I see that Chuck Negron has died which is sad
I don’t own any of their albums but Three Dog Night was in pretty heavy rotation when I was kid both on the radio and amongst friends. One in particular had one of their greatest hits albums on 8-track that we listened to alongside Hendrix, Zep, Sabbath, ZZ Top, etc.
Bedroom rising from an old growth tree
Bringing out the sawmill, cutting the 12 inch beams
Building a pattern, the reservoir to fill with dreams
Rings like Saturn telling their old story…
Big Thief “Red Moon”
I never paid Three Dog Night much attention back in the day, apart from their songs that were played on the radio. The judgement at the time was that they didn’t write their own matter and were therefore lacking something. However, there was a lot of music that was written by bands in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s that should never have been put on vinyl. I think David Grisham one said that the Beatles had a lot to answer for giving the green light to write your own songs even if you weren’t a songwriter. What Three Dog Night did do was help publicise great songwriters live Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Laura Nero, and Hoyt Axton, with great vocal arrangements.
I never paid Three Dog Night much attention back in the day, apart from their songs that were played on the radio. The judgement at the time was that they didn’t write their own matter and were therefore lacking something. However, there was a lot of music that was written by bands in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s that should never have been put on vinyl. I think David Grisham one said that the Beatles had a lot to answer for giving the green light to write your own songs even if you weren’t a songwriter. What Three Dog Night did do was help publicise great songwriters live Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman and Laura Nero, and Hoyt Axton, with great vocal arrangements.
The difference with me was, I was listening to them alongside a lot of the rock n’ roll of the day simply because I liked their songs. I was just a kid at the time. It wasn’t until years later that I learned they were essentially a pop vocal group. I may not listen to them much (if at all) these days but that doesn’t lessen the impact they had on me as a kid.
Bedroom rising from an old growth tree
Bringing out the sawmill, cutting the 12 inch beams
Building a pattern, the reservoir to fill with dreams
Rings like Saturn telling their old story…
Big Thief “Red Moon”
@joe-nathan Some great songs and good vocals, and as you suggest a pop group in the midst of developing rock music.
Think it was Three Dog Night who alerted me to Randy Newman with their cover of Mama Told Me Not To Come, a radio hit back in the days. It's the only song of theirs I know and having listened to it tonight I prefer Randy's version.
