Danny Hutton

Danny Hutton is most famous as one of the three lead singers in <a href="spotify:artist:4FAEZeJcsYYBkNq2D3KGTV">Three Dog Night</a>, 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 <a href="spotify:artist:4VCyL3xDf8AYZUQRtEF7bp">Hutton</a> 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 <a href="spotify:artist:4FAEZeJcsYYBkNq2D3KGTV">Three Dog Night</a> had hit it big. "Roses and Rainbows" and "Funny How Love Can Be" also show up on the <a href="spotify:artist:4FAEZeJcsYYBkNq2D3KGTV">Three Dog Night</a> compilation Celebrate: The Three Dog Night Story, 1965-1975. Incidentally, also in the mid-'60s, <a href="spotify:artist:4VCyL3xDf8AYZUQRtEF7bp">Hutton</a> was one of many who failed an audition for <a href="spotify:artist:320EPCSEezHt1rtbfwH6Ck">the Monkees</a>.

<a href="spotify:artist:4VCyL3xDf8AYZUQRtEF7bp">Hutton</a> met <a href="spotify:artist:4JnwMaOZhWHahIcYzy4WXo">Cory Wells</a>, whom <a href="spotify:artist:4VCyL3xDf8AYZUQRtEF7bp">Hutton</a> produced when <a href="spotify:artist:4JnwMaOZhWHahIcYzy4WXo">Wells</a> was part of MGM act the Enemies. Along with <a href="spotify:artist:4Il3UCQ1uThlyFOkWxiScG">Chuck Negron</a>, who had sung backup on one of <a href="spotify:artist:4VCyL3xDf8AYZUQRtEF7bp">Hutton</a>'s singles, they formed a three-singer band, Redwood. Redwood did a couple of singles with <a href="spotify:artist:4VCyL3xDf8AYZUQRtEF7bp">Hutton</a>'s good friend <a href="spotify:artist:4Q82S0VzF8qlCb4PnSDurj">Brian Wilson</a> producing, including versions of "Time to Get Alone" and "Darlin'," which would also be recorded by Wilson's group, <a href="spotify:artist:3oDbviiivRWhXwIE8hxkVV">the Beach Boys</a>. With the addition of some backing musicians, the trio formed <a href="spotify:artist:4FAEZeJcsYYBkNq2D3KGTV">Three Dog Night</a>, which finally gave <a href="spotify:artist:4VCyL3xDf8AYZUQRtEF7bp">Hutton</a> and the others national success.

After <a href="spotify:artist:4FAEZeJcsYYBkNq2D3KGTV">Three Dog Night</a> split up, <a href="spotify:artist:4VCyL3xDf8AYZUQRtEF7bp">Hutton</a> managed some punk bands in the late '70s, including <a href="spotify:artist:0hPU1czS0JdstuT8VRtBPS">Fear</a>, 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 <a href="spotify:artist:4FAEZeJcsYYBkNq2D3KGTV">Three Dog Night</a>. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi