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Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

1) "One"

1 votes

2) "Easy to be Hard"

2 votes

3) "Eli's Coming"

2 votes

4) "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)"

3 votes

5) "Joy to the World"

1 votes

6) "Liar"

0 votes

7) "An Old Fashioned Love Song"

0 votes

8) "Never Been to Spain"

1 votes

9) "Black and White"

1 votes

10) "Shambala"

6 votes

11) "The Show Must Go On"

0 votes

12) Other (please state the title in the thread)

0 votes

Edgy MD Apr 09 2015 05:41 PM

In honor of the sad passing of Jimmy Greenspoon, keyboardist for the keyboard-intensive psychedelic blue-eyed lite biker soul hit machine Three Dog Night — as well as my semi-adoption yesterday of two new shih thus — I present this poll of possible favorite songs by a band with three vocalists (they were originally just the vocalists, before rounding out a full lineup after the hits started rolling in), who had a very enviable run of success during the Nixon era. I include here only the songs that made top 10 in the US, but the act scored 21 top 40 hits stateside. That's a lot of spinning by Casey. But only one song goes with you to the proverbial desert isle. 1) "One" (vocal by Chuck Negron) #5 in 1969 [youtube:36tj4wg4]UiKcd7yPLdU[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 2) "Easy to be Hard" (vocal by Chuck Negron) #4 in 1969 [youtube:36tj4wg4]DYdc6-vUcsI[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 3) "Eli's Coming" (vocal by Cory Wells) #10 in 1969 [youtube:36tj4wg4]0CuNBengxaQ[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 4) "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" (vocal by Cory Wells) #1 in 1970 [youtube:36tj4wg4]rKaQzQAlNn4[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 5) "Joy to the World" (vocal by Chuck Negron) #1 in 1971 [youtube:36tj4wg4]dFypAB7nYGA[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 6) "Liar" (vocal by Danny Hutton) #7 in 1971 [youtube:36tj4wg4]gtTGfWDamVE[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 7) "An Old Fashioned Love Song" (vocal by Chuck Negron) #4 in 1971 [youtube:36tj4wg4]AM7zb5FMmLM[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 8) "Never Been to Spain" (vocal by Cory Wells) #5 in 1971 [youtube:36tj4wg4]TKSrHMqQTEI[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 9) "Black and White" (vocal by Danny Hutton) #1 in 1972 [youtube:36tj4wg4]vAlQjLse0BA[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 10) "Shambala" (vocal by Cory Wells) #3 in 1972 [youtube:36tj4wg4]xnyh6i9NvmE[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 11) "The Show Must Go On" (vocal by Chuck Negron) #4 in 1974 [youtube:36tj4wg4]xtAlzo_pqys[/youtube:36tj4wg4] 12) Other

cooby Apr 09 2015 05:44 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

Wow....

Edgy MD Apr 09 2015 05:59 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

Yeah, it's an impressive run. But the ambitious comic prog goofiness of that last one is EXACTLY the sort of song that ends an unrelenting string of hits for a band. It's the same glorious but self-destructive ambition that sent Styx's careening into the ditch with "Mr. Roboto."

Frayed Knot Apr 09 2015 06:10 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 10 2015 07:40 AM

'Joy to the World' is the first "#1 HIT" I remember from the old WABC days back when folks followed that type of stuff almost like it was a pennant race. That said, that particular song doesn't hold up particularly well despite its use in the opening scene in 'The Big Chill' My initial thought is to go with 'Easy to Be Hard', a version which was as good as those from any one of several 'Hair' soundtracks and later used well as creepy background music in the serial killer movie 'Zodiac' 'Eli's Coming' is on the opposite end of the spectrum as it's not nearly on a par with the Laura Nyro original. 'One' = kinda of a corny version 'Mama Told Me ...' - Randy Newman turned psychedelic 'Old Fashion Love Song' - decent version but of a pretty light weight Paul Williams tune 'Never Been to Spain' -- Eh 'Black and White' - Trash 'The Show Must Go On' - trying, and failing, to hang on to their niche

d'Kong76 Apr 09 2015 06:16 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

Joy to the World hands down. Get a bbq together with five generations and blast that the bull frog's anthem and I bet you can get everyone to sing/dance along eventually.

RealityChuck Apr 09 2015 06:24 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

"Eli's Coming" gets the nod over "Mama Told Me Not to Come." Or, in other words, Laura Nyro vs. Randy Newman. Eli wins because 3DN's version rivals her own, while "Mama" is inferior to Randy's. "Joy to the World," OTOH, was one of the worst songs of the 70s.

d'Kong76 Apr 09 2015 06:25 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

I'm surrounded by elitists! Sometimes fun is fun.

smg58 Apr 09 2015 06:26 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

Hmm. My dad has the 45 of "Shambala" and I can remember spinning it when I was 3 or 4, so that has sentiment working for it. But "Joy to the World" is hard to deny, and I've always liked "One." I'll get back to you.

Edgy MD Apr 09 2015 06:27 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

"Shambhala" for me. A lot of artists acted all high and mighty and enlightened with their exploration of Eastern mysticism, but TDN (as they are known on the NYRX) kept it fun and invited you along the road with gospel urging. They did a good job picking songs from composers who were just about to blow up.

batmagadanleadoff Apr 09 2015 07:35 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

What? No ticker symbol?

d'Kong76 Apr 09 2015 07:47 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

BAIT is always trading after hours on the CPF.

