Suitable For Framing
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Album Summary
"Suitable for Framing" came roaring out of the Dunhill Records stable in 1969, right when Three Dog Night had the whole country locked in. Produced by Gabriel Mekler and Richard Podolor — two cats who knew exactly how to frame that big, beautiful sound — the album captured Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells at the absolute top of their game. These three voices together were something the world hadn't quite heard before, and this record was proof positive that their approach to interpreting other writers' material wasn't just a gimmick — it was a genuine art form. Recorded during a period when the band could do no wrong commercially, "Suitable for Framing" arrived as a testament to Three Dog Night's unshakable belief that a great song is a great song, no matter who wrote it.
Reception
- The album performed strongly on the charts, continuing Three Dog Night's remarkable commercial momentum throughout 1969 and cementing their status as one of the top-selling acts of the era.
- Radio programmers embraced the record wholeheartedly, with tracks finding consistent airplay across the AM dial where Three Dog Night had already built a massive and devoted audience.
- Critics recognized the album as a showcase for the band's remarkable vocal depth and their rare ability to take songs from diverse writers and make each one feel definitively their own.
Significance
- "Suitable for Framing" stands as one of the finest examples of Three Dog Night's gift for song curation — pulling material from writers like Joe Cocker, Elton John, Sam Cooke, and Laura Nyro and delivering each one with a soulful authority that was entirely their own.
- The album's multi-vocalist approach, rotating lead duties between Negron, Wells, and Hutton across tracks like "Eli's Coming" and "Easy To Be Hard," demonstrated a creative flexibility that set Three Dog Night apart from virtually every other rock act of their generation.
- With "A Change Is Gonna Come" sitting alongside original compositions and contemporary rock cuts, the album reflects the cultural breadth of 1969 itself — a moment when rock, soul, and pop were all pulling at each other in the most magnificent ways.
Tracklist
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A1 Feelin' Alright —
3:36
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A2 Lady Samantha 170
2:51
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A3 Dreaming Isn't Good For You 124
2:19
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A4 A Change Is Gonna Come —
3:09
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A5 Eli's Coming 169
2:40
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B1 Easy To Be Hard 89
3:10
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B2 Ain't That A Lotta Love 115
2:17
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B3 King Solomon's Mines 134
2:25
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B4 Circle For A Landing 110
2:20
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B5 Celebrate 95
3:14
Artist Details
Three Dog Night was a powerhouse vocal group that came together in Los Angeles in 1967, blending rock, pop, and soul into a rich, full sound built on the strength of not one, not two, but three lead singers — Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron — a setup that gave them a vocal firepower few bands could match. They had an incredible run from the late '60s into the mid-'70s, racking up twenty-one consecutive Top 40 hits, including stone-cold classics like "Mama Told Me Not to Come," "Joy to the World," and "Black and White," and one of the beautiful things they did was shine a spotlight on talented but lesser-known songwriters like Harry Nilsson and Hoyt Axton, helping to break those writers wide open to mainstream America. Three Dog Night stands as a testament to the era when harmony, showmanship, and a genuine love for the song ruled the airwaves, and their legacy is woven deep into the fabric of early '70s rock and roll history.
