<Tr> <Th> Producer (s) </Th> <Td> Lenny Waronker, Joe Boyd </Td> </Tr> <P> "Midnight at the Oasis" is a 1973 song written by David Nichtern . It was recorded by the singer Maria Muldaur for her self - titled album and is her best - known recording, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #21 in the UK Singles Chart in the spring of 1974 . Billboard ranked it as the No. 13 song for 1974 . It was also nominated for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 17th Annual Grammy Awards, held in 1975 . In Canada, the song reached #2 in the RPM magazine singles charts and #45 in the year - end chart . </P> <P> The song is a saucy, teasing offer of a desert love affair, in a fantasy setting that owes more to Rudolph Valentino sheik movies than to real Middle Eastern deserts . AllMusic reviewer Matthew Greenwald describes the song as "so sensual and evocative that it was probably one of the most replayed records of the era and also may be responsible for the most pregnancies from a record during the mid -' 70s". Some of the lyrics are doubtlessly suggestive (such as: "let's slip off to a sand dune...and kick up a little dust"; "you won't need no camel...when I take you for a ride") But the tone is playful throughout . "Midnight" features a 1970s - defining instrumental bridge, particularly memorable for the guitar work of Amos Garrett . </P> <P> The lyric "Cactus is our friend" is used several times in the song, but Cacti are actually New World plants, native to North America, South America and the West Indies, and are not naturally found on the Arabian Peninsula . </P>

Who played guitar on midnight at the oasis