Fman99 Apr 09 2015 07:54 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

I had a three dog night in college once. Love those gals, God bless them.

d'Kong76 Apr 09 2015 07:57 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

I hope at least one of them was chubby!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 09 2015 08:36 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

TDN is the ticker symbol. There were very few black kids in my elementary school but the few of them all loved to sing "Joy to the World" at least as I remember it. "Shambala" is just great. You are right its one of the few songs that suggests there was anything fun or joyful about rockers getting into Eastern mysticism. I recall we once had a thread about BW Stephenson, who also recorded a version.

MFS62 Apr 10 2015 07:11 AM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

Three dog night also reminds me of closing time at a bar in Cleveland. I voted "One". Later

sharpie Apr 10 2015 07:23 AM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

I was always partial to "Celebrate" which was a minor hit of theirs. I went "Eli's Coming" though "One" or "Mama Told Me Not to Come" or "Easy to be Hard" would also be fine choices. All their songs ended the same way, with the three guys all repeating the chorus over and over. I don't like any of the songs after "Joy to the World" and I'm not that fond of that one either. "Old Fashioned Love Song" and "Never Been to Spain" are both particularly terrible.

Frayed Knot Apr 10 2015 07:40 AM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

Looking up composers for these tunes: ONE -- Harry Nilsson EASY TO BE HARD -- (HAIR) Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni ELI'S COMING -- Laura Nyro MAMA TOLD ME (NOT TO COME) -- Randy Newman JOY TO THE WORLD -- Hoyt Axton LIAR -- Russ Ballard OLD FASHIONED LOVE SONG -- Paul Williams NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN -- Hoyt Axton BLACK AND WHITE -- David Arkin, Earl Robinson SHAMBALA -- David Moore THE SHOW MUST GO ON -- Leo Sayer, David Courtney

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 10 2015 08:09 AM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

Frayed Knot wrote: THE SHOW MUST GO ON -- Leo Sayer, David Courtney I knew I'd heard this one recently but forgot where. Leo Sayer became a household name as a tight-pants-wearing, big-afroed disco lightweight in the late 70s but he began his career as a Brit singer-songwriter type trying to make it in the glitter era. His first album, SILVERBIRD, is pretty good, for a clown act: [youtube]O6gEkfwozhE[/youtube]

Edgy MD Apr 10 2015 09:10 AM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

I miss that skinny freak's falsetto more than I can say. I don't like any of the songs after "Joy to the World" and I'm not that fond of that one either. "Old Fashioned Love Song" and "Never Been to Spain" are both particularly terrible. I associate "NBtS" more with Elvis' big shlocky arrangement. Danny Hutton factxxx: In addition to being one third of TDN, singing lead on two of these entries, he... [list][*]... was/is Irish by birth (Donegal, in fact.) [/*:m] [*]... has/had great hair that translated well to many styles and genres and eras. [/*:m] [*]... wrote and sang for Hanna-Barbera records in the mid-sixties (scoring the minor proto-bubble gum hit "Roses and Rainbows" during this era. (Who knows which of your favorite cartoon mice he provided the singing voice for?) [/*:m] [*]... was a player in the sordid tales of John Lennon's lost weekend. [/*:m] [*]... is the father of Dash Hutton, the only male and the only non-Haim in the group Haim. [/*:m] [*]... did a stint in artist management, including managing punk legends Fear, and got them booked on SNL, back when SNL did new wave and Fridays did punk and a minor riot ensued (subsequently blamed on John Belushi, despite Belushi having no longer been with the show). [/*:m] [*]... when John Hughes broke the mold by doing a popular movie soundtrack for Pretty in Pink filled with what was then known as progressive pop (Brit bands with makeup and angular haircuts), but was amazingly unable to get the mechanical rights to Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good," somehow got enlisted to put together a mostly indistinguishable knockoff cover billed as "The Danny Hutton Hitters."[/*:m][/list:u] Danny Hutton of TDN, ladies and gentlemen. You never think about him, but that's his story. What have you ever done?

Mets Guy in Michigan Apr 10 2015 10:11 AM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

Went with "Shambala," which strikes me as the perfect summer song, best heard blaring from small radios among the blankets at Jones Beach! I have no idea what time of year it actually was a hit, but that's how I remember it.

cooby Apr 10 2015 10:54 AM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

I just loved Three Dog Night. I used to have a tape called "Golden Biscuits" I wonder if you can still buy it. "Joy to the World" was the first 45 I bought all by myself (my mom suggested it!) I voted for Mama Told Me not to Come but I love pretty much every one of their songs. Shambala reminds me of my friend Joyce because she was visiting while it was a hit so yes, I think it must have been a summer song

Edgy MD Apr 10 2015 10:58 AM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

Looking up composers for these tunes: ONE -- Harry Nilsson EASY TO BE HARD -- (HAIR) Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and Gerome Ragni ELI'S COMING -- Laura Nyro MAMA TOLD ME (NOT TO COME) -- Randy Newman JOY TO THE WORLD -- Hoyt Axton LIAR -- Russ Ballard OLD FASHIONED LOVE SONG -- Paul Williams NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN -- Hoyt Axton BLACK AND WHITE -- David Arkin, Earl Robinson SHAMBALA -- David Moore THE SHOW MUST GO ON -- Leo Sayer, David Courtney Also did a cover of an early (and then brand new) Elton John/Bernie Taupin song called "Lady Samantha" for their second album Suitable for Framing in 1969. Psychedelic and bluesy, it'd've made a workable single but they already had four hits off the album, and Elton's version was better and it didn't score big. It nonetheless gets included in many of their retrospectives.

Mets – Willets Point Apr 10 2015 02:29 PM Re: Stranded on a Three Vocalist Island

This is a tough poll. "Joy to the World" is definitely a multi-generational classic. I'm also fond of "One" and "Old Fashioned Love Song," but ultimately I went with "Shambala" because it's just a beautiful, happy song. And it looks like I'm not alone in liking it.