Hat Trick is the third studio album by the American folk rock trio America, released on Warner Bros. Records in 1973.[5] It peaked at number 28 on the Billboard album chart; it failed to go gold, whereas the group's first two releases had platinum sales. The album produced the single, "Muskrat Love", which reached number 67 on the Billboard singles chart and number 11 on the adult contemporary chart. That song would become a much bigger hit for Captain & Tennille three years later.
| Hat Trick | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 26, 1973[1] | |||
| Recorded | 29 May – 12 July 1973 | |||
| Studio | The Record Plant, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | Country rock[2], folk rock, soft rock | |||
| Length | 41:39 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros.[3] | |||
| Producer | ||||
| America chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Hat Trick | ||||
| ||||
Production
editAmerica employed string arrangements for the first time on an album, with the assistance of Jim Ed Norman.[6]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [8] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [9] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [10] |
In his AllMusic review, Mike DeGagne wrote that the album faltered "mainly because the songs lacked the cordial folk-rock melodies and mindful songwriting that prevailed on the earlier releases. "She's Gonna Let You Down" and "Rainbow Song" are the album's best cuts, but banal offerings such as "Green Monkey", "Willow Tree Lullaby", and "Molten Love" have Bunnell and Peek straying off course, sounding stale and musically feeble."[7] The Rough Guide to Rock called Hat Trick "one of country-rock's great lost albums."[2] The Rolling Stone Album Guide deemed "Muskrat Love" "an early nadir in cuteness."[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Muskrat Love" | Willis Alan Ramsey | 3:06 |
| 2. | "Wind Wave" | Dewey Bunnell | 2:55 |
| 3. | "She's Gonna Let You Down" | Gerry Beckley | 3:41 |
| 4. | "Rainbow Song" | Bunnell | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Submarine Ladies" | Beckley | 3:13 |
| 6. | "It's Life" | Dan Peek | 4:00 |
| 7. | "Hat Trick" | Beckley, Bunnell, Peek | 8:29 |
| 8. | "Molten Love" | Bunnell | 3:10 |
| 9. | "Green Monkey" | Bunnell | 3:38 |
| 10. | "Willow Tree Lullaby" | Peek | 2:34 |
| 11. | "Goodbye" | Beckley | 3:10 |
Personnel
editPerformance
edit- America
- Gerry Beckley – guitars, keyboards, lead and backing vocals
- Dewey Bunnell – guitars, lead and backing vocals
- Dan Peek – guitars, keyboards, lead and backing vocals
with:
- David Dickey – bass guitar
- Hal Blaine – drums, percussion (except "Muskrat Love")
- Henry Diltz – banjo ("Submarine Ladies")
- Billy Hinsche – backing vocals ("Hat Trick")
- Bruce Johnston – backing vocals ("Hat Trick")
- Lee Keifer – harmonica ("Submarine Ladies")
- Robert Margouleff – synthesizer
- Chester McCracken – congas
- Jim Ed Norman – arrangements, piano ("She's Gonna Let You Down")
- Tom Scott – saxophone ("Rainbow Song")
- Joe Walsh – guitar ("Green Monkey")
- Carl Wilson – backing vocals ("Hat Trick")
- Lorene Yarnell – taps ("Hat Trick")
Production
edit- Gerry Beckley – production
- Dewey Bunnell – production
- Gary Burden – art direction
- Henry Diltz – photography
- Lee Keifer – assistant engineer
- Dan Peek – production
- Mike D. Stone – Record Plant engineer
Charts
edit| Chart (1973–1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[11] | 24 |
| Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[12] | 45 |
| Spain (AFYVE)[13] | 24 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[14] | 41 |
| US Billboard 200[15] | 28 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[16] | Silver | 60,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "BPI".
- ^ a b Nixon, Neil (2003). "America". In Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-84353-105-0.
- ^ "Top Album Picks". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 10 November 1973 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Great Rock Discography". p. 16.
- ^ "America | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ^ Warne, Jude (15 May 2020). America, the Band: An Authorized Biography. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538120965 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b DeGagne, Mike. "Hat Trick > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 157.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 25.
- ^ a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 14.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4969". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- ^ Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "America | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
- ^ "America Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
- ^ "British album certifications – America – Hat Trick". British Phonographic Industry.
