Tallahassee’s High Magnetic Field Laboratory now has its very own song and a music video to go with it.
It starts out like your standard cover version of the old Lovin’ Spoonful hit until you get to the opening line:
“Do you believe in magnets?”
That’s “magnets”, not “magic.” The song is performed by well-known Tallahassee musician Michael Lewis, who fronts the band Common ‘Taters. He was approached by the Mag Lab’s public affairs folks.
“It was their idea. TOTALLY their idea," laughed Lewis. "I had nothing to do with it. They gave me the lyrics and I ran with it.”
It was a musical revision process that took a while to pull off.
“After that I spent three months gestating on the words and practicing it and getting right and then did ‘Do you Believe in Magnets?’ and got some background vocals on it, sped it up a little to sound like the original and that was pretty much it. I let ‘em have it.”
And after getting it, Stephen Bilenky, the lab’s videographer, produced a quick-paced music video in which a bunch of lab staff folks sing and dance to the soundtrack in various locations around the facility.
“It’s a wonderful way to let folks know that science isn’t always deadly serious work and that there are a lot of fun and interesting people at the Magnet Lab,” said one of the performers, Mag Lab Director Greg Boebinger. The music video is up on YouTube and Boebinger was eagerly awaiting Sunday night’s Grammy Awards.
“I think we’re going to take home a Grammy in the lip-synching category.”
That didn’t happen, but it’s still an “attractive” piece of work…get it? Magnets? Attraction?
Here's the link to the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhqj6QFvBSs&t=86s
