* En anglais uniquement
Danny Hutton is most famous as one of the three lead singers in
Three Dog Night, but he did have a solo career prior to helping found that band in the late '60s. In the mid-'60s, he put out a few singles on the Hanna-Barbera and MGM labels. One of those, "Roses and Rainbows," was a small hit (and a big one in Southern California). But
Hutton didn't make a splash as a solo artist, with singles of imaginatively produced, orchestrated L.A. pop-rock in which the arrangements were much more sophisticated than the relatively trivial, lightweight material. Ten sides from this era, including "Roses and Rainbows," were compiled for the now hard-to-find MGM compilation Pre-Dog Night, not issued until after
Three Dog Night had hit it big. "Roses and Rainbows" and "Funny How Love Can Be" also show up on the
Three Dog Night compilation Celebrate: The Three Dog Night Story, 1965-1975. Incidentally, also in the mid-'60s,
Hutton was one of many who failed an audition for
the Monkees.
Hutton met
Cory Wells, whom
Hutton produced when
Wells was part of MGM act the Enemies. Along with
Chuck Negron, who had sung backup on one of
Hutton's singles, they formed a three-singer band, Redwood. Redwood did a couple of singles with
Hutton's good friend
Brian Wilson producing, including versions of "Time to Get Alone" and "Darlin'," which would also be recorded by Wilson's group,
the Beach Boys. With the addition of some backing musicians, the trio formed
Three Dog Night, which finally gave
Hutton and the others national success.
After
Three Dog Night split up,
Hutton managed some punk bands in the late '70s, including
Fear, as well as leading
Danny Hutton Hitters, who had a song on the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. In the early '80s, he began touring with a reunited
Three Dog Night. ~ Richie Unterberger