Suitable for Framing
Encyclopedia
Suitable for Framing is the second studio album
by American
rock
band Three Dog Night
. The album was released on the Dunhill
record label
on June 11, 1969 and was the first of two albums released by the band that year (see 1969 in music
).
The album is notable for containing the top 20 hit single
s "Easy to Be Hard", "Eli's Coming", and "Celebrate"; the latter of which featured several members of Chicago
as the song's horn section
. It is also notable for being the first album by Three Dog Night to have songs penned by band members and for the Elton John
song "Lady Samantha
", which was released a year before the singer became known in the United States.
The album was well received in North America
, reaching the top 10 on the main albums charts in Canada
and the United States
and became certified gold by the RIAA
at the end of the year.
, Suitable for Framing was recorded at American Recording Company, was produced
by Gabriel Mekler
(who produced other Dunhill artists including Steppenwolf
), and was engineered
by Richard Podolor
(who would later became the group's producer) and Bill Cooper. The band members during the album's recording were Danny Hutton
(vocals
), Chuck Negron
(vocals), Cory Wells
(vocals), Jimmy Greenspoon
(keyboard
s), Michael Allsup
(guitar
s), Joe Schermie
(bass
), and Floyd Sneed
(drum
s, percussion
).Engineer Richard Podolor also performed as an uncredited guitarist on the album.
The original version of Suitable for Framing (Dunhill DS 50058) was released as a vinyl LP record
with a gatefold sleeve. The art direction
for the original LP sleeve was done by Wayne Kimbell with photography
by Ed Caraeff
. The album's gatefold photo features Three Dog Night wearing greasepaint make-up, and posing with members of the Los Angeles
groupie
troupe The GTOs
.
Side two
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
. The album was released on the Dunhill
Dunhill Records
Dunhill Records was started by Lou Adler, Al Bennett, Pierre Cossette and Bobby Roberts in 1964 as Dunhill Productions, originally for the purpose of releasing Johnny Rivers recordings on Imperial Records. It became a record label in 1965 and was distributed by ABC Records...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
on June 11, 1969 and was the first of two albums released by the band that year (see 1969 in music
1969 in music
-Events:Perhaps the two most famous musical events of 1969 were concerts. At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a fan was stabbed to death by Hells Angels, a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event...
).
The album is notable for containing the top 20 hit single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
s "Easy to Be Hard", "Eli's Coming", and "Celebrate"; the latter of which featured several members of Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
as the song's horn section
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
. It is also notable for being the first album by Three Dog Night to have songs penned by band members and for the Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
song "Lady Samantha
Lady Samantha
"Lady Samantha" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was released on January 17, 1969, six months before his first album, Empty Sky came out...
", which was released a year before the singer became known in the United States.
The album was well received in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, reaching the top 10 on the main albums charts in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and became certified gold by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
at the end of the year.
Recording, production, artwork, packaging
As with the band's self-titled debut albumThree Dog Night (album)
Three Dog Night is the self-titled debut album by American rock band Three Dog Night. The album was originally released by Dunhill Records on October 16, 1968...
, Suitable for Framing was recorded at American Recording Company, was produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Gabriel Mekler
Gabriel Mekler
Gabriel Mekler was a songwriter, musician, and record producer who attained fame in the 1960s, helming classic albums for Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, and Janis Joplin...
(who produced other Dunhill artists including Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
), and was engineered
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
by Richard Podolor
Richard Podolor
Richard Podolor was a record producer.Richard Podolor, who is also known as Richie Podolor or Richard Allen, produced hits including "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night and "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf. His early hits were as guitarist and co-writer on the drummer Sandy Nelson's records...
(who would later became the group's producer) and Bill Cooper. The band members during the album's recording were Danny Hutton
Danny Hutton
Daniel Anthony Hutton , is an Irish-American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band, Three Dog Night. Hutton was the head of Hanna Barbera Records from 1965-1966...
(vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
), Chuck Negron
Chuck Negron
Charles "Chuck" Negron is an American singer-songwriter, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night, which he helped to form in 1968.-Biography:...
(vocals), Cory Wells
Cory Wells
Cory Wells is an American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night.-Life and career:...
(vocals), Jimmy Greenspoon
Jimmy Greenspoon
Jimmy Greenspoon is an American keyboard player, best known as a member of the band, Three Dog Night. He currently lives in Montgomery County, Maryland....
(keyboard
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s), Michael Allsup
Michael Allsup
Michael Allsup is an American guitarist, best known for his contribution as a member of the rock and roll group, Three Dog Night....
(guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s), Joe Schermie
Joe Schermie
Joe Schermie was an American musician, best known as the bass player for the 1970s American rock-pop group Three Dog Night.-Biography:Schermetzler was born in Madison, Wisconsin....
(bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), and Floyd Sneed
Floyd Sneed
Floyd Sneed is a black Canadian drummer, best known for his work with the band Three Dog Night....
(drum
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
s, percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
).Engineer Richard Podolor also performed as an uncredited guitarist on the album.
The original version of Suitable for Framing (Dunhill DS 50058) was released as a vinyl LP record
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
with a gatefold sleeve. The art direction
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
for the original LP sleeve was done by Wayne Kimbell with photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
by Ed Caraeff
Ed Caraeff
Ed Caraeff is a photographer, illustrator and graphic designer, who has worked largely in the music industry. He has art directed, photographed and designed hundreds of record album covers from 1967 to 1982 for numerous artists, including Elton John, Carly Simon, Three Dog Night and Dolly Parton...
. The album's gatefold photo features Three Dog Night wearing greasepaint make-up, and posing with members of the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
groupie
Groupie
A groupie is a person who seeks emotional and sexual intimacy with a musician or other celebrity. "Groupie" is derived from group in reference to a musical group, but the word is also used in a more general sense, especially in casual conversation....
troupe The GTOs
The GTOs
The GTOs were a "groupie group" that consisted of Miss Pamela , Miss Sparky , Miss Lucy , Miss Christine , Miss Sandra , Miss Mercy and Miss Cynderella...
.
Track listing
Side one- "Feelin' AlrightFeelin' Alright"Feelin' Alright" also known as "Feeling Alright" is a song written by Dave Mason of the English rock band Traffic from their eponymous 1968 album, Traffic...
" (Dave MasonDave MasonDavid Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
) – 3:39 - "Lady SamanthaLady Samantha"Lady Samantha" is a song by Elton John with lyrics by Bernie Taupin. It was released on January 17, 1969, six months before his first album, Empty Sky came out...
" (Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Bernie TaupinBernie TaupinBernard John "Bernie" Taupin is an English lyricist, poet, and singer, best known for his long-term collaboration with Elton John, writing the lyrics for the majority of the star's songs, making his lyrics some of the best known in pop-rock's history.In 1967, Taupin answered an advertisement in...
) – 2:53 - "Dreaming Isn’t Good for You" (Danny HuttonDanny HuttonDaniel Anthony Hutton , is an Irish-American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band, Three Dog Night. Hutton was the head of Hanna Barbera Records from 1965-1966...
) – 2:16 - "A Change Is Gonna ComeA Change Is Gonna Come (song)"A Change Is Gonna Come" is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the...
" (Sam CookeSam CookeSamuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...
) – 3:10 - "Eli’s Coming" (Laura NyroLaura NyroLaura Nyro was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved considerable critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and New York Tendaberry, and had commercial success with artists such as Barbra Streisand and The 5th...
) – 2:41
Side two
- "Easy to Be Hard" (Galt MacDermotGalt MacDermotGalt MacDermot is a Canadian composer, pianist and writer of musical theatre. He won a Grammy Award for the song African Waltz in 1960. His most successful musicals have been Hair and Two Gentlemen of Verona...
