THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

453-Limmie & Family Cookin’-You Can Do Magic.

1973-Number 3 single.

Best Bit-At 2.12. Some kids collect toy cars, some collect Barbie Dolls, I collected every 7 inch single on the ‘AVCO’ record label….probably a bit sad.

Limmie Frank Snell, Jr. was born on October 4th, 1948, (although another source suggests it could have been 1945) in Dalton, Alabama, United States, he died from renal failure, on May 27th, 1986. As ‘Limmie B. Good,’ he began recording at the age of 11 for ‘Columbia Records,’ ‘Mercury Records,’ and ‘Warner Bros. Records.’ One of his earliest recordings was in 1965, when using the name ‘Lemme B. Good,’ he sang the original version of ‘Good Lovin,’ when the song was later recorded by the American Rock group ‘The Young Rascals’ with slightly different lyrics, it became a Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 single in 1966.

In the early 1970’s Snell joined forces with his two twin sisters Jimmie, (1946-2016) and Martha, to form ‘Limmie & Family Cookin”, and after releasing one unsuccessful single on ‘Scepter Records,’ they signed with ‘Avco Embassy Records.’ As ‘Limmie & Family Cookin” they released nine singles between 1972-1977, with their only American Billboard Hot 100 entry being ‘You Can Do Magic,’ which stalled at Number 84. They achieved greater success in the UK, where they charted three times, with ‘You Can Do Magic,’ (1973-Number 3) ‘Dreamboat,’ (1973-Number 31) and ‘A Walkin’ Miracle’ (1974-Number 6.) Limmie & Family Cookin’ continued to tour in to the 1980’s, but in 1976 Snell also joined up with other musicians to form ‘Limmie Funk,’ and then ‘Limmie Funk Unlimited,’ these bands included Tony Mansfield, who would later go on to form ‘New Musik,’ and also become a successful song writer (see also best songs 833.) Other artists to play alongside Snell included Nick Straker, (A Walk in the Park) and the brothers Paul and Robert Simon, who became members of the bands ‘Neo,’ ‘Ultravox,’ (see also best songs 532) and ‘Magazine’ in the late 1970’s, and early 1980’s.

‘You Can Do Magic’ was the debut single release by Limmie & Family Cookin,’ in 1972, it was written by Sandy Linzer, (see also best songs 1042) and co-produced by Linzer, and Steve Metz, who would also go on to work on several of the other Limmie & Family Cookin’ singles. Sandy Linzer is an American, who was born Sanford Linzer, in 1941. In the early 1960’s the American songwriter Al Kasha, (1937-2020) introduced Sandy Linzer to the legendary Bob Crewe, (1930-2014) (see also best songs 914-863-739-499-393-284-164-112 and 83) and Denny Randell, (see also best songs 1042) and with either Crewe or Randell, Sandy Linzer wrote several hit singles for ‘The Four Seasons,’ including ‘Working My Way Back to You,’ (1965-Billboard Number 9) which when covered by ‘The Detroit Spinners’ became a UK Number 1 single in 1979. Other hits co-written by Linzer for The Four Seasons include ‘Dawn (Go Away,’) (1963-Billboard Number 3) and ‘Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry ’bout Me’) (1966-Billboard Number 13.)

In 1965, Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell wrote and produced most of the songs for the American Pop’ and ‘R&B’ girl group ‘The Toys,’ including their singles ‘A Lover’s Concerto,’ (1965-Billboard Number 2 & UK Number 5) (see also best songs 1042) which was adapted from ‘Minuet in G major,’ once attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach, (1685-1750) but now to Christian Petzold, (1677-1733) and ‘Attack!’ (1966-Billboard Number 18 & UK Number 36.) Another ‘The Toys’ recording written by Linzer and Randell was, ‘Can’t Get Enough Of You Baby,’ which was later covered by the ‘Garage’ band ‘? and the Mysterians,’ (1967-Billboard Number 56) and then in 1998, it was covered by the American Rock band ‘Smash Mouth,’ reaching Number 8 in Canada, and Number 14 in Australia. In 1966 Linzer and Randell established their own record label called ‘Oliver,’ and continued to write for artists including ‘The Monkees,’ and ‘Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon,’ including ‘Breakin’ Down the Walls of Heartache,’ (1968-UK Number 4.) Sandy Linzer also produced the debut 1976 Album by Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band, (see also best songs 591) including their hit single ‘Cherchez La Femme’ (Billboard Number 27.) In 1977 he and Denny Randell co-wrote ‘Native New Yorker,’ which when recorded by the American ‘Disco’ group Odyssey reached Number 2 on Billboard, and Number 5 in the UK, and then in 1980 with the American lyricist L. Russell Brown, (see also best songs 886) he co-wrote ‘Use It Up and Wear It Out,’ which made Number 1 in the UK also for Odyssey.

‘You can do magic, you took the raindrops that filled my eyes and put them back up in the skies, and then made the grey skies turn blue.’