Review Fix chats with Three Dog Night’s Danny Hutton about the band’s legacy and pair of upcoming performances at the City Winery on August 18 and 19 in New York City.
For More On the Performances, Click Here. Â
About Three Dog Night:
The legendary band, now in its fourth decade, claims some of the most astonishing statistics in popular music. From 1969 through 1974, no other group achieved more top 10 hits, moved more records or sold more concert tickets than THREE DOG NIGHT, with beloved songs such such as “Mama Told Me (Not To Come),†“Joy to the World,†“Black and White,†“Shambala†and “One.”
Review Fix: How does it feel to be playing the City Winery?
Danny Hutton: City Winery is perfect. It’s eclectic, sophisticated, hip and in a great part of town
Review Fix: How are these more intimate shows different for the band?
Hutton: We just played to 7,000 people with a symphony orchestra conducted by Larry Baird (conductor for The Moody Blues). City Winery is completely different and just as exciting. Who would not like performing in an intimate, elegant venue, with a great sound system for people who are being served some great wine and food? That’s why we still like performing!
Review Fix: Any favorite songs to play in a setting like this?
Hutton: After doing different sets of music over the years we are going to do something unusual. All  of the songs we’ll do will be hits by us! We have been on almost all of the musical charts. Pop, Rock, Easy Listening, Rhythm & Blues, Country and even an album with the London Symphony Orchestra. I don’t have a favorite song, they are all my children.
Review Fix: Considering all you’ve accomplished, what else would you guys like to do in music?
Hutton: My sons have a studio at our house called the Canyon Hut and we had Jimmy Cliff come in and do vocals on his album. He won a Grammy for best reggae album of the year. Every time we do gigs on the west coast the guys try to pop in and we are  getting some new music together.
Review Fix: What musicians inspire you guys that people wouldn’t expect?
Hutton: Musicians that people wouldn’t expect? Well, I was the manager of the punk band Fear. If you’ve seen “The Decline of Western Civilization†you’ll see that I have a large musical palette. I was and still am inspired by the following people. I wrote the lyrics to Van Dyke Park’s first single on MGM records. I was at Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows†session and also the best man at his last wedding. Kinky Friedman is a good friend and he honored me by having me sing in his group “The Texas Jew Boys†with Steve Allen, Harry Dean Stanton and Billy Swan. I’ve sung with Jeff Beck, Lowell George (Little Feat), Elton John, Timothy Schmidt and hold on, Pat Boone! Tommy Emmanuel (not even mentioned in Rolling Stones top 100 guitar players poll), I think is the best acoustic guitar player in the world. Tony Joe White (he’s just cool) and the overlooked seventies album in 1973 by Andy Pratt that was astounding.
Review Fix: How do you want you fans to remember these shows?
Hutton: Our songs are about emotions. We want our audiences to relax and get away from their daily lives and worries.We try to bring them to a point where they forget about the outside world and get caught up in the moment. We are firing on all cylinders and can’t wait to show everybody.
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