Magic Affair

Magic Affair is a German eurodance project formed in Frankfurt, Germany in 1993 by music producer Mike Staab. German singer Franca Morgano and American rapper Burnell Keith Herring (A.K. Swift) fronted the project in the early stages. Magic Affair is best known in Europe for the hit singles "Omen III", "Give Me All Your Love" and "In the Middle of the Night" and the album Omen (The Story Continues...). To date, the project has sold 2.5 million records in Germany and over 8 million records worldwide.

Magic Affair
Magic Affair (2014)
Background information
Also known asM.A.
OriginFrankfurt, Germany
GenresEurodance
Years active1993–1999, 2004, 2008-present
Labels
  • CDL
  • EMI
  • Nosferatu
Associated actsMysterious Art, Blaxone, The Clarkettes, E-Rotic, S.E.X. Appeal
WebsiteOfficial Website
MembersFranca Morgano
(1993-1994, 2004, 2008-present)
Nitro
(2013-present)
Past membersBurnell Keith Herring
(1993-1994, 2008-2013)
Alfonso Daniel Morgan
(1994)
Anita Davis
(1995-1997)
Jannet Schüttler
(1995-1996)
Richard Michael Smith
(1996-1997)

Band history

1993–94: Formation and Omen (The Story Continues...)
Main article: Mysterious Art

Magic Affair was created by producer Mike Staab as a spin-off act from the group Mysterious Art, a band where Staab himself was a member and a producer. German singer Franca Morgano and American rapper Burnell Keith Herring (A.K. Swift) fronted the act. The first single "Omen III" was first released in 1993 under the shortened group name M.A. The single achieved success in Europe and worldwide, reaching No.1 in Germany. "Omen III" later achieved Platinum status in Germany and Gold in Austria. The single peaked #17 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] "Omen III" was followed in 1994 by the debut studio album Omen (The Story Continues...) and the three singles "Give Me All Your Love", "In the Middle of the Night", and "Fire", which peaked #6, #16 and #20 in the German single chart respectively. At the end of 1994, Herring was briefly replaced with Alfonso Daniel Morgan due to some internal issues between Morgano and Herring. However, Herring returned to the group shortly, and nothing was recorded with Morgan.

1995–97: Departure of Morgano and Herring and Phenomenia

In February 1995 both, Morgano and Herring were controversially fired and replaced with two female singers, Anita Davis and Jannet De Lara (Jannet Schüttler). Along with the new line-up and a new musical direction to a more pop sound including female verses and excluding male raps, Magic Affair subsequently released their first single "The Rhythm Makes You Wanna Dance" in 1995 of their upcoming second studio album. "The Rhythm Makes You Wanna Dance" was followed in 1996 by the second studio album "Phenomenia" and the two singles "Energy of Light", co-written by Daisy Dee, and "World of Freedom", which became moderate hits and peaked #37 and #15 in the Swizz and Finnish Single Chart respectively. Singer Lori Glori provides guest vocals on the album track "Magical Love Affair".

In September 1996, Schüttler was fired and replaced by the rapper Ras-Ma-Taz (Richard Smith), previously of E-Rotic and S.E.X. Appeal fame. With the third line-up, the group also appeared on the Queen tribute compilation album Queen Dance Traxx, with the song "Bohemian Rhapsody", which also saw a single release. The tribute album also featured another Queen song "We Are The Champions", recorded with all artists, who participated on Queen Dance Traxx as a supergroup labeled as "Acts United". Meanwhile, Morgano and Herring formed their own band called Blaxone and released one single "Good times" in 1996, which has been later in 2008 credited as a Magic Affair song and been included on Magic Affair's remix album series "Remixcollection I-III". In 1997, two more singles have been released, the fourth and final single of "Phenomenia", called "Break These Chains", in a different single edition with additional raps by Smith, and the new song "Night Of The Raven", being the first single released on the new Dutch label CNR and the first single for the planned but yet never materialized third studio album. "Night Of The Raven" became a minor hit, peaking #54 in the Swedish Single Chart respectively. After this release, Davis and Smith both left the band. In 1997, Herring launched his solo career.

1998–99: Single releases and hiatus

In 1998 and 1999, the promotional singles "Sacrifice", an instrumental trance track without any vocalists, and "Miracles" have been released, both without any charting success. After these single releases, Magic Affair went on hiatus. Meanwhile, Davis went on to launch her solo career, released some solo singles, and to form her girlgroup The Clarkettes, alongside singers Brenda Hale and Brooke Russell.

2004–07: Return of Morgano and brief comeback

After a short absence, Magic Affair briefly returned in 2004 with the single release "Fly Away (La Serenissima)" alongside a music video. This single also marks the return to Magic Affair of original lead singer Morgano. "Fly Away (La Serenissima)" reached #13 in German DJ Playlist and peaked #70 in the Swiss Single Chart. In 2007, former member Schüttler has been featured on guest vocals on Raul Rincon & Coronabros's single "La Verdad".

