Most radio stations, when they play ELO's "Strange Magic," air the edited version that starts with the guitar instead of the album version, which has a 22-second string orchestra prelude. The last time I remember hearing the full version on the air was in 1983. KYKY played it, and the prelude made a great music bed for the weather forecast, which, as the DJ said, was "going to be downright nice." The strings fit perfectly with the mentions of sunny skies and pleasant temperatures. Although you still get the meat of the song in its shorter form, it's still a bit compromised when the prelude isn't there.
It's puzzling what stays in your mind, 32 years later.
