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Volume XVII, Issue 13 - March 26 - April 1, 2009
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Columns Reviews |
We welcome your opinions and letters – with name and address. We will edit when necessary. Include your name, address and phone number for verification. Mail them to Bay Weekly, 1629 Forest Drive, Annapolis, MD 21403 •
E-mail them to [email protected]. or submit your letters on line, click here
The Truth about Muskrat Love
Dear Bay Weekly:
Bay Weekly writers Goodman and Woodhurst did great justice to the “other white meat” [March 19]. I’ve always found stories of Dorchester County’s Annual Outdoor Show interesting. However, I must take exception to the statement, “Muskrat Love — the 1970s hit song by The Captain and Tennille.” It may be that I was not a fan of the Captain and Ms. Toni. But I was a big fan of America and remember well many times humming the tune and wishing my voice was an octave or two higher. So I present this question to Bay Weekly-ites: Which group really made this song a hit: The Captain or America?
–Steve Hamman, Port Republic
Bay Weekly’s reply, by calendar editor Diana Beechener and quoted from Wikipedia:
Sorry, but an obscure cover doesn’t warrant the same recognition as the hit recording. Especially one rated among the worst popular songs ever.
From Wikipedia: Willis Alan Ramsey gets original credit; his “Muskrat Candelight,” a song about muskrats in love, appeared in 1972.
“Muskrat Candelight” reemerged in 1973 as “Muskrat Love.” And yes, reader Steve Hamman is right: America did it, on their Hat Trick album.
In 1976, The Captain and Tennille covered “Muskrat Love” again, on their Song of Joy album. adding synthesizer sound effects supposedly imitating the title act. Their “Muskrat Love” made the big time, ranking No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topping the adult contemporary chart for four weeks.
As if all this weren’t bad enough, Big Daddy wrote a parody, “Hamster Love.” (For further reading: www.captainandtennille.net.)
Singing Ariel’s Praises
Dear Bay Weekly:
What an insightful, honest piece by Ariel Brumbaugh [“What to Do with My Life”: March 19]. Bravo!
I would be happy to donate to the Poet Laureate of Fairhaven fund, making Ariel the first in residence. Keep her here to sing our praises (perhaps.) Most excellent.
–Jeff Crespi, Calvert County
More Work at Cove Point Gas Docks
Dear Bay Weekly:
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission holds a public meeting on another Cove Point project this Thursday, March 26, at the Hilton Garden Inn, Solomons.
We plan to reinforce the offshore platform so it can accommodate the newest generation of LNG transport ships, which are larger and utilize advanced technology.
The public meeting begins at 7pm. As is our usual practice, we will have exhibits on display, with experts to answer questions, from 6 to 7pm.
This project will involve removing some accumulated silt from around a portion of the offshore platform. Dominion proposes to use this dredged material to restore a section of Cove Point beach that was breached by a major storm a few years ago.