No, this is not the Gallagher brothers arguing after a night in their local pub, this is somewhere much more romantic. We are in an Arabian desert.
It is night; the only light is from a half-silvered moon. Hidden among the dunes there’s a shimmering pool of fresh water, surrounded by palm trees. The oppressive heat of the day has eased and a warm breeze strokes our faces with a feather’s touch. Camels rest by the bedouin tents, chewing slowly on their memories. Patterned red rugs cover the canvas walls and festoon the furniture. Under the canopies the remains of a sultan’s feast are being quietly cleared away.
The scene is set for some entertainment. Some story-telling, some music, a belly dancer. As you sink sleepily onto a pile of soft cushions Maria Muldaur whispers seductively in your ear…
Heaven’s holding a half moon
Shinin’ just for us
Let’s slip off to a sand dune, real soon
And kick up a little dust
Who could resist!
I confess Midnight at the Oasis beguiled Crotchety Man when it was released in 1974 and it remains the only track in my collection that could be described as an old-fashioned middle-of-the-road night club standard. It’s one of those timeless classics that never grows old, as fresh now as the day it was recorded. Exotic, playful, teasing, sensual, seductive; in fact, positively sultry. A song to bring a little enchantment to a warm summer’s evening.
