Another of the first singles I bought, in the summer of 1970, I had no idea until now that this was a cover of a Randy Newman song (which I’ve never heard).

I wonder if any of my Aussie pals know the derivation of the band’s name – allegedly the term indigenous Australians (are they no longer called aboriginals?) used to describe freezing nights in the Outback.

Apparently, on cold nights they would sleep in a hole in the ground while embracing a dingo to keep warm; on colder nights they would sleep with two dogs; and, if the night was freezing, it was a “three dog night”.

As it happens, my Aussie pals are sceptical about this, but who knows?!

A strange group, Three Dog Night – Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron and Cory Wells – composed very few of their own songs, and all three of them sang different ones. In fact, like 10cc, they had three No.1 singles each featuring a different lead singer.

Only in America though, where they had an astonishing run of 21 consecutive hits beginning in 1969. Contrastingly, this was their only major success in the UK, reaching No.3 in August 1970, though they had one more minor hit when the annoyingly jaunty Joy To The World made it to 24 the following year.