From 1969 to 1974, nobody had more Top 10 hits, moved more records, or sold more concert tickets than Three Dog Night. The seven-member band, producers of three No. 1 singles and 21 Top 40 songs, achieved success by singing upbeat, fun songs that transcended classification at the time.
Four of TDN's original members remain with the group, which performs about 80 shows a year. On Friday, the group will perform at Inn of the Mountain Gods. Now, as always, TDN keeps the good times rolling at its live performances, according to Danny Hutton, a founding member and one of three vocalists.
"When you go see us, it's kind of like eating steak AND dessert. You gotta say, 'To hell with the calories tonight, I'm leaving with a smile on my face,'" Hutton said Monday in a phone interview from his home in California. Other original members include Cory Wells (vocals) Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboard) and Michael Allsup (guitar).
Paul Kingery (bass and vocals) and Pat Bautz (drums) complete today's lineup. All the boys and girls, now "Joy to The World" (the "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" song) was one of three TDN songs to rise to No. 1 on the charts, along with "Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" and "Black And White.
" A sampling of other TDN hits includes "Shambala" (peaked at No. 3), "An Old Fashioned Love Song" (No. 4), "Easy To Be Hard" (No.
4), "One" (No. 5) and "Eli's Coming" (No. 10).
The band recorded 13 other Top 40 songs. "When we happened to get big in 1970, '71, we were on the cover of the Rolling Stone. They mentioned Elvis, Credence, the Stones, and said we were bigger than all of them," Hutton said.
(To be exact, the headline from the 1972 issue read: "More Gold Than The Stones! Bigger Crowds Than Credence! Fatter Purses Than Elvis!
"). "It's amazing to me to think back to that time and realize what we accomplished. When you're doing it, it's all so easy," Hutton said.
"They were all good, healthy songs. When you write about love, emotions, or just plain fun songs, that never gets old." Three Dog Night formed in 1968 and its rise to stardom was quick.
Fans were enamored by the group willing to combine layered harmonies (from the three lead singers) with rock arrangements. The group recorded music from some of the best (and mostly undiscovered) songwriters of their time, including Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Elton John, Laura Nyro, Paul Williams and Hoyt Axton. From Motown to Nashville, Three Dog Night refused to be pigeonholed and being one of the first bands to openly shun classification may have been the group's greatest musical achievement, Hutton said.
"We were on the pop charts. We were on the R B charts. We were on the country charts," he said.
"We utilized every kind of style. We didn't care." Even now, the 64-year-old Hutton said he finds inspiration from an eclectic array of today's artists such as The White Stripes, Green Day, Eminem and M.
I.A. The band continues to release albums, mostly spiced-up rerecordings of old material, such as last year's "35th Anniversary Hits Collection.
" On that album, TDN's classic songs are backed by the London Symphony Orchestra, creating "an impressive wall of sound," according to Hutton. Next month, TDN plans to record a new studio album. Hutton said he was reluctant to give away the new record's concept or lineup, but did say it will include material fans have not heard before.
Three Dog Night has jumped into the 21st century, with songs available on iTunes and a MySpace page that has recorded more than 1 million hits. But for the most part, Hutton said TDN puts energy into making sure its live show sounds just as good as the album. "If they see you live and say, 'That's the real deal,' then that's the way to keep (fans)," he said.
"Nothing beats a great live show." When: 9 p.m.
Friday Where: Inn of the Mountain Gods, 287 Carrizo Canyon Road in Mescalero How much: $20, $30, $40 From 1969 to 1974, nobody had more Top 10 hits, moved more records, or sold more concert tickets than Three Dog Night.
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