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The Magic Numbers

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For other uses of the term, see magic number.
The Magic Numbers

The Magic Numbers are a four-piece indie rock band from England comprising two pairs of brother and sister who previously went to The Cardinal Wiseman Roman Catholic High School in Greenford. The group was formed in 2002, releasing their critically acclaimed debut album titled The Magic Numbers on June 13, 2005. Their follow-up album, Those the Brokes was released on November 6, 2006.

The Magic Numbers are: Romeo Stodart (lead guitar, vocals), Michele Stodart (bass, vocals), Sean Gannon (drums) and Angela Gannon (melodica, percussion, glockenspiel, vocals).

History

Backgrounds

The Stodarts are the children of a Scottish father and a Portuguese mother and were born in Trinidad in the Caribbean, where their mother was an opera singer and had her own TV show. When the family fled an Islamic coup attempt there in 1990, they were raised in New York. In the mid-1990s, when Romeo was 16 and Michelle was 10, they moved to London.

The Gannons are of Irish descent but lived in Hanwell where they became friends with their neighbours the Stodarts. Prior to forming The Magic Numbers, Romeo and Sean spent time trying to form a band together under various guises, and previously performed under the name 'Guess'.

Early years

In late 2002 The Magic Numbers formed in their present guise, and they began touring the London circuit, gradually developing their sound and building a small cult following, not least amongst some already established artists including The Chemical Brothers, Travis, and Ed Harcourt, with the latter later influential in their signing to record label Heavenly Recordings, narrowly beating off competition from Rough Trade Records.

Their rise came swiftly, beginning in the summer of 2004 and later that year when they began supporting well-known artists such as Travis, Ed Harcourt and Snow Patrol and appearing on the bill of some low-key UK festivals, building an intense following as they did so. In November 2004 they released a very limited edition 7” vinyl single, "Hymn for Her", to coincide with a three-show residency at The Borderline in London.

The Magic Numbers

On the back of releasing just one commercially-available single, "Forever Lost", and even before their debut album was released they played a sold-out show to a crowd of over 2,000 at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, a show that is recognised by many fans as the changing point between a band that was up-and-coming and one that became a household name. They played their first live session on UK radio on the Dermot O'Leary Show, BBC Radio 2.

The eponymous debut album was recorded in late 2004 and early 2005 at Metropolis Studios in London, and released on 13 June 2005. The album was produced and recorded by American Craig Silvey. Prior to release only "Forever Lost" was promoted as a commercial single and this was followed up by later releases "Love Me Like You", "Love's a Game" and "I See You, You See Me".

Following the release of their debut album, the remainder of 2005 and the first few months of 2006 were spent touring and promoting their album and singles, throughout the UK and USA, across Europe and also in New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Their Japanese tour was featured as a side documentary on the 2006 version of Jonathan Ross's Japanorama series.

Although heavily played down, they received a large amount of press attention for being the first band to walk off the TV show Top of the Pops after host Richard Bacon allegedly insulted their physiques (he denied "a fat melting pot of talent" was intended to be insulting), shortly before they were due to appear on the show to promote their single "Love Me Like You". According to an interview with New Zealand's Groove Guide magazine, it was rather that the band were not happy with the show's policy of lip synching rather than anything else.

The album was shortlisted in 2005 for the coveted Mercury Music Prize.

'Those the Brokes

After their heavy touring and promotion of their self-titled debut The Magic Numbers would return in autumn of 2006 with their follow-up album, Those the Brokes. The band is currently continuing to promote and tour for the album, including supporting The Who in Southampton, and an appearance at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival.

The album was partly recorded in New York at Allaire Studios in Spring 2006, a venue which has also been used in the past by David Bowie, The Strokes and Ryan Adams, and was recorded and engineered by Richard Wilkinson.

In 2008, they contributed a t-shirt design to the Yellow Bird Project to raise money for the AIDS Society.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

From The Magic Numbers

Title "Forever Lost" "Love Me Like You" "Love's a Game" "I See You, You See Me"
Date 23 May 2005 8 August 2005 24 October 2005 16 January 2006
UK Chart #15 #12 #24 #20
B-sides "Idea of a Feeling"
"I Hope You Don't Mind"		 "Drunk on Your Words"
"Delphina's Song"
"Travelling Souls"		 "Keep It in the Pocket"
"Last Night I Fell"		 "Forever Lost" (cover by 'Magic Fractions')
"Close Your Eyes"
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
"Crazy in Love"

From Those the Brokes

Title "Take a Chance" "This Is a Song"
Date 23 October 2006 19 February 2007
UK Chart #16 #36
B-sides "I Hear You Knockin'"
"Everytime"
"There Is No One"
"Cowgirl in the Sand (live)"		 "Oh, You Might as Well Live in My Head Now (The Jump Rope Song)"
"Steal Me a Dream"
"Take Me Out"

Contributions

The Magic Numbers have made appearances on various other artists' releases, including

They contributed the track "Gone Are the Days" to the compilation charity album Help:A Day in the Life.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Magic Numbers.
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