Three Dog Night's 1970 version went to #1 so of course that's the one most people are familiar with. GREAT cover and I LOVE Three Dog Night. But nothing like hearing the writer do it. I wish I had a list of artists who have covered Randy Newman, I'm sure it would be enormous.........
https://humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2020/01/08/the-fifteen-best-randy-newman-covers/
1. Dusty Springfield – I Don’t Want to Hear It Anymore
2. Harry Nilsson – Snow
3. Nina Simone – Baltimore
4. Ray Charles – Sail Away
5. Bonnie Raitt – Feels Like Home
6. Ry Cooder – Old Kentucky Home
7. Wilson Pickett – Mama Told Me Not to Come
8. Roy Ayres – He Gives Us All His Love
9. The Marshall Tucker Band – Mr. President…
10. Ringo Starr – Have You Seen My Baby?
11. Marianne Faithfull – In Germany Before the War
12. Nilsson – So Long, Dad
13. Joe Cocker – You Can Leave Your Hat On
14. Mavis Staples – Losing YOu
15. Etta James – Sail Away (Linda Rondstandt, too I think)
@robslob I always liked the Three Dog Night version, too. The guy who wrote the article wasn't nearly as impressed: "... Not Three Dog Night turning “Mama Told Me Not to Come” into something worse than Muppets theater." FYI - I was always a fan of the Muppet Theater, too!
I had the extreme good fortune of seeing Randy play right before Johnny Cash (with June Carter and his entire band) about 5 years before Johnny died. Randy was fantastic - solo show, just him and the piano. He was extremely gracious in his comments about Johnny Cash. This was in Birmingham, AL (now defunct City Stages festival) - so of course he closed with "Birmingham". I saw him many years before with John Prine as the opener. Two great shows!
@Rusty Maybe he's confusing this Muppet clip (with Human Muppet/songwriter Paul Williams)
Always liked Three Dog Night, "Never Been to Spain" is one of my favorite tunes - written by Hoyt Axton, another solid song-writer from that era. They covered as well as (or better than) even The King himself.
@porkchopbob ... and since we're talking about Hoyt Axton: https://www.google.com/search?q=ringo+no+no+song&oq=ringo+no+no+song&aqs=chrome.0.0i355i512j46i512j0i22i30l6j0i390l2.6266j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:45a5d7f0,vid:S8ydo0AKbJs
Always liked Three Dog Night, "Never Been to Spain" is one of my favorite tunes - written by Hoyt Axton, another solid song-writer from that era. They covered as well as (or better than) even The King himself.
The Elvis clip is all Elvis! I like this 1972 clip - you can spot a young James Burton on guitar.
In the history of rock and roll I think Three Dog Night may have been shortchanged just a bit because IMO the "three" were one of the greatest trio of rock and roll vocalists ever. Unfortunately drug use was rampant and it started early on in the band, and I'm not talking about marijuana. A 69 year old bass player who I met recently opened for them many times in the 70's and he said, "They were using big time". Say what you want though, those guys could really sing including tremendous harmonies, and they were backed up by a really great quartet of musicians.
And there is the ABB connection with 3 Dog Night with BO Jr. being Chuck Negron's stepson. Small world sometimes.
