Three Dog Night: “I’d Be So Happy” (1974)
From 1969-74 Three Dog Night had a string of 18 consecutive Top 20 hits. According to singer Cory Wells, the beautiful ballad “I’d Be So Happy” was supposed to be the next single release, but a decision was made to go with “Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)” instead, which broke the remarkable streak by placing at only #33, and the band only hit the Top 40 once more before disbanding (later to reform essentially as a greatest-hits touring entity).
All but three of the band’s 1969-’75 single releases hit the Top 20, and the band enjoys the distinction of having the highest average chart peak performance among pop acts with 20 or more hits, ahead of even the Madonnas and Mariahs of the world, with an average pop placing of #12.
Chuck Negron, the lead vocalist on “I’d Be So Happy”, relates: “(Producer) Jimmy Ienner knew what I was going through, that my wife had left me and took my baby. He said, ‘Why don’t you just sing this for your daughter, and you’ll be able to show her this some day.’ It’s my daughter’s favorite song. Thank you, Jimmy.”
