Something Magic

Something Magic, by Procol Harum, was released in 1977. Electing to work with producers Ron and Howie Albert when Leiber and Stoller were not available, Procol Harum flew into Miami with more than enough material for their album. After the Alberts rejected more than five tracks and only having four songs to fill out the album, vocalist/composer/piano player Gary Brooker offered up the epic "The Worm and The Tree," a piece by lyricist Keith Reid that Brooker had been toying with on and off for several years. Under mounting pressure to complete the musical composition and orchestral arrangements for the 19-minute epic Brooker turned to local Miami arranger Mike Lewis to complete the orchestral arrangements for the title track "Something Magic" and band member Chris Copping to complete the woodwind arrangement for "Skating on Thin Ice." With work completed on "The Worm and The Tree" Brooker previewed it for co-producers Ron and Howie Albert who approved of the piece. Guitarist Mick Grabham offered up his only composition set to Reid's "The Mark of the Claw" to help fill out the album. The Alberts insisted that the band's steady drummer B.J.