Vocal hall event has inductees buzzing

By John Benson

Loads of talent will combine with lots of memories for a rocking good time.

Three Dog Night founder-singer Danny Hutton is speechless.

Not only is the classic rocker humbled about being a 2000 inductee into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame, but the idea of taking part in the institution’s monumental four-day 10th anniversary Induction concerts extravaganza Thursday through Nov. 9 at Chevrolet Centre is something he said he’ll treasure forever. Three Dog Night is scheduled to perform Thursday at the downtown Youngstown arena.

The Vocal Group Hall of Fame, based in Sharon, Pa., skipped the last three years of induction ceremonies, and is making up for them this week with four straight concerts. The classes of 2005, 2006 and 2007 are being honored. Each concert includes at least 10 acts, who will each perform one or two songs. The performers both new inductees and past inductees.

“You know, we were inducted a couple of years ago, and this is the first time that we’ve actually been able to come in and join in on the show,” said Hutton, Three Dog Night’s vocalist, calling from Georgia. “I think the reason we’re inducted is that we always approached songs from a vocal sense and from a harmony sense. We were first produced by Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys. In fact, he called us Redwood. We cut a couple of songs with him and one of them was ‘Darlin’,’ which the Beach Boys ended up using. They had a hit with it, so we were a vocal trio without a band when we first started.”

He added, “The other thing I think is our songs are about emotions, whether they’re romantic, feeling good or a joy to the world. And I think songs like that don’t really have an expiration date.”

Formed in 1968 by Hutton and Cory Wells, the group enjoyed 12 straight gold albums and 21 consecutive Top 40 hits. The band, which recorded material from then unknown songwriters such as Harry Nilsson, Randy Newman, Elton John, Laura

Nyro and Paul Williams, is known for its radio singles such as “Mama Told Me (Not To Come),” “Joy to the World,” “Shambala,” “One,” “Black and White,” “An Old Fashioned Love Song” and more.

While the group disbanded in 1975, within a decade it regrouped and has been at it non-stop ever since. In fact, Hutton said a new album’s worth of original material is in the works.

“It’s like all of our albums, it’s all over the place,” Hutton laughed. “We have blues stuff, a slow kind of pop ballad with intricate harmonies. It’ll be like what we always do. We don’t stick to one style.”

One new song that may get stage time at the upcoming show is “Heart of Blues.” Even though the majority of the new CD is recorded, Hutton is unsure of a release date.

While Three Dog Night still spends roughly 80 days a year performing, Hutton said the band’s upcoming return to Youngstown will be something special.

“I think it’ll be great,” Hutton said. “I ran into [former inductees] Mary Wells from The Supremes and Frankie Valli [from the Four Seasons], and we were all talking about what a great honor it is to be inducted and involved with something like that.”

He added, “And there’s a lot of great people on the bill. It’s just going to be a good-time feeling. I know everybody will be really up for it, and I’m sure there will be surprises and a lot of great stories told.”