Prolonging the Magic is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Cake. It was released on 6 October 1998 on Capricorn Records. The sole successful single was the lead "Never There". It was recorded after the departure of guitarist Greg Brown and features a rotating lineup of musicians to replace him. One of them, Xan McCurdy, became his full-time replacement.On its opening week, Prolonging the Magic sold about 44,000 copies, debuting at No. 33 on the Billboard 200 chart.