It was a fortuitous day in 1967, for pop/rock fans, over decades to come, when three talented and aspiring young singers decided to form a group, originally called Redwood. By the following year they added four backing musicians and officially changed their name to Three Dog Night.
These three vocalists - Danny Hutton, Cory Wells and Chuck Negron - and their band would quickly become one of the most successful American bands in popular music, virtually unparalleled in chart and sales records from 1969 to 1975. Most of their songs being covers, they introduced us to many unknown artists of that time who went on to become icons of the music history.
Other than their brief split from 1976 to 1981, the band has continued to perform for devoted audiences to this day. The line-up has, of course, changed through the years, but four of the original seven band members as well as two long-time members make up the band Three Dog Night that is still touring, including Hutton and Wells, two of the original vocalists who founded the band. That is, until September of this year, when original vocalist Cory Wells was stricken with severe back pain and had to leave the tour.
Yesterday, it was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Cory Wells, the lead vocalist who brought the soul and blues to their music (just listen to his rendition of "Try a Little Tenderness" a la Otis Redding). In loving appreciation for the tremendous impact he and the band have had on pop culture for four decades now, I have compiled a Top 10 of my favorite Three Dog Night tunes.
Given that the band had 21 Top 40 hits between 1969 and 1975, I am sure some of your top 10 lists would differ from mine. Please share with us the other songs that would have made your list in the comments section below.