This Multi-Platinum Steve Miller Band Hit Took Three Years To Record (And How a Supreme Helped Shake It Loose)

The Steve Miller Band released “Abracadabra” in 1982, returning the group to the top of the charts after several years without a major hit. The song became their last number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains one of their best-known tracks.

Miller said the song took three years to develop, beginning as music with lyrics he considered poor. A chance meeting with Diana Ross while skiing in Sun Valley reminded him of the Supremes, prompting him to rewrite the lyrics in 15 minutes. Although the record label initially disliked the song, the band took it to Europe, where it quickly topped the charts; the label then released it in the United States.