Music of the Day, 1 May 2024

pieces of april all around me

I don’t remember when I first heard today’s MotD, a hauntingly beautiful song by a legendary band. It came out in 1972, so I almost certainly heard it back then but didn’t really understand it. In fact, I don’t think I really grokked it until a few years ago.

Hearing Three Dog Night’s “Pieces of April” as a kid, I thought “April” was a former girlfriend; and being too young to be interested in romance, I liked it as a pretty song. Listening to it over the years on the band’s 1982 compilation titled The Best of 3 Dog Night, it often didn’t get enough of my attention; it’s about halfway through the disc and sandwiched between two powerhouse songs (“Black and White” and “Liar”). But at some point, the lines “I’ve got pieces of April; I keep ‘em in a memory bouquet” finally landed, bringing tears.

April was the big birthday month in my family, as well as my former in-laws’ family. I marked just my father’s birthday last month because for various reasons, I’m no longer in direct contact with anyone else… so yeah, the “but it’s a morning in May” line hits me hard these days. Time moves on and so must we, whether we want to or not.

Today’s the first time I’ve listened to “Pieces of April” through good earbuds, and it has fully revealed to me the craft behind this tender song. It was the second single from 1972’s Seven Separate Fools album and one of only two hits not to feature all three of the band’s talented singers: it’s all Chuck Negron. His voice weaves through the instruments until it swells, accompanied by harmonies near the song’s end. In addition to the band’s regulars (Mike Allsup on guitar; Jimmy Greenspoon on keyboards; Joe Schermie on bass; and Floyd Sneed on drums), Patrick Sullivan’s cello adds melancholy depth to the song. There’s also a lovely touch of country that occasionally peeks through in the guitar.

Three Dog Night was a big part of the soundtrack of my youth, but I don’t think I truly appreciated their artistry until high school. I’m fairly sure that we played a few of their songs in marching and pep bands; “Eli’s Coming” stands out for being a crowd favorite and loads of fun to play, and the one that made me a fan.

It wasn’t until a few months ago that I learned that Three Dog Night’s success came from covering others’ songs. “April” was written by Dave Loggins; other songwriters they covered pieces by include Paul Williams, Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Paul Rodgers, Hoyt Axton, Gary Wright, and Steve Winwood. In addition to the band’s stellar vocal talents, Three Dog Night had an amazing ear for arranging music.

I’ve read that the main reason Three Dog Night hasn’t been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is because they covered other people’s songs… as if their arrangements of them contributed nothing. The video I linked above makes the argument that they deserve the accolade better than I ever could, so I’ll leave it at that. My reward this afternoon for ticking items off my to-do list will be listening to their greatest hits, and enjoying the many wonderful memories they evoke for me.