“Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her?)” (1973) – Blue Ash * Written by Bill Bartolin and Frank Secich * 45: “Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her)” / “Dusty Old Fairgrounds” * LP: No More No Less * Produced by Tom Grazier * Label: Mercury
By the late seventies, Cincinnati’s Blue Ash were already a cult presence in the still-germinating power pop canon of the seventies. The Records’ 1979 cover version of “Abracadabra (Have You Seen Her),” though, which appeared on the bonus EP included with their Shades in Bed debut LP (released in the US as The Records) helped nudge them into the “fixture” category. Blue Ash’s best-remembered moment continues to be “Abracadabra,” which nonetheless has a two-songs-in-one quality. The “Abracadabra” part at 1:40 was likely an unfinished snippet the group didn’t know what to do with, so they stuck it on to a bridge-less “Have You Seen Her” with Scotch tape, like magic.