Three Dog Night

小简介
在摇滚音乐史上，绝大多数受到喜爱的合唱团都具有创作的能力，但是曾经在70年代前半段红极一时的「三犬之夜」（Three Dog Night）却是少数的例外。从1969到1975年间，他们陆续唱红了二十一首单曲，其中还有十首是打进排行前十名的，他们每年光是巡回演唱，就至少可以赚进五百万美元，可是却经常受到摇滚乐评专家们的诟病，因为他们没有自己的作品，唱的全都是别人谱写的歌曲。不过，如果我们换个角度来看，或许大家还应该感谢他们，因为他们「慧眼识英雄」，率先灌录了包括尼尔森（Harry Nilsson）和阮迪纽曼（Randy Newman）等人的作品，才让这些原本没有多少人认识的创作歌手受到了广大的注意。
摇滚乐团的团名，经常会挖空心思的标新立异，来吸引大家的注意。很多人都曾经感到疑惑，这「三犬之夜」究竟是什么意思。原来，这是来自澳洲土著的习俗。没有房舍、更没有取暖设备的澳洲原住民，过去在寒冷的夜里，常会抱一只狗取暖。有时候一只不够，就得抱两只。而在某些特别冷的天气，需要抱三只狗才足够的夜晚，就是他们所谓的「三犬之夜」了。而由于团名的关係，加上这个团体是以三位歌手为主，经常让人以为他们是一支三重唱的团体，事实上，他们的团员总共有七个人，黑人白人都有，一定要说的话，也只能说他们是一支有三位歌手和四名专属乐队的合唱团。
成立于1968年的「三犬之夜」，创始人之一是来自爱尔兰的丹尼胡顿（Danny Hutton）。「猴子四」（The Monkees）合唱团筹备的阶段，他曾经前去应徵，但是没有入选。后来他先后进入迪士尼和「哈纳/巴贝拉」（Hanna-Barbera）等卡通公司，为卡通配音，并且获得了唱片合约。另外一位歌手是曾经担任「敌人」（The Enemies）合唱团主唱的柯瑞威尔斯（Cory Wells）。由于自觉和合唱团格格不入，威尔斯邀请胡顿合作，不过当时胡顿打算全心冲刺独唱的事业，所以婉拒了。一年半之后，醉心于汽车的胡顿偶然在洛杉矶看见一系列古董名车的展示，突然想到如果也组成一支团员个个都能独当一面的合唱团，应该会很有意思，于是跟威尔斯联络。他们结合了另外一位歌手朋友恰克奈格伦（Chuck Negron），又找到四位乐器演奏好手的同道，就这样组成了「三犬之夜」。
1969年，「三犬之夜」首先以一首翻唱的30年代经典「Try a Little Tenderness」打进前三十名，接着又以还没有成名的尼尔森作品「One」获得第五名。总之，他们所演唱的都是别人的作品，虽然乐评因此而对他们不太友善，但是他们精彩的演出却获得了广大歌迷的支持，很快的窜红了。
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.