Friday August 12, 2022 “Shambala” Three Dog Night
OK, technically this doesn’t have ‘road’ in the title but you know and I know (Dave Mason) whenever we sing along to this fun tune we only remember ‘on the road to Shambala’ so Simon Says, it’s a road song.
Written by Daniel Moore and recorded by BW Stephenson and released one week earlier than today’s Three Dog Night version, the song's actual lyrics are about the mythical kingdom of Shambhala, which was said to be hidden somewhere within or beyond the peaks of the Himalayas and was mentioned in various ancient texts. Both versions were top ten songs…weird, no.
Three Dog Night scored a succession of 21 hit singles, including eleven Top Tens, and twelve consecutive gold albums from 1969 to 1975, thanks to the polished vocal harmonies of singers Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells and an excellent ear for quality material. That’s a pretty good run.
While often criticized as commercial, the band was noted for its creative arrangements and interpretations, and their cover choices gave exposure (and royalties) to several talented songwriters: Nilsson ("One"), Laura Nyro ("Eli's Coming"), Randy Newman ("Mama Told Me (Not to Come)"), Hoyt Axton ("Joy to the World"), Argent's Russ Ballard ("Liar"), and Leo Sayer ("The Show Must Go On").
The band name comes from an Australian expression describing low nocturnal temperatures in the outback, the colder the night, the more dogs needed to keep warm while sleeping. I guess that’s odd but no stranger than other band name sources we have encountered.
Stay safe and well…and if there’s no Song of the Day tomorrow it’s because I’m on the road to Shambala, ‘everyone is helpful and everyone is kind’, c’mon along.