The first time I heard Pilot’s spellbinding “Magic,” I thought it was the latest single by the Hollies. Blooming blissfully with bigger-than-life harmonies uncannily similar to those exercised by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash and Tony Hicks, the song reached the No. 5 spot on the U.S. charts after its release in April 1975. Pilot was suddenly seen as one of the most promising new groups of the year.
The Edinburgh, Scotland-based band failed to repeat such success in America, peaking at No. 87 with the follow-up single “January.” “Magic” remained their lone radio presence before becoming practically inescapable decades later as a commercial jingle.
Still, there was more to Pilot. They reaped substantial airplay in assorted pockets around the globe: “January” topped the charts in the U.K., Australia and Ireland. “Call Me Round” and a new version of their second single, 1974’s “Just a Smile,” also reached the U.K. Top 40.
Along the way, they continued to show a tendency to mirror the finest hours of the Hollies but strains of the Bee Gees, psychedelic-era Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra further peppered Pilot’s efforts – and all of these influences were simply starting points. Sheets of effervescent vocals, laid neatly atop bright textures and daring melodies would define the band’s philosophy. At the same time, Pilot’s approach and the production values were thoroughly contemporary.
Innovative synthesizer passages, combined with clever arrangements administered a generous portion of the group’s material. Freckled with whirling and twirling curves, “High In the Sky” ably mixed pure pop instincts with progressive rock aspirations, while “Never Give Up” examined a harder and heavier side of the band.
Pilot’s principal theme may have been pop, but they were adventurous enough to occasionally garnish their radio-ready treasures with surprising quirks, resulting in a rather arty flair. Recommended samplers for a deeper dive into Pilot include 1997’s A Golden Classics Edition. This great 17-track LP from Collectables Records featured “Magic,” of course, along with equally catchy songs like “January,” “Over the Moon,” “Just a Smile,” “Don’t Speak Loudly,” “Canada” (a Top 25 hit in Ireland) and “Sooner or Later.”
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