
About Three Dog Night
Established in the mid sixties,
Three Dog Night scored a succession of 21 hit singles
, including eleven Top Tens, and twelve consecutive
gold albums from 1969 to 1975, thanks to the slick,
sometimes soulful vocal harmonies of singers Danny
Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells and an
excellent ear for quality material.
While criticized by some DJ's as commercial,
the band was noted for its creative arrangements
and interpretations, and their cover choices
gave exposure (and royalties) to several talented
songwriters: Nilsson ("One"), Laura Nyro ("Eli's
Coming"), Randy Newman ("Mama Told Me (Not to Come)"
), Hoyt Axton ("Joy to the World"),
Argent's Russ Ballard ("Liar"), and Leo Sayer
("The Show Must Go On").
Wells and Hutton met in the '60s while the
former was the lead singer of the Enemies and
the latter, a writer/producer for Hanna Barbera
Records who had recorded several singles, served
as producer.
In 1967, Hutton conceived the idea of a three-
vocalist group, and he and Wells enlisted
mutual friend Negron.
They took their name from an Australian expression
describing low nocturnal temperatures
in the outback (the colder the night,
the more dogs needed to keep warm while sleeping).
The three cut a few unsuccessful singles and
decided to expand their range by hiring backing
musicians, who included guitarist Mike Allsup,
keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon, bassist Joe
Schermie, and drummer Floyd Sneed.
"One" became the band's first Top Ten hit in 1969,
while "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" hit number one a
year later. "Joy to the World" became the group's
biggest hit in 1971, spending six weeks on
top of the pop charts, and their streak continued
with their final number one, 1972's "Black and White" (a U.K. reggae hit for Greyhound)
Their final Top Ten, 1974's
"The Show Must Go On." By 1976, internal
dissent arose in the group and Three Dog Night
officially disbanded a year later.
There was a reunion in the early '80s, and
Hutton and Wells have since taken Three Dog Night
out on the international touring circuit.
In 2002 With The London Symphony was released
and then, in 2004, to celebrate their 35th
anniversary, The 35th Anniversary Hits Collection
was released.
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