Story behind iconic Orlando Magic theme song
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Magic are starting their playoff run this weekend in a best-of-seven series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. By now, every fan knows the Orlando Magic theme song, which recently received a reworking.
When the Orlando Magic get a win at the Kia Center, the basketball team’s theme song starts playing, and the crowd goes wild. The song has been a hit in the stands and on social media.
"In the fourth quarter, you start hearing the fans yelling ‘play the song, play the song,’ and I'm like, okay, this is legit. This is huge. This is crazy," said Ayo, the producer.
Ayo is the artist behind the remix of the Orlando Magic theme song. He’s a Grammy Award-winning artist who has worked with big names like Cardi B and Lil Wayne. However, being able to work on this song had special meaning for Ayo. He’s a Magic fan himself, as he was born and raised in Orlando.
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"My passion and everything that I'm involved in and want to do has to be rooted in the city that I love most," said Ayo. "I think this is the start of something special."
Longtime fans will know this song is a remix to the original one that dates back to when the Orlando Magic joined the NBA in 1989. Glen Gettings wrote and produced the song back in the day.
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"It's old school, and that's it. It's the formula. You can't have a good song without the hook," he said.
Gettings did much more than write a catchy song. He made it theatrical when fans came to watch the team play with dancers, a light show, pyrotechnics, a wizard, and, of course, Stuff the Magic Dragon.
"Back in the old days, the arenas weren’t like how they are now," Gettings explained. "They didn't have the sound and the lights and all that stuff. We had to literally bring it in."
Gettings pitched his ideas to the team’s management in 1989 at their Ocoee studio, Starke Lake Studios. Chris D’Orso, who is now the Executive Vice President of Sales for the Orlando Magic, was there. At the time, he was an intern when Pat Williams brought the team to Orlando.
"When Pat came down here, he wanted to create an entertainment extravaganza," said D’Orso. "He wanted to create something that was not just all about wins and losses. He helped create a production, starting with the song that would last throughout our entire career here."
The remix to the song has been a slam dunk for fans cheering on the Magic during an exciting season for this young team. Ayo is happy to have contributed to keeping the nostalgia alive.
"It's just adding to something that's always been there. The song is amazing. It's been catchy. It's been special," said Ayo. "I think now it's just finding ways where the youth can connect to it and the fans can connect."