Drew Vogel was one of the Missourinet reporters who bedeviled Governor Teasdale throughout his four years in office. We’ve kept in touch through the years. Drew has been a nursing home administrator in Ohio for a long, long time. He recently told me, “When I quit doing news I didn’t miss being on the radio, or reporting; what I missed was the creative high I get from writing.”
Most of Drew’s creativity is spread among Facebook friends—your friendly correspondent doesn’t do Facebook, claiming he has a life to live. Here’s something Drew recently wrote that will bring back some memories to most of the demographic that stumbles over these entries:
Guess what year this is.
The South Tower of the World Trade Center is topped out. Richard Nixon announces he will become the first U.S. president to visit China. Jeff Gordon is born. Coco Chanel dies.
Army Lieutenant William Calley is sentenced to life in prison for the My Lai Massacre. Amtrak begins. Nikita Khruschev and James Cash (JC) Penney die. Justin Trudeau is born.
Charles Manson and his “family” are sentenced to death for the Tate-La Bianca murders. Apollo 14 and 15 make moon landings. Snoop Dog and Kid Rock are born. Duane Allman dies.
The Attica Prison riot breaks out in New York. Evel Knievel sets a world record by jumping over 19 cars on his motorcycle. Bobby Jones and Audie Murphy die. Pete Sampras is born.
The New York Times publishes the Pentagon Papers. Walt Disney World opens in Florida. Lance Armstrong is born. Louis Armstrong dies.And “JEREMIAH WAS A BULLFROG!”
The year was 1971.
We witnessed Three Dog Night in concert at the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati last night.
I’ve seen acts at the Taft over the years—Phantom of the Opera, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty, Dolly Parton when she was still with Porter Waggoner, George Carlin and a great bluegrass show featuring Jim and Jesse and the Osborn Brothers.
I introduced a number of country acts at the Taft when I was a disk jockey. But this was my first rock concert there.
Three Dog Night?
They were really pretty good.
OK, I’m from that era, but they really can still rock, even though the original members are approaching three-quarters of a century in age.
Two of the founders are still in the band. Lead guitar Michael Allsup is 70. Lead singer Danny Hutton will be 75 soon.
Three of the original seven have gone to that big recording studio in the sky.
…he was a good friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him drink his wine.
If you are a person less than a certain age, you may not be familiar with the history of Three Dog Night, but you probably have heard its music.
There’s Jeremiah—the song is actually called “Joy to the World.” “One.” “I’ve never been to Spain.” “Eli’s Coming.” “Celebrate.” “Just an Old Fashioned Love Song.”
Good stuff, even today. And they did all their hits last night. All of them. They’ve had so many they don’t have to go outside their playbook.
Between 1969 and 1975 the band had an amazing 21 records on the Billboard Magazine Top 40. “Joy to the World” turned gold two months after it was released and ultimately sold five million copies.
“Black and White” and “Mama Told Me” reached #1 as well.
Neither Credence Clearwater Revival, nor the Eagles, comparable groups of the era, had a #1 during that time and both had fewer appearances in the Top 40.
In fact, the Beatles only had five songs in the Top 40 from 1969 to ’75 but they had disbanded in 1970. Elvis only had 14 Top 40 appearances and one #1 in that timeframe.
And he always had
Some mighty fine wine.
When we entered the Taft, the usher asked if we would be drinking any alcohol. Gail said no. I said I might have a glass of wine. She stamped my hand. Didn’t ask for ID, not that I expected to be carded, but she did tamp my hand.
Strange, very strange.
The crowd was largely people who had been teenaged-to-young adults when Three Dog Night songs were hits. In other words, 60 and 70-something folks like Gail and me.
However, they were a tech savvy bunch. Instead of “flick the Bic” on romantic songs, they used the flashlights on their Androids.
Thank goodness, no one showed up dressed in “period costume.” No bell bottoms or Roman sandals.
I did see one guy who looked a lot like John Gotti. The Teflon Don was of that era. You don’t suppose he slipped away again, do you?
If I were the king of the world,
Tell you what I’d do.
I’d throw away the cars and the bars and the wars.
And make sweet love to you.
Oh, I did see a couple of tie-dyed T-shirts that covered bulging bellies. The Guys’ hair was mostly short—what there was of it.
One or two fellows had long-enough-to-be-ponytailed locks, but with bare skin topping off the doo, it amounted to a Friar tuck-goes-hippie kind of a look.
You know I love the ladies.
Love to have my fun
I’m a high life flyer and rainbow rider.
A straight shootin’ son-of-a-gun.
The ladies had hair issues, too. It was either white or dyed so it wouldn’t be white. More than a few were in the size 18-22 category.
Joy to the world
All the boys and girls
There actually were a few boys and girls—young people likely brought by their grandparents.
But, not many.
If you herded all of them together I doubt there would have been enough to fill up a 1962 psychedelic-painted peace sign=embroidered VW bus.
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me.
So, what about Jeremiah? You’ll be happy to know that he didn’t croak.
He didn’t donate his legs to a garlic and butter-filled skillet.
In fact, he was the encore finale.
When the keyboard hit the first few notes of Joy, the crowd—those who still could—jumped to its collective, orthopedic-clad feet and loudly sang along with the boys.
Forty-six years after Jeremiah made the scene, he still brings Joy to the world.
