Three Dog Night

小簡介
在搖滾音樂史上，絕大多數受到喜愛的合唱團都具有創(chuàng)作的能力，但是曾經在70年代前半段紅極一時的「三犬之夜」（Three Dog Night）卻是少數的例外。從1969到1975年間，他們陸續(xù)唱紅了二十一首單曲，其中還有十首是打進排行前十名的，他們每年光是巡回演唱，就至少可以賺進五百萬美元，可是卻經常受到搖滾樂評專家們的詬病，因為他們沒有自己的作品，唱的全都是別人譜寫的歌曲。不過，如果我們換個角度來看，或許大家還應該感謝他們，因為他們「慧眼識英雄」，率先灌錄了包括尼爾森（Harry Nilsson）和阮迪紐曼（Randy Newman）等人的作品，才讓這些原本沒有多少人認識的創(chuàng)作歌手受到了廣大的注意。
搖滾樂團的團名，經常會挖空心思的標新立異，來吸引大家的注意。很多人都曾經感到疑惑，這「三犬之夜」究竟是什么意思。原來，這是來自澳洲土著的習俗。沒有房舍、更沒有取暖設備的澳洲原住民，過去在寒冷的夜里，常會抱一只狗取暖。有時候一只不夠，就得抱兩只。而在某些特別冷的天氣，需要抱三只狗才足夠的夜晚，就是他們所謂的「三犬之夜」了。而由于團名的關係，加上這個團體是以三位歌手為主，經常讓人以為他們是一支三重唱的團體，事實上，他們的團員總共有七個人，黑人白人都有，一定要說的話，也只能說他們是一支有三位歌手和四名專屬樂隊的合唱團。
成立于1968年的「三犬之夜」，創(chuàng)始人之一是來自愛爾蘭的丹尼胡頓（Danny Hutton）。「猴子四」（The Monkees）合唱團籌備的階段，他曾經前去應徵，但是沒有入選。后來他先后進入迪士尼和「哈納/巴貝拉」（Hanna-Barbera）等卡通公司，為卡通配音，并且獲得了唱片合約。另外一位歌手是曾經擔任「敵人」（The Enemies）合唱團主唱的柯瑞威爾斯（Cory Wells）。由于自覺和合唱團格格不入，威爾斯邀請胡頓合作，不過當時胡頓打算全心沖刺獨唱的事業(yè)，所以婉拒了。一年半之后，醉心于汽車的胡頓偶然在洛杉磯看見一系列古董名車的展示，突然想到如果也組成一支團員個個都能獨當一面的合唱團，應該會很有意思，于是跟威爾斯聯絡。他們結合了另外一位歌手朋友恰克奈格倫（Chuck Negron），又找到四位樂器演奏好手的同道，就這樣組成了「三犬之夜」。
1969年，「三犬之夜」首先以一首翻唱的30年代經典「Try a Little Tenderness」打進前三十名，接著又以還沒有成名的尼爾森作品「One」獲得第五名?？傊?，他們所演唱的都是別人的作品，雖然樂評因此而對他們不太友善，但是他們精彩的演出卻獲得了廣大歌迷的支持，很快的竄紅了。
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 often criticized 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 (Elis Coming), Randy Newman (Mama Told Me (Not to Come)), Hoyt Axton (Joy to the World), Argents 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 former cartoon voice who had recorded several flop 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 bands 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 groups biggest hit in 1971, spending six weeks on top of the pop charts, and their streak continued with their final number one, 1972s Black and White (a U.K. reggae hit for Greyhound), and their final Top Ten, 1974s The Show Must Go On. By 1976, internal dissent arose in the group, as the original concept of three equal singers had given way to Negron taking the leads on most of their songs. Dissatisfied, Hutton finally left the group, and Three Dog Night officially disbanded a year later. There was a brief reunion in the early 80s, and Hutton and Wells have since taken a version of Three Dog Night out on the oldies circuit.