Top 10 Three Dog Night Deep Tracks

Feature Photo: ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Top 10 Three Dog Night Deep Tracks digs deep into the band’s catalog and looks at the songs that weren’t hits but were fan favorites. While Three Dog Night lead singers Corey, Chuck and Danny got most of the visible credit throughout the years, one must remember that Three Dog Night was a great band. Unlike many late ’60s and early 70s bands like The Grass Roots and others who utilized the Wrecking Crew crew on their recordings, Three Dog Night was a band that performed live and in the studio. Musicians such as Mike Allsup on guitar, Joe Schermie on bass, Floyd Sneed on drums, and Jimmy Greenspoon on keyboards played a significant role in creating the groove that lay underneath the magnificent vocals of Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This was a group, first and foremost. This article takes a look at the songs that weren’t necessarily hits but got a lot of spins on our own turntables.

# 10 – Chest Fever

We open our 10 Essential Three Dog Night Deep Tracks list with the hard-rocking song “Chest Fever.” Keyboardist Jimmy Greenspoon shines early on this one, adding a little bit of a Steve Winwood touch. The band rocks hard on this one, sounding very much in the Traffic vein. This is the Three Dog Night the average fan doesn’t know about. The song was released on Three Dog Night’s debut album entitled Three Dog Night, or, as some used to call it, One. The album was released in October of 1968.

# 9 – Midnight Flyer

Continuing with our 10 Essential Three Dog Night Deep Tracks list, we listen to the sweet-sounding song entitled “Midnight Flyer.” The song was released on the last great Three Dog Night album entitled Coming Down Your Way. The album was released in 1975. The song was written by Frank “Skip” Konte who was best known for writing the big hit “Ride Captain Ride” by The Blues Image. When he wrote the song “Midnight Flyer” for Three Dog Night, he was a band member playing keys for the group along with Jimmy Greenspoon.

# 8 – Tulsa Turnaround

In the number eight spot on our 10 Essential Three Dog Night Deep Tracks list, we present the song entitled “Tulsa Turnaround.” The song was released on the album entitled Seven Separate Fools. The album was released in 1972. Seven Separate Fools became the band’s biggest-selling album, fueled by the massive hit “Black And White.” The band rocks hard on this one, adding a bit of a Southern blues twist to the arrangements. Cory Wells nailed the lead vocal with his gritty performance. Larry Collins and Alex Harvey wrote the song. Collins had been a musical star as a child. He was also known for writing the big hit “Delta Dawn” in 1972. Alex Harvey was a well-known blues musician who had his own successful band called the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

# 7 – Rock & Roll Widow

Three Dog Night takes it to eleven on this one. “Rock And Roll Widow” is fueled by the perfect blend of rock and soul that the band utilized in so many of their big hits. However, “Rock & Roll Widow” showcases the band’s improvisational skills as the group delivers some hard rocking jamming towards the song’s end. There’s also a bit of a progressive rock feel to this one. The song “Rock And Roll Widow” opened up side two of the band’s 1970 album It Ain’t Easy. Corey, Danny, and Chuck share the lead vocal.

# 6 – I’d Be So Happy

After opening this list with nothing but rockers, it was time to add one of the band’s most jaw-dropping ballads. Landing in the number six spot on our 10 Essential Three Dog Night Deep Tracks list, we present the captivating song “I’d Be So Happy.” The song was released on the album entitled Hard Labor. The album was released in 1974. Chuck Negron sang the lead vocal on this one. Skip Prokop composed the song. Skip Prokop had been a member of the Canadian rock bands Lighthouse and The Paupers.

# 5 – Fire Eater

If you haven’t noticed so far, this article’s argument is just how good the band was. While Three Dog Night mostly recorded cover songs, they sometimes wrote some of their material. This track, “Fire Eater,” was an original Three Dog Night piece. Not only was this an original piece of music, but it was also an instrumental. For a band that was so widely celebrated for the three lead singers, who were the face of the band on such a mass commercial level, it was cool that the Record Company recognized just how good the musicians in the group were and let them release an instrumental on one of their albums.

# 4 – Lady Samantha

At the number four spot, we present the merger of two of the greatest rock and roll acts that have emerged in the 1970s. That merger is fueled by Three Dog Nights’ cover version of Elton John’s early recording “Lady Samantha.” While “Lady Samantha was never really a big hit in the United States for Elton John, it was popular in Britain. Three Dog Night recorded Elton’s song for their album Suitable for Framing. The album was released in 1969. This was before most people in the United States had ever heard of Elton John.

Read More: Top 10 Elton John Songs

# 3 – Nobody

This is an interesting one. This entire list focuses on deep tracks that were never released as singles. However, the song “Nobody” is an outlier in that mix because it was the band’s first single ever released in their career. Nonetheless, because it was their first single and nobody knew who Three Dog Night was at the time, the song didn’t do well on the charts. It wasn’t until the third single from the album, the cover version of Harry Nilsson’s “One,” was released that the band became a household name. So, we thought placing this song on the list was pretty important because it presents an essential part of the band’s history while also showcasing what a great song it was.

# 2 – Jam (Live Version)

If there ever was any doubt that Three Dog Night wasn’t one of the best rock and roll groups of the 1960s and 1970s, listen to this one, baby. The song “Jam” was initially released on the Harmony album. The studio version is smoking. However, it’s the live version that set the house on fire. If you were a Three Dog Night fan in the early 70s, chances are you had this fantastic live album, Around The World with Three Dog Night. It was such a cool record the way it opened up. Easily one of the best live albums ever released and just maybe the most underrated, just like their band was.

Read More: Top 10 Three Dog Night Albums

# 1 – Woman

We close out our 10 Essential Three Dog Night Deep Tracks list with the phenomenal song “Woman.” This one has it all. The instrumentation is off the charts as the band kicks butt on this one. The bass, drums, guitar, and keys play off each other, generating one heck of a rock and roll groove and jam. The band sounds so good and tight. Cory Well takes the lead vocals on this one. The harmony in the chorus is simply to die for. Outside of the hits, this is the most mind-blowing recording Three Dog Night ever recorded. The song was released on the album entitled It Ain’t Easy. The album was released in 1970. “Woman” is a cover of a Free song. It was written by Andy Fraser and Paul Rodgers.

Read More: Top 10 Three Dog Night Songs