Sacco was born in Glenwillard, Pennsylvania[1] and raised in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sacco traveled to New York after graduating from Moon Area High School and found work as a session vocalist.
His sister Susan Christie had a minor hit with the novelty song "I Love Onions", which peaked at #63 on the Hot 100 in 1966.
Robbee and Roulette: 1961-1963
Sacco also recorded a few unsuccessful discs of his own for various record labels in both New York and Pittsburgh, most notably "The Jury" (as by "Lugee & The Lions") on the Pittsburgh-based Robbee label, which achieved local success. "The Gypsy Cried" features the vocal style that would characterize all of Christie's biggest hits: verses sung in his normal register, and then a dramatic shift to his falsetto on the choruses. That song was released in 1962 on the tiny C&C label and unexpectedly credited to 'Lou Christie' without Sacco's permission. Sacco had been working on a list of potential stage names, and he has stated that he hated the name for decades afterwards: "I was pissed off about it for 20 years. I wanted to keep my name and be a one-named performer, just 'Lugee'."
After the C&C release became a Pittsburgh hit, "The Gypsy Cried" was picked up by Roulette Records and charted nationwide, peaking at #24, selling over one million copies, and receiving a gold disc. "The Gypsy Cried" was the first of numerous songs Christie co-wrote with his songwriting partner Twyla Herbert, a self-described eccentric and mystic, who was over twenty years older than Christie but also shared his love of classical music. The two struck up a working relationship after Christie auditioned for her at the age of 15 and began a lifelong friendship which ended only with her death in 2009.
Christie's follow-up single, "Two Faces Have I" in March 1963, was an even bigger hit, peaking at #6 and also selling over a million copies. He joined Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars Tour. A third Roulette release, "How Many Teardrops" (written by Milan), stalled at #46 as Christie's career was temporarily derailed by his induction into the U.S. Army. (A copy of "How Many Teardrops" is included on the Milan compilation album Hell Bent for Leather.) Christie would not have another charting single for two and a half years.
Re-establishment and Rhapsody: 1965-1966
While a stint in the military might have ended the careers of many musicians, Christie's career was quickly re-established after his discharge when he signed with the MGM label. MGM reportedly disliked Christie's first single for the label, with MGM's president reportedly throwing the tape into a wastepaper basket. But Christie's new management promoted the record in California, and when it gained some traction (eventually reaching #2 on KHJ the last two weeks of 1965), MGM released it. "Lightnin' Strikes" reached #1 in the U.S. on Christie's 23rd birthday on February 19, 1966; entered the UK Top 20, becoming his first hit in that country; and peaked at number one in Canada.
But Christie's next release would ignite a firestorm of controversy and censorship. Released in the spring of 1966, "Rhapsody In The Rain" featured a haunting melody inspired by Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet", telling of a teenager's regret over his sexual experience in the back seat of a car during a rainstorm as the windshield wipers made a rhythmic sound of "together, together".[citation needed] Later after the romance ends, the wipers seem to say "never, never".[citation needed] Many radio stations banned the song, and MGM insisted on a re-recorded version that toned down the lyrical content.[citation needed] Despite the edited version, many stations instead played two older songs re-released by other labels Christie had once recorded for: "Outside the Gates of Heaven" (on Co & Ce Records, a successor to C&C) peaked at #45, while "Big Time" (on Colpix Records) managed to hit #95. All three singles hit nationally within three weeks of one another, in March 1966, while "Lightnin' Strikes" was falling off.
Whether it was the controversial lyrics or competition from the other singles released simultaneously, "Rhapsody" only managed to hit #16 in the U.S. and #37 in the UK. Christie's career seemed to be derailed once again as his followup for MGM, "Painter", which also borrowed a melody from classical music - this time from Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly - stalled at #81. Two further MGM releases (produced by Jack Nitzsche) from 1966 missed the Billboard Hot 100 entirely, even though "If My Car Could Only Talk" (peaking at #118) seemingly revisits the ill-fated lovers from Rhapsody.
Resurgence and Romeo: 1969-1970
After being dropped by MGM and an unfruitful stint with Columbia Records in the late 1960s, Christie teamed up with Buddah Records (a move prompted by his business manager Stan Polley) and bubblegum music record producer Tony Romeo and had a surprise Wall of Sound constant uptempo hit "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" (which Romeo wrote) in the early autumn of 1969. Helped by two promotional videos distinctly different from each other, the song peaked at #10 in the U.S. but across the Atlantic climbed to #2 on the UK Singles Chart and thus became his biggest hit there. A follow up, "She Sold Me Magic" charted only in the UK, peaking at #25, and was later covered by Elton John. Conversely, "Are You Getting Any Sunshine?" only charted in America, where it reached #73.
