five-minute track down to manageable length as it did to record it." The song features prominent use of the cowbell percussion instrument, overdubbed on the original recording. Bassist Joe Bouchard remembered the producer requesting his brother, drummer Albert Bouchard, play the cowbell: "Albert thought he was crazy. But he put all this tape around a cowbell and played it. It really pulled the track together." However, producer David Lucas says that he played it; while bandmember Eric Bloom claims that he was the one to play it. Reception The song was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 20 weeks, reaching number 12 for the weeks beginning November 6 and November 13 in 1976. It was BÖC's highest-charting U.S. song and helped Agents of Fortune reach number 29 on the Billboard 200. "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" charted even higher in Canada, peaking at number 7. The single edit was released in the UK in July 1976 (CBS 4483) but failed to chart. However the unedited album version was released as a single (CBS 6333) in May 1978, where it reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart. Critical reaction was mostly positive. Denise Sullivan of Allmusic praised the song's "gentle vocals and virtuoso guitar" and "haunting middle break which delivers the listener straight back to the heart of the song once the thunder is finished". Nathan Beckett called it BÖC's "masterpiece" and compared the vocals to the Beach Boys. Writing for PopMatters, James Mann hailed it as a "landmark, genre-defining masterpiece" that was "as grand and emotional as American rock and roll ever got". Pitchfork Media also referred to the song as a "masterpiece". "Extremely poetic" was the verdict of Fountains of Wayne founder Chris Collingwood. "A sad ballad about a man who wants to die with his true love before their love is spoiled by earthly things."' Track listing 7" Vinyl "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (Roeser) – 3:45 "Tattoo Vampire" (Albert Bouchard, Helen Robbins) – 2:40 Personnel Eric Bloom – guitar, backing vocals Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – guitar, lead vocals Allen Lanier – keyboards, guitar Joe Bouchard – bass Albert Bouchard – drums, percussion, cowbell with: Michael and Randy Brecker - horns (their contribution appears only on the extended album track and was edited out of the released single) David Lucas – backing vocals, keyboards, percussion Charts Certifications The Mutton Birds version New Zealand band The Mutton Birds