The Steve Miller Band had been the most well liked factor on American radio, and in report shops, within the late summer time of 1982. Their album Abracadadra, launched in Could that yr, was on its approach to platinum gross sales within the US alone, and about to begin a six-week run at No.3 on the Billboard 200. On September 4, the ace guitarist and his band had been the kings of pop too, because the infectious title monitor from the album climbed to No.1 on the Scorching 100.
The tune, written by Miller and co-produced with the band’s drummer Gary Mallaber, typified the Milwaukee axeman’s means to create wonderful album rock with an ear for the business single. It was a mixture that had labored brilliantly on two earlier No.1 US pop singles for the outfit, with 1973’s “The Joker” and “Rock’n Me” in 1976. “What’s expected of me is short tunes,” he advised Rolling Stone, maybe with an fringe of frustration. “They just want that four-minute fix.” He revealed elsewhere that he wrote the lyrics to the tune in exactly quarter-hour.
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After “Abracadabra” climbed to the highest, historical past was reversed: “Rock’n Me” had gone to the American chart summit by unseating Chicago’s “If You Leave Me Now.” Now, the brand new hit was succeeded at No.1 by the identical band’s “Hard To Say I’m Sorry.”
“Abracadabra” had two non-consecutive weeks at No.1, changing into a gold single, and in addition hit the height in Australia, Austria, Canada, Sweden, and Switzerland. It reached No.2 within the UK, changing into the band’s sole Prime 10 hit there in July 1982. The one was held off the highest solely by Captain Smart’s “Happy Talk” after which Irene Cara’s “Fame.” The Abracadabra album additionally grew to become their solely Prime 10 LP within the UK, spending three consecutive weeks at No.10.
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