, James Rado, Gerome RagniGerome RagniGerome Bernard Ragni was an American actor, singer and songwriter, best known as the co-author of the groundbreaking 1960s Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical.-Early life:...
) – 3:11 - "Ain’t That a Lotta Love" (Willie Dean “Deanie” Parker, Homer BanksHomer BanksHomer Banks was an African-American songwriter, singer and record producer, best known for his songs for Stax Records in the 1960s and 1970s...
) – 2:16 - "King Solomon’s Mines" (Floyd SneedFloyd SneedFloyd Sneed is a black Canadian drummer, best known for his work with the band Three Dog Night....
) – 2:29 - "Circle for a Landing" (Don PrestonDon PrestonDonald Ward Preston also known as Dom DeWilde or Biff Debrie born September 21, 1932 in Flint, Michigan. Preston is an American jazz and rock and roll musician.-Biography:Preston was born into a family of musicians and began studying music at an early age...
) – 2:20 - "Celebrate" (Gary Bonner, Alan GordonAlan Gordon (songwriter)Alan Gordon was an American songwriter best known for songs recorded by The Turtles, Petula Clark, and Barbra Streisand...
) – 3:13
Personnel
The following people contributed to Suitable for Framing:- Mike Allsup – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Bill Cooper – engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Jimmy GreenspoonJimmy GreenspoonJimmy Greenspoon is an American keyboard player, best known as a member of the band, Three Dog Night. He currently lives in Montgomery County, Maryland....
– keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s - Danny HuttonDanny HuttonDaniel Anthony Hutton , is an Irish-American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band, Three Dog Night. Hutton was the head of Hanna Barbera Records from 1965-1966...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Gabriel MeklerGabriel MeklerGabriel Mekler was a songwriter, musician, and record producer who attained fame in the 1960s, helming classic albums for Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, and Janis Joplin...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Chuck NegronChuck NegronCharles "Chuck" Negron is an American singer-songwriter, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night, which he helped to form in 1968.-Biography:...
– vocals - Richard PodolorRichard PodolorRichard Podolor was a record producer.Richard Podolor, who is also known as Richie Podolor or Richard Allen, produced hits including "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night and "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf. His early hits were as guitarist and co-writer on the drummer Sandy Nelson's records...
– guitar (uncredited), engineer - Joe SchermieJoe SchermieJoe Schermie was an American musician, best known as the bass player for the 1970s American rock-pop group Three Dog Night.-Biography:Schermetzler was born in Madison, Wisconsin....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Floyd SneedFloyd SneedFloyd Sneed is a black Canadian drummer, best known for his work with the band Three Dog Night....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Cory WellsCory WellsCory Wells is an American singer, best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the band Three Dog Night.-Life and career:...
– vocals - James PankowJames PankowJames Carter "Jimmy" Pankow is an American trombone player, songwriter and brass instrument arranger best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago.-Early life:...
– tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
on "Celebrate" - Lee LoughnaneLee LoughnaneLee Loughnane , born 21 October 1946 in Elmwood Park, Illinois to Juanita Wall and Philip Louis Loughnane, is an American trumpeter, flugelhorn player, vocalist, and songwriter, best known for being a founding member of the rock band Chicago.- Biography :...
– trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
on "Celebrate" - Walter ParazaiderWalter ParazaiderWalter Parazaider is best known for being a founding member and saxophone player for the rock band Chicago. He also plays the flute and other woodwind instruments in the band, including clarinet. On the hit "You're Not Alone," he played backing rhythm guitar.Parazaider began playing the clarinet...
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
on "Celebrate"
Album
| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart | 15 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
16 |
Singles
| Title | Chart (1969) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Easy to Be Hard" | Canadian Singles Chart | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
4 | |
| "Eli's Coming" | Canadian Singles Chart | 4 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 10 | |
| Title | Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Celebrate" | Canadian Singles Chart | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 15 | |