Three Dog Night

Few American rock bands have leaned on other writers' songs as openly as Three Dog Night. Formed in Los Angeles in 1967 by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells and Danny Hutton, the group was soon filled out by Jimmy Greenspoon on keyboards, Joe Schermie on bass and Michael Allsup on guitar, with Floyd Sneed on drums. They also acted as an introduction service, bringing songs by Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Paul Williams, Laura Nyro and Hoyt Axton to mainstream audiences.

The band started life as Redwood and recorded with Brian Wilson during the Wild Honey sessions before settling on its final name in 1968. A debut showcase at the Whisky a Go Go led to the album Three Dog Night, which yielded "Nobody", "Try a Little Tenderness" and "One". Between 1969 and 1975 they placed 21 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, three reaching number one. In December 1972 they hosted NBC's New Year's Rockin' Eve. Later years brought a $6 million lawsuit against their former booking agent and Hutton's dismissal in late 1975, after cocaine and alcohol abuse disrupted the recording of Cyan, Hard Labor and Coming Down Your Way, which sold poorly in the US.