Magic Carpet Ride
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| “Magic Carpet Ride” | |||||
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| Single by Steppenwolf from the album Steppenwolf the Second |
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| B-side | "Sookie Sookie" | ||||
| Released | September, 1968 | ||||
| Recorded | 1968 | ||||
| Genre | Psychedelic rock | ||||
| Length | 4:30 (album version)
2:55 (single version) |
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| Label | ABC Dunhill Records | ||||
| Writer(s) | Rushton Moreve/John Kay | ||||
| Producer | Gabriel Mekler | ||||
| Steppenwolf the Second track listing | |||||
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"Magic Carpet Ride" is a rock song written by John Kay and Rushton Moreve from the band Steppenwolf. The song was initially released on the album Steppenwolf the Second. It was the lead single from that album, peaking at #3 in the US, and becoming the band's second-biggest hit, surpassed only by "Born to Be Wild". The single version differs noticeably from the album version with a different vocal take by Kay used for the first verse of the song and differing instrumental balances. The single version is also much shorter than the album version, with a running time of 2 minutes and 55 seconds (the album version is 4 minutes and 27 seconds long).
[edit] In popular culture
"Magic Carpet Ride" is one of Steppenwolf's most famous songs, having been used in numerous locations.
- A cover version of the song performed by Michael Monroe of Hanoi Rocks and guitarist Slash was used in the movie Coneheads.
- Zefram Cochrane plays the song during Earth's very first warp flight sequence, with his pioneering "warpship" The Phoenix, in the film Star Trek: First Contact, saying we can't leave without it.
- A cover version is heard in the Super Mario Bros. Super Show episode Mario's Magic Carpet (this music has been edited out on the DVD version for legal reasons)
- It is played in the 2000 Australian feature The Dish, as a '60s time/mood setting song.
- It is heard in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me in the scene where Austin travels to 1969.
- It is heard in the title screen of the EA Sports video games NASCAR Thunder 2003.
- It was used as the theme song in a commercial for EA Sports Nascar 99, which featured in-game footage of Dale Earnhardt driving his GM Goodwrench Plus car on a road course.
- Chevrolet used "Magic Carpet Ride" as the song for a the tv ads in the An American Revolution, that debuted on New Year's Eve 2003. The spot was created by the firm of Campbell-Ewald, directed by Michael Bay and titled An American Revolution, Car Carrier, and featured six yet to be introduced new cars and trucks boarding a car carrier as it traverses the United States -- notably a 103hp Chevrolet Aveo descending the Twin Peaks of San Francisco and making an ironic airborne leap remininscent of Steve McQueen's Ford Mustang in the movie Bullitt before boarding the car carrier.
- As a part of the same campaign, it has been used to conclude many Chevrolet commercials.
- It is heard in the title screen of the EA Sports video game Triple Play 2001 during the main menu.
- It is also heard as background music in the film "Beavis and Butthead Do America".
- It is featured in the 2004 movie Team America: World Police in a scene in which the team is celebrating a successful operation by holding a party at their headquarters.
- It is heard in The simpsons episode I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot
- It was used in the film Sahara during the scene in which Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino use the wings and wheels of a crashed plane to create a makeshift Skate Sail.
- It's played in the film The Limey during a driving scene featuring Peter Fonda, intended to invoke images of his earlier movies, especially Easy Rider.
- It is used in the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back during Jay's dream about meeting the characters from Scooby Doo.
- A cover version by Bedlam is used in the film Reservoir Dogs in the bar scene
- The popular Warthog Jump video based on the Halo video game features this song.
- An adaptation of the song was featured in the 1999 film Go.
- It is used as the background music in one scene of the Cold Case Episode Debut (#313)
- A cover of this song was used in a Wendy's commercial. The cover was a pop version of the song.
- It is mistakenly credited to be written by a member(s) of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Even still, it is played at many times by Lambda Chi Alpha brothers.
- Inspired a popular San Francisco tourist attraction, Studio 39 Magic Carpet Ride. The ride features a carpet on a swivelling platform in a green room. Customers are encouraged to try the "free ride" by sitting on the carpet while performing gestures at the command of the "director". The combination of the moving platform, gestures and green screen technology produce the end result of a 2-minute video of the customer flying over San Francisco on a "magic carpet". The video also features pre-recorded sound effects and the Steppenwolf song as the score. Customers are encouraged to purchase the DVD anywhere from $20 to $50. Studio 39 was started near (and later at) Pier 39 in the early 2000s. Four other Magic Carpet Rides were started in Las Vegas. The original Pier 39 location closed in early 2007, along with at least one Las Vegas location. Rumored explanations for the closings of the Studio 39 (a private, non-union business) range from theft to corporate mismanagement.
- A remixed version of this song by Philip Steir was used in Dance Dance Revolution Universe for the XBox 360.
[edit] External links
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