| American Pastime | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1976 | |||
| Genre | Disco, soft rock | |||
| Length | 34:42 | |||
| Label | ABC | |||
| Producer | Bob Monaco | |||
| Three Dog Night chronology | ||||
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| Singles from American Pastime | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | (not rated) [1] |
American Pastime is the fourteenth and final album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1976.
It is the band's most recent studio album (as of 2019) and the only one not to feature the founding vocalists (Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton) backed up by their long-time band, with some exceptions. It sold poorly and the band broke up in August 1976. Michael Allsup and Floyd Sneed had left the band in late 1974 to form their own group SS Fools, with former Three Dog Night member Joe Schermie, Stan Seymore, Wayne DeVillier, Bobby Kimball, and Jon Smith, to little success. Danny Hutton was fired from TDN in late 1975, and was not present for any of the recording. "Mellow Down", the song Hutton sings lead on, was recorded long before the album was released, and is likely an extra track from a previous album, such as Coming Down Your Way or Hard Labor . [2] He was replaced by Jay Gruska.
A Cash Box Magazine album review dated April 10, 1976, states "American Pastime takes Three Dog Night in a new direction featuring a collection of tunes ranging from slick production cuts to the ever popular disco beat. Vocals are as clean and distinctive as ever, leaning toward a meticulous pop production. AM programmers will find "Billy the Kid" and "Southbound" prime pop cuts, while "Drive On, Ride On" and "Everybody's A Masterpiece" should appeal to the growing disco market. Some cuts (witness "Easy Evil") will work nicely in easy listening and MOR areas." [3]
Another Record World "Album Picks" review page dated April 17, 1976 gives another view on the album: "This one may come as a surprise to the group's older fans. The mix still focuses on vocal harmonies but the songs are r&b and disco for the most part. "Hang On", "Mellow Down" and "Everybody Is A Masterpiece" are pacesetters, the rhythm section rising in importance as the American pastime continues to dance." [4]
Another Cash Box Magazine "Picks of The Week" singles reviews page dated June 5, 1976 states the following about "Everybody's a Masterpiece", the single released off the album: "A laid-back rock hymn to humanity, this is an intelligent single from Three Dog Night that will serve to broaden its already extensive audience. The instrumentation — particularly the organ fills — is lush, and the vocals are equal to the task. Look for this to show up strong on all pop radio outlets; it's really an affecting tune." [5]
Another Record World "Single Picks" review page dated June 5, 1976, gives another view on the single: "Three Dog Night's vocal prowess remains unquestioned with this, their first effort in some time. To back up its talent, the group has constructed a solid rhythmic pulse and is headed for pop/r&b play." [6]
Album – Billboard (United States) | RPM (Canada)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | US Billboard Top LPs [7] | 123 |
| US Cash Box [8] | 155 | |
| US Record World [9] | 181 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | "Everybody's a Masterpiece" [10] | US Easy Listening | 44 |
Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sneed (drums). The band had 21 Billboard Top 40 hits between 1969 and 1975, with three hitting number one. Three Dog Night recorded many songs written by outside songwriters, and they helped to introduce mainstream audiences to writers such as Randy Newman, Paul Williams, Laura Nyro and Hoyt Axton.
Three Dog Night is the debut album by American rock band Three Dog Night. The album was originally released by Dunhill Records on October 16, 1968. The album is known for featuring the band's Top 5 hit single, their cover of Harry Nilsson's song "One".
Suitable for Framing is the second studio album by American rock band Three Dog Night. The album was released on the Dunhill record label on June 11, 1969 and was the first of two albums released by the band that year.
It Ain't Easy is the fourth album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1970.
Golden Bisquits is the sixth album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1971.
Harmony is the seventh album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1971. The album featured two Top 10 hits: "An Old Fashioned Love Song" and a cover version of Hoyt Axton's "Never Been to Spain".
Cyan is the tenth studio album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released on October 9, 1973, by Dunhill Records. The album's original title was Seven Ball, Center Pocket, which was changed for unknown reasons.
Hard Labor is the eleventh album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1974. For this album, the band replaced long-time producer Richard Podolor with Jimmy Ienner, who was known for his production work with the Raspberries.
Joy to the World: Their Greatest Hits is the twelfth album by American rock band, Three Dog Night, released in 1974.
Coming Down Your Way is the thirteenth album by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1975. The album's original working title was "Dog Style", which was changed for unknown reasons.
The Best of 3 Dog Night is the fifteenth album by the American rock band, Three Dog Night and is a double album released in 1982. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on May 1, 1996.
It's a Jungle is an EP by American rock band Three Dog Night, released in 1983.
"December, 1963 " is a song originally performed by the Four Seasons, written by original Four Seasons keyboard player Bob Gaudio and his future wife Judy Parker, produced by Gaudio, and included on the group's album Who Loves You (1975).
"Darlin'" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1967 album Wild Honey. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it was inspired by singer Danny Hutton and was originally intended to be recorded by an early version of Three Dog Night. Carl Wilson ultimately sang the lead vocal.
Daniel Anthony Hutton is an Irish-American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night. He was a songwriter and singer for Hanna-Barbera Records from 1965 to 1966. He had a modest national hit, "Roses and Rainbows", during his tenure as a recording artist for Hanna-Barbera Records.
"One" is a song by American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson from his 1968 album Aerial Ballet. It is known for its opening line "One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do". Nilsson wrote the song after calling someone and getting a busy signal. He stayed on the line listening to the "beep, beep, beep, beep..." tone, writing the song. The busy signal became the opening notes.
Jay Gruska is an American songwriter and composer best known for his film and television scoring, and for writing hit songs for a variety of artists. He has composed musical scores for dozens of TV dramas, with over 500 hours of shows played internationally.
"Pieces of April" is a ballad written by Dave Loggins which became a Top 20 hit for Three Dog Night in January 1973.
"Everybody's a Masterpiece" is a song written by Richard Ira Reicheg and George S. Clinton, performed by Three Dog Night. The song was produced by Bob Monaco and arranged by Three Dog Night. It is featured on their 1976 album, American Pastime. This is Three Dog Night's last charting single, and the last single released before breaking up in August 1976.
The Complete Hit Singles is a compilation album by Three Dog Night. It was released on May 25, 2004 by Geffen Records.
