Hallelujah let me sock it to ya
Praise the Lord, and pass the mescaline
You could spend a weekend digging through Texas songwriters and never quite land on someone as mysterious or as mythically hyped as Willis Alan Ramsey. I want to thank a commentator M.Y. for telling me about this wonderful album and artist.
Ramsey was born in Alabama in 1951, but it was Texas where he planted his flag and his musical roots. The Lone Star State was churning out outlaw country and cosmic cowboys in the early ‘70s, and Ramsey’s 1972 self-titled debut landed right in the middle of it. The album was released on Leon Russell’s Shelter Records (home to J.J. Cale and Dwight Twilley), Willis Alan Ramsey was a swampy, soulful, blend of folk, country, and blues.
This album, released in 1972, was his only album. It has been lauded by critics, and I can understand why. He had a contract dispute with Shelter Records and left at the end of the contract. His fans have been waiting half a century for a new album. When asked, he said, “What’s wrong with the first one?” He did start a new album in 1997 and is trying to finish it with financial help from friends and fans alike. It is still in the works.
He did have one song that is widely known. There is a song on this album called Muskrat Candlelight. Do the math, and you know who covered it. Change Candlelight to Love, and yes, you have Captain and Tennille. I’ve listened to this album many times, and the guy can write some interesting lyrics. The ones I have at the top got my attention right away with this song.
Give a listen to this album if you have time.
Satin Sheets
I wish I was a millionaire
Play rock music and grow long hair
Tell your boys
‘Bout a new Rolls-Royce
Pretty women callin’ me
Give ‘em all the third degree
Give ‘em satin sheets
To keep ‘em off the streets
Hallelujah let me sock it to ya
Praise the Lord, and pass the mescaline
Trade your whole world
You’ll come over
As soon as you see me boogie-woogie ‘cross the silver screen
Hang ‘em high, hang ‘em low
Put ‘em in the ceilings wherever I go
And they’d swing all night
In the rafter light
Hallelujah, what’s it to ya?
Got your coffee, me, I got my Spanish tea
Trade your whole world
You’ll come over
As soon as you hear me playing my calliope
I wish I was a millionaire
Play rock music and grow long hair
Tell your boys
‘Bout a new Rolls-Royce
….
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Yep, you’re right, Max. I never heard of him, BUT everyone’s heard Muscrat Love! Ha! Good find!
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Yea this album is really popular with the Texas Songwriter crowd…its really good!
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Interesting find, another of whom I’d never heard. He sounds a bit like an American version of John Martyn.
As for Muskrat Love, the Captain and Tennille never really attracted me – I knew it from the version on America’s Hat Trick album.
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No their version I didn’t like either…it surprised me that it came from this album.
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Damn, all these years later I thought the Captain wrote Muskrat Love.. carry on.
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Very pleasant music.
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I can’t recall the singer or the song.
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Like others said, had no idea who wrote about muskrats. Someone mentioned America & that sounded right, I knew it was a cover for Captain & Tenille.
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Probably the worst song on this album lol but I’m tainted…I love the other stuff and the legend built around it.
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You got me on this one Max. Just listening to Satin Sheets. He brings to mind Amos Lee who we were just talking about. “What’s wrong with first one?” Love those answers.
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I loved that reply as well. I’ve been checking out Amos Lee since last week and I agree. Good album here CB.
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‘m going to give the albuma spin.
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Love the live version. I suspected this might be the song you would post. There’s something about the guitar and the vocal that just gets me. I think if we had heard “Muskrat” before the cover versions we might feel differently about it. His isn’t quite so cutesy (and there’s no synthesized “cooing” from the lovestruck rodents). “Ballad Of Spider John” is a great one too. Jimmy Buffett covered that. Thanks for featuring him.
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That line! That line just grabbed me as well as the song. Oh I like his version WAY more lol…I wish I wouldn’t have mentioned it though….that is all everyone wanted to talk about…I mean “Praise the Lord, and pass the mescaline”….I would have given anything to write that.
“Ballad Of Spider John” is the one I was going to do… thank you so much for mentioning him!
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My pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it.
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(Great line indeed.) I guess he is a perfectionist if he’s still chipping away at that next album.😉
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You know obbverse…thank you for noticing! I love that line! I should NOT have ever mentioned Muskrat…never…that is all that people wanted to talk about. Usually I can slip it somewhere and people will hardly notice…not today!
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Willis Alan Ramsey looks like an intriguing find. I had never of him. I knew “Muskrat Love” by America, which I’ve always liked. It’s one their fantastic 1975 compilation “History: America’s Greatest Hits”, one of the first vinyl music albums I heard back in Germany. “Satin Sheets” sounds great as well. Between these two tracks, I’m definitely curious to check out the rest of this album.
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Thanks Christian! I like his lyrics a lot man…it’s odd that this is the only album he had and its revered.
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