Jeremiah The Bullfrog Rocks Out In Atlantic City

    Welcome back to Gen Z Talks Rock Music, exploring the world of rock n’ roll with news and opinions from someone who wasn’t a thought, when rock music was released. Today, I will review my first rock concert that I went to since the pandemic happened. I will go over how the band sounded instrumentally and vocally, and if the band sounded like their studio recordings. I will discuss the appearance of the band and how they interacted with the crowd. Then finally, I will have a bio section on the legendary careers, this band had as musicians.                      This rock band was a dominant force of the late 1960’s and the whole decade of the 1970’s as they wrote hit after hit. From 1968 to 1976, they had 21 singles that charted in the Billboards’ Top 40 and three of those songs were number one hits. Alongside Elton John, they were the most successful commercial band of the 1970’s. They had three strong and powerful vocalists that all could sing as the lead vocalist, and they could sing beautiful harmonies with each other. This act that I witness live is no other than Three Dog Night and their mascot Jeremiah The Bullfrog, who was famously appeared in their song, “Joy To The World.”

Three Dog Night Bio:

    Before I go into my concert review, I am going to give a brief synopsis on who I saw a few weeks back. Three Dog Night consist of vocalists, Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron, and Cory Wells, who all met each other sometime in the 1960’s. Hutton and Wells met in the studio as Wells was the lead singer of a band called “The Enemies,” and Hutton was the writer/producer of Hanna Barbera records. Hutton helped Wells’s band record several singles as their producer. Hutton came up with the idea to start a three-vocalist band with Wells and Wells was fully on board. Hutton and Wells needed a third singer to start this project, and they recruited mutual friend, Chuck Negron. In 1967, Three Dog Night had formed, which they named themselves after an Australian expression that means low nocturnal temperatures in the outback. They started to write and record music right away. After a few unsuccessful singles that they released to the public, they decided their music needs more of a fuller background than three singers. Mike Allsup became the lead guitarist, Jimmy Greenspoon became the keyboardist, Joe Shermie became the bassist, and Floyd Sneed became the drummer. Three Dog Night released “One” in 1968 and this led to their rein of success in the 1970’s. Here is the link below if you want to learn more about Three Dog Night. Three Dog Night Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic

Concert Review:

    On September 10, 2021, I was able to see Three Dog Night perform live at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. David Hutton and Mike Allsup were last remaining members of the band as vocalists David Morgan, and Paul Kingery, drummer Pat Bautz, and keyboardist Howard Laravea joins Hutton’s new Three Dog Night on their 2021 tour. On that night, I was antsy in my seat as I was holding the burst of excitement, when they come on stage. I could see clearly what was on the stage as I was so close to it that I could reach out and touch it. The light dimmed down, and the room was slightly dark. The loudspeaker echoed in the crowd as the announcer announced, “The Ocean Casino Resort would like to present on to the stage, Three Dog Night.” The crowd and I roared into cheering and applauding. Three Dog Night would rock out the stage playing all 21 top charting singles like “Black And White,” “Never Been To Spain,” “Shambala,” “Old Fashion Love Song,” “Mama Told Me (Not To Come),” and “Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues).”     The vocals by Three Dog Night were remarkable as they sounded like they were 20 years old again. When one of them sung a lead part, they had excellent control and power in their singing voice. My favorite part of their vocals was their harmonies that rung out so majestically as it was soothing to listen to. Especially when they did their latest song called “Prayer Of The Children”, where it sounded like a choir of angels singing as it was such a beautiful piece and performance by them. It was something very special to watch because Hutton found new vocalists that he had perfect chemistry together and their singing sounded close to the actual recordings of the songs. I admire that by Three Dog Night to find the right vocalists that are very similar to the original vocalists to sing these songs. The instrumentals by the rest of the band were solid. The band was in sync with one another as they knew each song inside and out. It was almost like they have been playing for a very long time with one another and not just three years with this current lineup. Allsup had a few guitar solos during the night, they were slow hand style like all the virtuoso guitarists of the 1970’s. They were simple and melodic that crowds would enjoy, but not go wild over. Now, Laravea on keyboards had one solo during the night that the crowd went absolutely nuts over. He was just insanely playing the keys with increblibe speed and melody.

