Captain & Tennille

Released: January 1, 1979

Songwriter: Will Jennings Nesbert Hooper, Jr.

Producer: Daryl Dragon

Three days of snow in Birmingham
Thought you would wonder just where i am
Called your number all night long
It's no comfort on the telephone
Went out and caught me a midnight flight
Thought a little love would make everything alright
The Landlord said you moved away
And left me with all your bills to pay

Look out baby
Think you made your move too soon

This life in Vegas well it sure ain't hard
It left me with a Keno card
I ran it up to 'bout fifty grand
I cashed it in and held it in my hand
That kind of word can get around
And make a lost love turn up found
I hear ya knocking at my door
But you ain't living here no more

It's too bad baby
Think you made your move too soon, Oh-Oh-Now

(Keyboard Solo played by Daryl Dragon)

Oh
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh

I been from Spain to Tokyo
From Africa to Ohio
I never tried to make the news
I'm just a woman who sings the blues
I take my lovin' everywhere
I come back and honey they still care
One love ahead, one love behind
One in my arms and one on my mind

One thing babe
I never made my move too soon oh yeah, now
One thing babe
I never, never, never made my move too soon
Whoa-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh

In 1972, Toni Tennille was a co-writer of the musical Mother Earth. Daryl “Captain Keyboard” Dragon, who got his nickname while touring with the Beach Boys from his signature skipper’s cap, took a job as the keyboardist for Mother Earth and the two hit it off romantically and musically, forming a nightclub act that charged $70 a night.

When two radio DJs urged the duo to record their cover of the Beach Boys song “Disney Girls” in 1974, they also recorded an original song “The Way I Want to Touch You” which attracted interest from several record labels. A&M Records, home to the platinum-selling male/female duo The Carpenters who had scored ten top 5 hits in the US from 1970-1974, signed them.

Captain & Tennille’s 1975 debut album featured seven originals, three Beach Boys covers and – at the suggestion of A&M’s A&R man – a cover of Neil Sedaka’s “Love Will Keep Us Together”. The latter was released as their first single and found massive success in North America. It reached #1 in the US & Canada, won a Grammy for Record Of The Year, and was the biggest song of of the year in the US. Even their Spanish version of the song “Por Amor Viviremos” reached #49 in the US. A&M followed it up with “The Way I Want to Touch You” and it reached #4 in both the US and Canada. Both songs also found success in New Zealand and the UK. The two married in November 1975.

more tracks from the album

Make Your Move

From the album

Make Your Move (1979)

Captain & Tennille popular songs

Never Make Your Move Too SoonCaptain & Tennille

Captain & Tennille

Make Your Move