Craig Daily Press

Centennial

Information about Craig's Centennial

Craig — With the help of “An Old-Fashioned Love Song,” “One” musical group will give Craig residents cause to “Celebrate.”

Three Dog Night will perform Saturday at the Moffat County Fairgrounds as part of Craig’s Centennial Celebration. The rock band that first caught the attention of the American public in 1969 will stage the repertoire of songs — including “Joy to the World,” “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)” and more — that has earned them 21 consecutive Top 40 hits, seven million-selling singles and 12 straight Recording Industry Association of America Certified Gold LPs.

Vocalist and founding member Danny Hutton looks forward to the engagement.

Q: It’s been 40 years since you started this band. How does it feel to still be so popular?

A: My nephew keeps telling me I should be glad I can open my eyes. Right now, I feel lucky to be alive, because so many people in this business have died young. We play 80 to 90 gigs a year, and I love it. I’m glad to be so active. I don’t want to retire.

Q: How has your fan base and concert attendance been in recent years?

A: Ever since about ’87 or ’88, it’s just kept getting bigger. Our music is being used a lot more in movies; I think it’s “Never Been to Spain” that will be in a new Jennifer Aniston movie. People that grew up with us are always at the concerts, and they bring their kids and grandkids who want to hear “the song about the little bullfrog.” We see a lot of Baby Boomers, and we love having college kids because they cross their arms and pretend they’ve never heard of us, but by the end, they get into it as much as everybody else. People who come to our concerts every five or 10 years don’t get bored of hearing the same sections of their favorite songs. One of the reasons people like us is because we sound the same live as we do on our albums.

Q: The band’s lineup has gone through changes since you originally started. Do people notice a difference in the sound with new artists?

A: Two-thirds of the band are original members, and that’s more than the Rolling Stones. We work well together. Our bass player sings and plays incredible blues guitar, and our drummer has been great.

Q: Which of your songs do you think the audience really enjoys?

A: Everybody likes “Joy to the World,” and “Mama Told Me (Not to Come)” is always a lot of fun. People really like “Liar,” too.

Q: Which is your favorite?

A: I think I’d have to say “Liar” because it’s a very different song. Also, Cory (Wells) is great on “Never Been to Spain,” which we realized was way too slow when we first recorded it. The way we play it now has a better tempo that feels correct.

Q: Your news release says that a new album is in the works.

A: We’re currently recording it. It’s hard to figure out the best way to release it because of all the downloading that goes on these days. We’re almost halfway done, and we’re up for resigning with the Universal label. I think it might be more of a 40th anniversary collection for us. We’re thinking of doing new songs, but we don’t have anything definite. I have an idea for an a capella song. The thing is that we’ve been on the Pop and Country charts, so we’re pretty versatile. We jump around in our style, and people didn’t always used to like that. People like it more today because that’s what they’ll do with their iPods. Like if you go to Ozzfest, all you hear is 30 heavy metal and Goth bands, and all you hear is the same kind of music. Once we did a concert with James Taylor and Led Zeppelin, which were really different styles. That’s what we like to do.

Q: Will you play any new songs on Saturday?

A: No. Because of YouTube and camera phones, we have to be defensive. I don’t want to give anything away, but we will be doing some new old stuff to mix it up.

Q: How does an audience Craig’s size compare with some of your bigger shows?

A: These outdoor shows are great as long as it’s not too cold. People will come out even if it’s raining a little. The size of the crowd isn’t a problem as long as everybody’s comfortable. We’ve played all sorts of venues and it’s always the people who make it happen. We’re the party for the evening and it’s our responsibility to make everybody feel good. We’re not political like some groups, and we don’t talk about how hard the business is. I feel like we’re a good meal at a restaurant with a sinful dessert. If people aren’t on their feet by the end, we don’t feel like we’ve done a good show.