     Three Dog Night’s appearance on stage looked like the walking dead with dance moves that you would see at the annual graveyard smash called the monster mash. They sounded outstanding, but they didn’t age well at all. The only member that looks amazing for his age is Jeremiah The Bullfrog at 51 years old. Now, they might have not entertained the crowd with their dance moves, they learned from the retirement home academy, but they were fun, when they interacted with the crowd. They were making jokes all night and talking about the songs before they played them. I love the joke Hutton made before playing “Try A Little Tenderness,” where he said songwriters write these love songs, because our fans can sing to someone special how much they love them. Then turns to a couple as an example, but he saw the date wasn’t going that well, and said it was trouble in paradise over there. Then he explained he is going play the song now, before he gets himself more in trouble. Another talk between songs that I loved was before they played, “Sure As I’m Sittin Here,” and Morgan had a funny and inspiring speech about being thankfully and happy of what you have. Life is too short to complain of what don’t have and you should live your life. Then he pulled up a chair and sat in it to perform the next number.            Three Dog Night was the icon band of the 60’s and 70’s that can still put on a rocking show. They gave an energetic and fun show. Three Dog Night and the frog that I love so much and a good friend of mine, Jeremiah, entertained the crowd on a nice summer day in Atlantic City, NJ. I would totally recommend buying a ticket to see them live as it is worth to spend the money. If you want to check out the music of Three Dog Night, I have linked some songs below. Let me know in the comments below, what do you think of Three Dog Night and if you have a favorite song by them? Also, what was your favorite concert experience that you had so far? This wraps up another blog of Gen Z Talks Rock Music, until next time keep on rocking.

Joy To The World (1975) - Three Dog Night - YouTube

One Is The Loneliest Number - Three Dog Night (Lyrics) - YouTube

"Shambala" Three Dog Night - YouTube

Black & White - Three Dog Night - YouTube

Never Been To Spain - Three Dog Night - YouTube

Three Dog Night - Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues) (1974) - YouTube

Mama Told Me Not to Come | Three Dog Night |- YouTube

Three Dog Night - Try a Little Tenderness - YouTube

An Old Fashioned Love Song by:Three Dog Night- YouTube

Three Dog Night-Sure As I'm Sittin' Here- YouTube

The Many Licks Of Rolling Stones’ Legendary Drummer Charlie Watts:

    Welcome to Gen Z Talks Rock Music, the destination for your latest rock n’ roll news and opinions from a young adult born in the wrong generation. For my first piece, I will be discussing the loss of a legendary drummer from a legendary classic rock band. I am going to talk about the story of his life and his top 10 best drumming songs. Then why I think he is an underrated drummer and who was influenced by his drum playing.

    Watts was the backbone of my all-time favorite band’s exciting sound and upbeat tempo. He was able to keep up with the energy of a vocalist, who runs around all over the stage and a guitarist, who plucks the guitar string with enthusiasm. Vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones are entertaining musicians and songwriters, but their careers would be different, if drummer Charlie Watts wasn’t able to match the energy and tempo by pounding on the drum with perfect timing.

Charlie Watts Bio:

     Charlie Watts was born on June 2, 1941 in London England at University College Hospital. He lived and grew up in Wembley, Middlesex with his father, his mother, and his sister. Watts loved music at a young age as he collected jazz records from artists like Charlie Parker and Jelly Roll Morton. When Watts was a teenager, he really wanted to pick up an instrument. He bought himself a banjo to learn how to play it. Watts lost interest to play the banjo very quickly, because he was frustrated with fingerpicking the strings on certain songs. This frustration gave him an idea to remove the neck of the banjo and put the base of the banjo on a stand. This allowed Watts to play the banjo like a snare drum. His parents knew he was going to be a drummer when he first hit the banjo on the stand and bought him his first drumkit.             