2008–12: Return of Herring and comeback

In 2008, a remix album series entitled "Remixcollection I - 1993-1994", "Remixcollection II - 1995-1996", "Remixcollection III - 1996-1998" has been digitally released, containing most remixes of the mentioned periods of that eras. Also in 2008, the single "Stigmata (Of Love)", originally an unreleased song recorded back in 2003, has been released. "Stigmata (Of Love)" marks the return to Magic Affair of original rapper Herring, but who has been only credited as a featured artist on the single as the narrator. Alongside the single, a promotional single of Magic Affair's very first hit "Omen III" has been released in 2008 with new mixes by The Nightshifterz, Pussylickerz, Dirty Boyz and Blackzone. Next to these Magic Affair releases, Morgano released her first solo album titled "Bleeding Love Songs (Italian American Songbook)". In 2009, Morgano and Herring performed "Omen III" live at RTL Ultimative Chart Show for the first time in ages. Since 2009, Magic Affair started working on their upcoming third studio album, which will be produced by Mike Staab, Rainer Kempf and Bernd Waldstadt. In 2010, Morgano released her second studio album "You Want It" and the compilation album "Remember Me". In 2012, Morgano released her first holiday album "Christmas Part I".

2013–present: Second departure of Herring and third album

In 2013, Herring again left Magic Affair and was replaced by German rapper Nitro, previously of hip hop collective Brothers Keepers. Meanwhile, Morgano released her third, fourth overall, and first German-language studio album ...Nach dem sturm ("...After the Storm"). In 2014, Morgano and Nitro introduced the single "Hear the Voices" along with another new song, the B-side "We're Insane".

Members
Member199319941995199619971998199920042008200920102011201220132014
Franca Morgano
(1993-1995, 2004, 2008–present)
Anita Davis
(1995-1997)
Jannet Schüttler
(1995-1996)
Burnell Keith Herring
(1993-1995, 2008-2013)
Richard Michael Smith
(1996-1997)
Nitro
(2013–present)

Other members:

  • Alfonso Daniel Morgan (brief replacement for Herring in 1994, but no material had been released)

Discography

Studio albums
Title Details Peak chart positions
AUT FIN
[2]		 GER NED SWE SWI
Omen (The Story Continues...)
  • Release date: 16 May 1994
  • Label: CDL
  • Formats: CD
 11 9 8 71 18 7
Phenomenia
  • Release date: August 1996
  • Label: CDL
  • Formats: CD
 — — 99 — — —
"—" denotes studio album that did not chart.

Remix albums
  • 2008: Remixcollection I - 1993-1994
  • 2008: Remixcollection II - 1995-1996
  • 2008: Remixcollection III - 1996-1998

Singles
Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)		 Album
AUT
[3]		 FIN
[2]		 FRA
[3]		 GER
[4]		 IRE
[5]		 NED
[3]		 SWE
[3]		 SWI
[3]		 UK
[3]
1993 "Omen III" 2 2 12 1 14 7 3 3 17 Omen (The Story Continues...)
1994 "Give Me All Your Love" 13 3 20 6 24 9 8 8 30
"In the Middle of the Night" 14 10 26 16 — 29 16 — 38
"Fire" 17 9 — 20 — — 34 23 —
1995 "The Rhythm Makes You Wanna Dance" 32 17 — 54 — — 36 — — Phenomenia
1996 "Energy of Light" — — — 54 — — — 37 —
"World of Freedom" — 15 — — — — — — —
1997 "Break These Chains" — — — — — — — — —
"Night of the Raven" — — — — — — 54 — — N/A
2004 "Fly Away (La Serenissima)" — — — — — — — 70 —
2008 "Stigmata (Of Love)" — — — — — — — — —
2014 "Hear the Voices" — — — — — — — — — TBA
"—" denotes single that did not chart.

Promotional singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
GER
[4]
"Good Times"[lower-alpha 1] 1996 — N/A
"Bohemian Rhapsody" — Queen Dance Traxx
"Sacrifice" 1998 — N/A
"Miracles" 1999 —
"Omen III (2008 version)" 2008 —
"—" denotes promotional single that did not chart.

Other appearances

Notes
  1. "Good Times" has been released in 1996 by Morgano and Herring as Blaxone, but later in 2008 credited as Magic Affair and included on Magic Affair's remix album series "Remixcollection I-III".

References
  1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 343. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 9789511210535.
  3. Intl. peaks Lescharts.com (Retrieved February 10, 2008)
  4. German peak positions
  5. Search for Irish peak positions
  6. "Gold & Platin". IFPI (Austria). Archived from the original on 2013-07-01. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
  7. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Magic Affair)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2011-06-09.

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