Behind the Band Name: Three Dog Night

Three Dog Night was born out of the ’70s rock scene. With the birth of disco, the rock scene struggled to figure out where it stood. This ushered in a deeply experimental period that operated under an “anything goes” mentality. Given their unique blend of inspirations, Three Dog Night was a shoo-in for that era.

Despite the masses being very familiar with the group’s catalog, their origins may be unknown to more casual listeners. Uncover the story behind the band’s name, below.

[RELATED: The Top 10 Need-to-Know Three Dog Night Songs (That Aren’t “One” or “Joy To The World”)]

Behind the Band Name

According to the band’s official website, the name Three Dog Night comes from a phrase often used by Aboriginal Australian hunters as a barometer for how cold a night in the Outback would be.

The hunters would dig a hole in the ground and then use dingos to keep warm. If it was cold they’d sleep with two dogs. If it was freezing it would be a “three-dog night.” They wanted to include the number three somewhere in their moniker as a representation of the idea that there are three lead singers.

“I was in my kitchen, and my manager said ‘By Monday I want you to come in with a name,” Hutton explained the origin of the name.

“We wrote down 60 names,” he continued. “However I used to get this magazine called Mankind, my girlfriend at the time showed me an article about the Australian Aborigines with the phrase, a night so cold you will need to take three dogs to bed with you to stay warm, and that was that, Three Dog Night.”

Legacy

Between 1969 and 1975, Three Dog Night amassed 21 Billboard Top 40 hits. Many of them shined a spotlight on outside writers like Randy Newman (“Mama Told Me Not to Come”), Paul Williams (“An Old Fashioned Love Song”), and Hoyt Axton (“Joy to the World,” “Never Been to Spain”).

The three vocalists—Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells—first came together in 1967. Originally going by the name Redwood, the group made recordings with the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson. Wilson had ambitions at one time of signing them to Brother Records.

According to Mike Love in the book The Beach Boys by John Tobler, “[Brian] had them in the studio for several days, and he was really funny. They didn’t meet up to his expectations … They’d go in and they wouldn’t sing well enough for him … but they went off and made billions.”

The band made their official debut at the Whiskey a Go Go in 1978. They were still in the process of making their self-titled, debut album at the time.

[RELATED: Behind the Band Name: Wings]

They found early success with songs like “Nobody,” “Try A Little Tenderness” and “One.” Soon after establishing themselves as a group, they began to amass a reputation as one of the top-drawing touring acts of their era.

Three Dog Night released arguably their most famous song, “Joy to the World,” in 1970. The song went on to earn them Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. While many attribute a deeper (often anti-war) meaning to the jovial track, the group has routinely chalked up the work to a novelty. Nevertheless, it remains one of their biggest tunes.

The group broke up briefly in 1975 but came back together in 1981. The band is still drawing crowds today, having plotted a sprawling world tour for this spring. Find a list of their 2023 tour dates, HERE.

Photo by Jim McCrary/Redferns