Rock Music
Originally, the song began with “Jeremiah was a prophet.” But that was too heavy, man. The group wanted something lighthearted and childlike (read that as fun and a kid’s song). The singer, songwriter, and actor Hoyt Axton, son of Mae Axton who co-wrote “Heartbreak Hotel” for Elvis Presley, wrote “Joy to the World” for the band. They originally released it on their 1970 album Naturally and then early in 1971 as a single backed with “I Can Hear You Calling.” The track went to #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 10 and the Canadian Top Singles Chart in 1971. It was in the top 40 in the U.K., Germany, and The Netherlands. After two months of its release, the single sold more than one million copies and earned an RIAA gold record. Eventually, the worldwide sales bumped it up to more than 5 million copies, and it became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Three Dog Night formed in Los Angeles in 1967. Personnel for Three Dog Night at this time were Mike Allsup (guitar), Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Danny Hutton (vocals), Chuck Negron (vocals), Joe Schermie (bass guitar), Floyd Sneed (drums), and Cory Wells (vocals). The story behind the name of the group comes from Danny Hutton’s girlfriend June Fairchild (Up In Smoke) who was reading about indigenous Australians. In the magazine, it mentioned that on cold nights, they would sleep in a hole in the ground with a dingo. On colder nights, well, two and then three dingoes. Membership in the group has changed over the years, but they continue to tour and perform.