Recoveries and Remakes: 1971 to present
Christie spent the early 1970s in London, largely outside of the music industry and battling drug addiction. In 1971 he released a concept album called Paint America Love and was married in London to former UK beauty queen Francesca Winfield. In 1974, Christie would try another new musical style, going country on his Beyond The Blue Horizon album. The title track, a remake of a hit song from 1930, written for the film Monte Carlo, features one of Christie's strongest non-falsetto vocal performances.[citation needed] The song missed the Country charts entirely, and only made #80 on the pop chart, but managed a respectable showing at #12 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song has been used in several film soundtracks, most notably in 1988's Rain Man.
After getting clean at a London drug rehabilitation clinic, he dropped out of the music industry, working variously as a ranch hand, offshore oil driller and carnival barker.[1]
Christie became active on the oldies circuit starting in the early 1980s, even scoring a final U.S. chart hit, credited as "Summer '81 medley" by The Cantina Band (featuring Lou Christie), in 1981 - and, coincidentally, peaking at #81, performing a medley of Beach Boys classics. In 1999 Christie recorded his first all-new album since the 1970s entitled Pledging My Love. In 2004 Christie released his first concert album, Greatest Hits Live From The Bottom Line, which featured studio recording "Christmas In New York" as a bonus track. In addition to the occasional new release, Christie remains a popular concert act on the oldies circuit in the U.S. and UK. He has also hosted a series of programs on SiriusXM radio for the 60's channel.
She Sold Me Magic
Lou Christie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So it's maybe, maybe, maybe I love you
My thanks it's burning for the other lives Maybe
So it's maybe, maybe, maybe I love you
But I keep follow something out of sight She sold me magic, she sold me magic
And all of the little things I needed every day
She sold me magic, she sold me magic
And all of the little things I needed every day Maybe
My thanks it's burning for the other lives (Maybe, maybe, maybe I love you) Maybe
So it's maybe, maybe, maybe I love you
But I keep follow something out of sight She sold me magic, she sold me magic
And all of the little things I needed every day
She sold me magic, she sold me magic
And all of the little things I needed every day She said I'm in my better life time
She said my soul is matching her a sign
She turns my ego on, have thoughts, she's much too strong
And ring the bell that thought she must be on the edge of love
Ring the bell that thought she must be on the edge of love Maybe
So it's maybe, maybe, maybe I love you
My thanks it's burning for the other lives (Maybe, maybe, maybe I love you) Maybe
So it's maybe, maybe, maybe I love you
But I keep follow something out of sight Nananana... (She sold me magic, she sold me magic, ahaha)Nananana... (She sold me magic, she sold me magic, ahaha)Oho, nananana... (She sold me magic, she sold me magic, ahaha) Oho, nanana
The lyrics to Lou Christie's song 'She Sold Me Magic' suggest a deep yet uncertain love. The repetition of 'maybe' in the beginning of the verse shows the hesitation of the singer to fully express their emotions, as if they are unsure if they truly love this person. The lyrics suggest that this person has a hold on the singer, as he keeps 'following something out of sight.' The chorus, which repeats the phrase 'she sold me magic,' represents the powerful hold that this person has on the singer, as if they have some sort of magical quality that the singer cannot resist. The singer recognizes that this person has given him everything he needs and has had a significant and positive impact on his life.
The bridge of the song suggests that this person is otherworldly and almost divine. She tells the singer that he is in his 'better lifetime' and that his soul is a match for her sign. She is also described as being too strong for the singer, as she turns his 'ego on.' The song is filled with allusions to magic and otherworldliness, which further highlights the power that this person has over the singer.
Overall, 'She Sold Me Magic' is a song about deep, yet uncertain, love that is laced with otherworldly and magical references. The singer recognizes the significant impact that this person has had on his life, yet remains hesitant to fully express his love.
Line by Line Meaning
Maybe
I'm not sure if I love you
So it's maybe, maybe, maybe I love you
I'm still not sure if I love you
My thanks it's burning for the other lives Maybe
I'm grateful for the other experiences in my life
But I keep follow something out of sight
But I feel drawn to something unknown
She sold me magic, she sold me magic
She gave me everything I needed to feel happy
And all of the little things I needed every day
All the small things she did made a big difference in my life
She said I'm in my better life time
She made me feel like I was living my best life
She said my soul is matching her a sign
She convinced me that we were meant to be together
She turns my ego on, have thoughts, she's much too strong
She made me feel confident and aroused my thoughts
And ring the bell that thought she must be on the edge of love
She made me believe that she was on the brink of falling in love with me
Nananana... (She sold me magic, she sold me magic, ahaha)
Repeating catchy tune
Oho, nananana... (She sold me magic, she sold me magic, ahaha)
Repeating catchy tune
Contributed by Noah I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.