in the Caribbean, where the mother was an opera singer and had her own TV show. When the family fled an Islamic coup attempt there in 1990, they were raised in New York. In the mid-1990s, when Romeo was 16 and Michelle was 10, they moved to London.
The Gannons are of Irish descent but lived in Hanwell where they became friends with their neighbours the Stodarts. Prior to forming The Magic Numbers, Romeo and Sean spent time trying to form a band together under various guises, and previously performed under the name 'Guess'.
[edit] 2002 to 2005
In late 2002 The Magic Numbers formed in their present guise, and they began touring the London circuit, gradually developing their sound and building a small cult following, not least amongst some already established artists including The Chemical Brothers, Travis, and Ed Harcourt, with the latter later influential in their signing to record label Heavenly Recordings, narrowly beating off competition from Rough Trade Records.
Their rise came swiftly, beginning in the summer of 2004 and later that year when they began supporting well-known artists such as Travis, Ed Harcourt and Snow Patrol and appearing on the bill of some low-key UK festivals, building an intense following as they did so. In November 2004 they released a very limited edition 7” vinyl single, "Hymn for Her", to coincide with a three-show residency at The Borderline in London.
[edit] 2005
On the back of releasing just one commercially available single, Forever Lost, and even before their debut album was released they played a sold-out show to a crowd of over 2,000 at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, a show that is recognised by many fans as the changing point between a band that was up-and-coming and one that became a household name.
Following the release of their debut album, the remainder of 2005 and the first few months of 2006 were spent touring and promoting their album and singles, throughout the UK and USA, across Europe and also in New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Their Japanese tour was featured as a side documentry on the 2006 version of Jonathan Ross's Japanorama series.
Although heavily played down, they received a large amount of press attention for being the first band to walk off the TV show Top of the Pops after host Richard Bacon allegedly insulted their physiques (he denied "a fat melting pot of talent" was intended to be insulting), shortly before they were due to appear on the show to promote their single "Love Me Like You". According to an interview with New Zealand's "Groove Guide" magazine, it was rather that the band were not happy with the shows policy of lip syncing rather than anything else.
[edit] 2006 onwards
After their heavy touring and promotion of their self-titled debut The Magic Numbers would return in autumn of 2006 with their follow-up album, Those the Brokes. The band is currently continuing to promote and tour for the album.
[edit] Albums
[edit] The Magic Numbers
The eponymous debut album was recorded in late 2004 and early 2005 at Metropolis Studios in London, and released on 13th June 2005. Prior to release only "Forever Lost" was promoted as a commercial single and this was followed up by later releases "Love Me Like You", "Love’s a Game" and "I See You, You See Me".
Only one non-member contributes music to the album, Angharad Davies who plays violin on the song This Love. The UK version of the album contains "Hymn for Her" as a hidden track that appears after a short delay after the end of Try. US and European versions include this track independently and it is tracklisted. The Japanese version also includes the songs "Idea of a Feeling" and "I Hope You Don’t Mind", which appeared as additional tracks on the UK release of the single Forever Lost.
The album was shortlisted in 2005 for the coveted Mercury Music Prize.
[edit] Those the Brokes
The second Magic Numbers album was partly recorded in New York at Allaire Studios in Spring 2006, a venue which has also been used in the past by David Bowie, The Strokes and Ryan Adams, and was recorded and engineered by Richard Wilkinson.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
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[edit] Singles
[edit] From Self-Titled
| Title | "Forever Lost" | "Love Me Like You" | "Love's a Game" | "I See You, You See Me" |
| Date | 23 May 2005 | 8 August 2005 | 24 October 2005 | 16 January 2006 |
| UK Chart | #15 | #12 | #24 | #20 |
| B-sides | "Idea of a Feeling" "I Hope You Don’t Mind" |
"Drunk on Your Words" "Delphina’s Song" "Travelling Souls" |
"Keep It in the Pocket" "Last Night I Fell" |
"Forever Lost" (cover by 'Magic Fractions') "Close Your Eyes" "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" "Crazy in Love" |
[edit] From Those the Brokes
| Title | "Take a Chance" | "This is a Song" |
| Date | 23 October 2006 | 19 February 2007 |
| UK Chart | #16 | #36 |
| B-sides |
[edit] Contributions
The Magic Numbers have made appearances on various other artists’ releases, including
- The Chemical Brothers - 'Close Your Eyes' (vocals)
- The Concretes – 'Your Call' (vocals)
- Ed Harcourt – 'Revolution in the Heart' (backing vocals)
- David Kitt – Backing vocals on 'Up to You' and 'Guilty Prayers, Pointless Ends' from the album 'Not Fade Away'
- Jane Birkin - Fictions
- The Boxer Rebellion - Flashing Red Light Means Go (backing vox by Angela) - available on The Boxer Rebellion myspace as of 4th February 2007 - The Boxer Rebellion Myspace
[edit] Live Performances
The Magic Numbers have played tours and festivals since well before they were recorded. Major tours and appearances of note include:
[edit] Headline Tours
- Forever Lost promotion, UK, May 2005
- Love Me Like You promotion, UK, August 2005
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, Europe, September 2005
- Love’s a Game promotion, UK, October 2005
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, USA, November 2005
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, Japan, February 2006
- I See You, You See Me promotion, UK, February 2006
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, Europe, March 2006
- The Magic Numbers album promotion, USA, April 2006
[edit] Support Tours
- Travis, UK, October 2004
- Ed Harcourt, UK & Scandinavia, November 2004
- Doves, UK, April 2005
- Athlete, UK, April 2005
- U2, East Europe, July 2005
- Brian Wilson, UK, August 2005
- Bright Eyes, USA, November 2005
- Franz Ferdinand, Japan, February 2006
- The Flaming Lips and Sonic Youth, USA, summer 2006
- Damien Rice, Germany, March 2007
[edit] Festivals
- SXSW, USA, March 2005
- Isle of Wight, UK June 2005
- Glastonbury, UK, June 2005
- Truck Festival, UK, July 2005
- T in the Park, UK, July 2005
- Oxegen, Ireland, July 2005
- Fuji Rock, Japan, July 2005
- Lowlands, Netherlands, August 2005
- V, UK, August 2005
- Vegoose, USA, October 2005
- Big Day Out, Australia/New Zealand, February 2006
- SXSW, USA, March 2006
- Coachella, USA, April 2006
- Bonnaroo, USA, June 2006
- Oxegen, Ireland, July 2006
- Across The Tracks, UK, July 2006
- T in the Park, UK, July 2006
- Eden Project, UK, August 2006
- V, UK, August 2006
- Pukkelpop, Belgium, August 2006
- Lowlands, Netherlands, August 2006
- Osheaga, Montreal, August 2006
- Wintercase, Spain, November 2006
