Muskrat Love
Encyclopedia
"Muskrat Love" is a pop song by written by Willis Alan Ramsey
and introduced (as "Muskrat Candlelight") on his sole album the 1972 release Willis Alan Ramsey
; the song had its highest profile via a 1976 remake by Captain & Tennille
. The song's lyric depicts a romantic liaison between two anthromorphic muskrat
s named Susie and Sam.
America
recorded "Muskrat Love" for their 1973 album Hat Trick
, marking the second time the band had recorded a song not written by a member of America. In putting together ten songs to comprise the eventual Hat Trick album, America's members Gerry Beckley
, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek
had agreed to each contribute three compositions with a mutually agreeable cover song being recorded as the tenth track. David Dickey who played bass for America brought Ramsey's "Muskrat Candlelight" to the group's attention: according to Beckley—"to us it sounded like a very bluesy, quirky tune. We just felt it was quirky and commercial, and we worked it up." Issued as the album's advance single in July 1973, "Muskrat Love" marked a downturn in America's popularity with a low peak on the Hot 100
in Billboard
at #67.
Captain & Tennille
heard America's version of "Muskrat Love" and assumed it was original to them, then remade the song for their 1976 album Song of Joy
. The track featured sound effects created with a synthesizer
to evoke the imagined sound of muskrats courting, which in its eventual 7" single version would feature an "endless loop" of these sound effects created by encoding the end groove of the 45. In July 1976 Captain & Tennille performed "Muskrat Love" at a White House
dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth II: the press subsequently ran a statement from a dinner guest who opined it was "in very poor taste" to sing of mating muskrats before the Queen. Toni Tennille
responded to this charge saying: "only a person with a dirty mind would see something wrong. It's a gentle Disneyesque kind of song." "Muskrat Love" was issued as the third single off Song of Joy in September 1976 rising to a #4 Hot 100 peak that December, also spending spending four non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart. Based on the Captain & Tennille version, "Muskrat Love" has become a staple on "worst song" lists, including a 2006 poll by CNN.com
Gerry Beckley of America cited "Muskrat Love" as "a fine example of where the closer you go back to the original seed, the nicer it is. Ours was once removed, and the Captain & Tennille's was even more removed."
A parody of the song called "Hamster Love" was written and performed by Big Daddy
and included on Dr. Demento
's 30th Anniversary album.
Willis Alan Ramsey
Willis Alan Ramsey is an American singer/songwriter, a cult legend among fans of Americana and Texas country. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Dallas, Texas. Ramsey graduated from Highland Park High School in 1969, and was a prominent baritone in the High School's Lads and Lassies...
and introduced (as "Muskrat Candlelight") on his sole album the 1972 release Willis Alan Ramsey
Willis Alan Ramsey (album)
Willis Alan Ramsey is the first, and only, album ever recorded by the Texas songwriter Willis Alan Ramsey. The album's genre is hard to categorize with touches of country, country rock, folk, and folk rock. The tunes range from the reflection and regret of "The Ballad of Spider John" to a heartfelt...
; the song had its highest profile via a 1976 remake by Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille are American pop music recording artists who achieved chart success from 1975 to 1980. The duo consists of husband and wife duo "Captain" Daryl Dragon , and Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille . They are best known for their singles "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Do That to Me...
. The song's lyric depicts a romantic liaison between two anthromorphic muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
s named Susie and Sam.
America
America (band)
America is an English-American folk rock band that originally included members Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek. The three members were barely out of their teens when they became a musical sensation during 1972, scoring #1 hits and winning a Grammy for best new musical artist...
recorded "Muskrat Love" for their 1973 album Hat Trick
Hat Trick (album)
__notoc__Hat Trick is the third original studio album by American folk rock trio America, released by Warner Bros. Records in 1973 ....
, marking the second time the band had recorded a song not written by a member of America. In putting together ten songs to comprise the eventual Hat Trick album, America's members Gerry Beckley
Gerry Beckley
Gerald Linford "Gerry" Beckley is a founding member of the band America.Beckley was born to an American father, and an English mother. He began playing the piano at the age of three and the guitar a few years later. By 1962, Beckley was playing guitar in The Vanguards, an instrumental surf music...
, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek
Dan Peek
Daniel Milton 'Dan' Peek was a musician best known as a member of the rock band America from 1970 to 1977, together with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell...
had agreed to each contribute three compositions with a mutually agreeable cover song being recorded as the tenth track. David Dickey who played bass for America brought Ramsey's "Muskrat Candlelight" to the group's attention: according to Beckley—"to us it sounded like a very bluesy, quirky tune. We just felt it was quirky and commercial, and we worked it up." Issued as the album's advance single in July 1973, "Muskrat Love" marked a downturn in America's popularity with a low peak on the Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
at #67.
Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille
Captain & Tennille are American pop music recording artists who achieved chart success from 1975 to 1980. The duo consists of husband and wife duo "Captain" Daryl Dragon , and Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille . They are best known for their singles "Love Will Keep Us Together" and "Do That to Me...
heard America's version of "Muskrat Love" and assumed it was original to them, then remade the song for their 1976 album Song of Joy
Song of Joy (album)
Song of Joy is an album released by the Captain & Tennille in 1976. The album included the top-ten singles "Muskrat Love", "Lonely Night " and "Shop Around".-Track listing:#"Song of Joy"...
. The track featured sound effects created with a synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
to evoke the imagined sound of muskrats courting, which in its eventual 7" single version would feature an "endless loop" of these sound effects created by encoding the end groove of the 45. In July 1976 Captain & Tennille performed "Muskrat Love" at a White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth II: the press subsequently ran a statement from a dinner guest who opined it was "in very poor taste" to sing of mating muskrats before the Queen. Toni Tennille
Toni Tennille
Cathryn Antoinette "Toni" Tennille is one-half of the 1970s Grammy Award-winning duo Captain & Tennille. Tennille has also done musical work independently of her husband Daryl Dragon. Tennille has a contralto vocal range.-Biography:...
responded to this charge saying: "only a person with a dirty mind would see something wrong. It's a gentle Disneyesque kind of song." "Muskrat Love" was issued as the third single off Song of Joy in September 1976 rising to a #4 Hot 100 peak that December, also spending spending four non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the Easy Listening chart. Based on the Captain & Tennille version, "Muskrat Love" has become a staple on "worst song" lists, including a 2006 poll by CNN.com
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
Gerry Beckley of America cited "Muskrat Love" as "a fine example of where the closer you go back to the original seed, the nicer it is. Ours was once removed, and the Captain & Tennille's was even more removed."
A parody of the song called "Hamster Love" was written and performed by Big Daddy
Big Daddy (band)
Big Daddy was an American satire/parody band, that was among the first groups to create mashups - in this case, of oldies and modern pop songs.-History:...
and included on Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
's 30th Anniversary album.