A 1973 cover version by the folk/rock band America—retitled "Muskrat Love" for the lyrics that close the chorus—was a minor hit reaching number 67 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 1976, a cover by pop music duo Captain & Tennille resulted in the song's highest profile, peaking at number four on the Hot 100 chart.
David Dickey, who played bass for the band, brought Ramsey's "Muskrat Candlelight" to the group's attention; according to Beckley, "to us it sounded like a very bluesy, quirky tune.
"[3] "Muskrat Love" was issued as an advance single from Hat Trick in early August 1973, although Dan Peek would recall that America's label Warner Bros. "hated" the track and "begged us not to release it as a single...We were stupid to press the issue, but we liked the song for its easy, acoustic, harmonic beauty, not realizing that perhaps it was badly cast for us in order to retain the fairly hip image we had eked out".
Peek adds that the single "easily hit the Top 40 on the strength of our past successes"[4] although "Muskrat Love" in fact marked a downturn in America's popularity with a low peak on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 67; the single did better on Cash Box, reaching 33, and the Billboard adult contemporary, chart reaching number 11.
Despite Captain & Tennille's stated disinterest in highlighting "Muskrat Love" as an item in their repertoire, it was the song they chose to sing at a July 1976 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.
"[14] Purportedly there were no plans to issue a third single off Song of Joy following the Top Ten success of "Lonely Night (Angel Face)" and "Shop Around"; however, A&M Records decided to issue "Muskrat Love" as a single after WISM, a Madison, Wisconsin radio station that had been airing the album cut, reported phenomenal listener response to the song in September 1976.
It was on A&M Records, which Herb Alpert founded and ran, that "Muskrat Love" with its original lyrics would become a significant hit for Captain & Tennille in 1976.