Yesterday’s classic song of the day was “Lotta Love” by the late Nicolette Larson. Today’s classic song of the day features a duet with Ms. Larson on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s hit, “Make a Little Magic.” This single was released during the summer of 1980 and rose to #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #77 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart.
“Make a Little Magic” was the lead track (track one, side one) on the band’s 1980 album of the same name. At that point in time, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had shortened their name to just the Dirt Band and was focusing on soft rock rather than their signature country rock. (They would later return to their original name and shift again to a more pure country sound.) The song was written by Bob Edwards and the band’s lead vocalist, Jeff Hanna.
By this point in time, Ms. Larson’s time on the pop charts had peaked and she was back singing backup vocals and readying for her own shift to the country music market. She later had a top ten country hit with “That’s How You Know When Love’s Right,” a duet with Steve Wariner.
As noted yesterday, Nicolette Larson’s career was disappointedly brief. She passed away from complications related to liver failure in 1997, just 45 years old. She was survived by her husband, famed drummer Russ Kunkel, and their seven year-old daughter, Elsie May Larson-Kunkel.
And here’s today’s bonus video of the day, Nicolette Larson singing “Make a Little Magic” with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on the May 30, 1981 episode of the Solid Gold television show. Man, I love her voice.
