Vampire Beavers: Halloween Canadian Style

Now vampire beavers don't really exist.......do they? For the past 30 years this mythic creature has been celebrated as well as vilified, thanks to the cult status of Joe Hall's ode to these scary creatures.

Since noone really knows what a vampire beaver looks like, this picture at left is the closest thing I could find, courtesy of photographer Josef Hsalek. The credit on his photo claims it is a procavia capensis. (Of course! I knew that!) If anyone can tell me the actual English name for this little guy, please feel free to leave a Comment.

Now, I should inform any non-Canadian readers that we DO NOT celebrate Halloween by honouring these scary looking creatures. The beaver is Canada's national animal, and it seemed only fitting that Mr. Hall satirize this creature in song.

A staple on the Dr. Demento radio shows, the song was originally issued on the Rancho Banano album in 1980. I have to say, it has always been a regular track on my many Halloween party mixtapes over the years, and it seems to be a hard one to find on the net. Ironically, a quick search of Dr. Demento's website reveals the song was included on 25 shows' playlists. So it can't be that obscure.

So, in honour of our Canadian Halloween, I give you the scary musical tale of "Vampire Beavers"....

mp3: Joe Hall & The Continental Drift - Vampire Beavers


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