    After completing his general education, Watts continued his education at Harrow Art School. When completing Harrow Art School, he would land a job as a graphic designer and illustrator on an advertising agency, and he would play drums as a side job for a jazz band. Watts’s drumming with the jazz group was getting notice by a blues band named Blues Incorporation. Band member Alexis Korner invited Charlie Watts to be their drummer of their band, and this became Watts’s permitted gig. Another band named The Rolling Stones were looking for a percussionist and one night they watched Blues Incorporation perform their set. The Rolling Stones described Charlie Watts’s beats as tight, tasteful, and powerful. The Rolling Stones were so impressed with Charlie Watts’s drumming that they offered him the job to be the new Rolling Stones’ drummer. At first, Watts declined the offer, but eventually at the right price, he became the Rolling Stones’ drummer. The Rolling Stones would have their first massive hit with “Satisfaction,” and the band would be a juggernaut in classic rock for the next 60 years. He died peaceful in London on August 24, 2021 at the age of 80. Here is the link below if you want to read more about Charlie Watts’s incredible life. Charlie Watts Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic

An Underrated Drummer:

    When thinking about the Rolling Stones, people think of Mick Jagger, the energizer bunny, Keith Richard, the king of filling the spaces of the song, or Ronnie Wood, the fantastic rhythm guitarist. People asked about the best drummers, people think of drum rolling masters like Keith Moon from The Who, John Bonham from Led Zeppelin, and Neil Peart from Rush. What about Charlie Watts? Therefore, I think he is one of the underrated legendary drummers from the classic rock era. He wasn’t drum rolling like a wild man on stage or in the studio, but he still was an important piece to The Rolling Stones’ sound. He was simple in how he played and never had a big drumkit. Rolling Stones are known for their upbeat dance songs and Charlie Watts’s groove on drum was perfect for their sound. Watts always delivered with powerful tight beats that meshed well with Mick Jagger’s energized vocals, and Keith Richards’s bouncy guitar playing. He was “The Wembley Whammer,” because he played the drum with a force of power, which he learned from his influence of jazz. He was unique with his jazz influence because no one in classic rock was playing drums like a swing drummer from the 1930’s and the 1940’s. He was the much-needed background that contributed to The Rolling Stones’ success and no one else could do what Charlie Watts did on drums.

Famous Drummers Talk About Charlie Watt:

    Although the people may be blind to how Charlie Watts was a much better drummer than people think, musicians from rock music knew how unbelievable he was. Drummer Steven Copeland from The Police, who was shocked about the death of Charlie Watts, said Watts created his own sound that nobody else can do it like him. Copeland described Watts’s drumming and said he would lead with his right foot on the kick drum, while his left hand is relaxedly playing the snare. This influenced Steven Copeland’s playing, because he watched Charlie Watts play drums and he was so relaxed when he looked at him play. Steven Copeland learned from Charlie Watts is the more relaxed a drummer is, the better groove and sound is played on the drum. Copeland has played drums on The Police and solo records with laid back composure ever since.     

    Max Weinberg from Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band said about Charlie Watts that he wasn’t just a drummer; he was a genre of music. Max Weinberg stated there is only one Charlie Watts and no one will come close sounding like Charlie Watts. Max Weinberg described a great technique of Charlie Watts that was featured on the Rolling Stones’ song “Street Fighting Man,” which Charlie Watts is playing a quick three eighth rhythm pattern. Weinberg explained his playing on “Street Fighting Man” created the sound of toughness on the drum. When Bruce Springsteen presented to Weinberg the song, “Born In The USA,” it reminded him the percussions of “Street Fighting Man.” He was inspired to do an impersonation of a Charlie Watts’s style of drumming.

    Watts’s drumming was on a different level in the classic rock era as it felt he on his own little island. Many were playing rock type beats like Ringo Starr from The Beatles or playing jazz type drum rolling like Ginger Baker from Cream, but no one had a solid feel in playing drums like Charlie Watts did. He will always be known as the sound of The Rolling Stones. I have linked below what I think is the top 10 songs of Charlie Watts playing drums in no order. Make sure to check it out. Let me know in the comments below, what is your opinion on Charlie Watts and comment if you have a favorite Charlie Watts drumming song. This concludes the first blog of Gen Z Talks Rock Music but come back next week for more rock n’ roll news and opinions.

The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil - YouTube

The Rolling Stones- Shattered - YouTube

The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black - YouTube

The Rolling Stones - Neighbours - YouTube

The Rolling Stones - 19th Nervous Breakdown - YouTube

Rolling Stones "If you can't rock me" - YouTube

The Rolling Stones - Street Fighting Man - YouTube

The Rolling Stones - Get Off Of My Cloud- YouTube

The Rolling Stones - Undercover Of The Night - YouTube

The Rolling Stones - Moon is Up - YouTube