Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum - DANNY HUTTON: Founding Member of "Three Dog Night" Talks Getting Sober & the Death of His Close Friend Brian Wilson

Episode Date: March 10, 2026

Danny Hutton, founding member of Three Dog Night, joins us for a raw and reflective conversation about the rise of one of the biggest bands of the 70s and the chaos that came with it. From overnight fame and internal band tension to addiction, financial collapse, and personal loss, Danny opens up about what success really cost him and what it took to survive it. We also talk about the music business machine, loyalty inside a band, and how perspective changes after decades in the industry. Thank you to our sponsors: 🍽️ Hello Fresh: https://hellofresh.com/insideofyou10fm 🥬 AG1: https://drinkag1.com/inside/ 💪 Mars Men: For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://mengotomars.com ❤️ This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/inside and get on your way to being your best self __________________________________________________ 💖 Patreon: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/insideofyou⁠⁠ 👕 Inside Of You Merch: ⁠⁠https://store.insideofyoupodcast.com/⁠⁠ __________________________________________________ Watch or listen to more episodes! 📺 ⁠⁠https://www.insideofyoupodcast.com/show⁠⁠ __________________________________________________ Follow us online! 📸 Instagram: ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/insideofyoupodcast/⁠⁠ 🤣 TikTok: ⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@insideofyou_podcast⁠⁠ 📘 Facebook: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/insideofyoupodcast/⁠⁠ 🐦 Twitter: ⁠⁠https://twitter.com/insideofyoupod⁠⁠ 🌐 Website: ⁠⁠https://www.insideofyoupodcast.com/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People were influenced by you. No doubt a lot of people have said it. Yes, in many ways. And that's going to be on my tombstone. What, joy to the world? Well, I'm not going to put it in them. But I did slow down, like 77. I was so bad, I had to stop every, you know, I was bad.

So they broke in and dragged you out of the car? Yeah, I ended up and I would have died. I can tell you, and it's real. When I'm going to tell you sounds like I'm making up. I'm at Brian Wilson's. He was playing. on the piano and got a knock on the door. And it was Iggy, Iggy Pop,

and Alice Cooper. I was called it B people, hire C people. A people are higher A plus people. Yeah. And surround yourself. Know that I weakness. Yeah. How did you know you were good?

Did you ever wake up in the 70s and think, I am absolutely not equipped for this level of fame? Was his law losing him the biggest loss you've had? How was Jack Nicholson? My life. I'll just get her. Watch, watch this. Oh, that's my mom.

Oh, so don't answer it. now. You're listening to Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum. Thank you for joining me today. Ryan Tejas is here. I'm here, barely, but I'm here. You're here. I'm here. Great guest today. You know, we don't do a ton of musicians, but this guy, Danny Hutton, has been around the block. I mean, you know, he created the band Three Dog Night with hits like, Mama told me not to come. And Jeremiah, Jeremiah was in one. is the loneliest number that you and just an old fashion just so many hits hit after hit you'll hear about it but what a great story his friendships with brian wilson and uh he gets a little

emotional he gets uh he just keeps it real and it was such a a a fun trip down memory lane yeah for him and um now i really appreciated him coming over and you know it's funny is he lives close to me And my mom has interviewed him before and they became friends. And so I was like, you know, I need to do this. And I think you're going to really like it. So even if you don't know, Danny, you've heard the songs, I think you'll find this interesting. And I hope you stick around. And if you like the show, please subscribe, write a review and join Patreon if you want to support the podcast and keep it going because without you, it's tough.

Patreon.com slash inside of you. You could also go to my Instagram at the Michael Rosenbaum. We have a cruise coming up, Cruiseville. Smallville cruise. It's our 25 year anniversary, Ryan. Um, so we're doing a cruise and I'm doing tons of excursions. So get on the cruise because it's selling out. And a lot of other cons coming up. So, uh, just keep listening. Uh, the band Sunspin. My band Sunspin. Go to sunspin.com for new merch. The album is out. You can get the album. Support the band. I think you're going to love it. You can also listen on Spotify for most of the songs or wherever you get your music. Last but not least,

um, Rosie's Puppy. puppy fresh breath. On Amazon, my product, Rosie's puppy fresh breath, just a drop a cap full in your dog's water. It's odorless, tasteless, and your dog's breath will be better. It's as easy as that, and it's that easy to use. Rosie's puppy fresh breath and the inside of you online store for tons of merch and all that stuff. I'm on the cameo, blah, blah, blah. Let's rock this out.

This is going to be fun. I think you're going to enjoy this. Let's get inside of Danny Hutton. It's my point of you. You're listening to Inslee. Inside of you with Michael Rosenbaum. Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum was not recorded in front of a live studio audience. All right.

Wait, where you're saying, this album that you gave me? Yeah. This picture was taken right down the street. Well, they changed the house completely now. I just thought there's up for rent. Right. It's like kind of a white house. It's nice if you like that kind of a vibe.

Anyway, the piano, when Elton first came into town, he was up at my house. Elton John. Yeah. Yeah, and he played all night on that piano right there. I knew him when he was a Reggie Dwight. I used to go every Christmas for two weeks to London, and I stayed at the Britannia Hotel, and I got a knock on the door, and it was Harry. Harry Nelson.

Yeah, we had already done one. He said, what are you doing in this dump? And it was a nice hotel. He says, come on down. There's some flats. There was a flat below, you know, maid service and all that stuff. So I used to go every year. You hung with everybody.

People were influenced by you. No doubt a lot of people have said it. Yes, in many ways. But I had a place on Riddpath, and it was just small. But I like architecture, and it was very, very small, but it had a beautiful fireplace, brick fireplace. So you had the feeling you were in a room part of a big house. So it had that really cool vibe.

So my neighbor up above, I was going with this girl, a dancer on one of the TV shows. And her girlfriend was Mimi, Mimi Michoud. And she was Nicholson, Jack's girlfriend. Meet Mimi Michoud here, Danny. Yeah, yeah. And she had gone with Sunny Bono before that. Anyway, so I got to know Jack. How was Jack Nicholson?

Jack then was a writer. And it said, he wrote the Monkeys movie, you know. I didn't know that. Oh, yeah. Yeah. He, yeah. And then I met Harry Dean Stanton. You know, Harry used to come over.

I think it was a little before Cool Hand Luke. But Harry would come over and, you know, get loaded. And I couldn't get him out of the house. He's a great guy. But yeah, he's sitting in my foxhole. All right, Harry, I love it. Get out. Yeah, and then I got to know Dennis Hopper through.

through Jack. I remember one night the Beatles were out and I was a big fan of the Beatles and the Revolver album had come out so he was down and I didn't have a big PA system so I just got two

speakers, nice speakers and put a pillow in between on the ground and Jack laid down and smoked a joint and it heard revolver for the first time. Wow. Yeah.

Now I was introduced to you by my mother. Julie Rosenbaum. I think you said, what, you're kind of inferring, what do you, why are you hanging? You didn't say those words. It was like, why is this cat hanging with my mom? Yeah, he's hanging out with my mom.

So, yeah, well, me and my mom, me, let me tell you know, my mom when she was, she played mandolin, not from Ireland, and I came over when it was five. She formed a group with, called the Funsters. Her, uh, uh, this magician who was part of the magic house. asshole and Sadie, Sadie Winters, David Winter's mother, you know, David Winter, the director.

I've heard of him, but I don't know. Yeah, he did Alice Nightmare, and he did a lot of, I hate to say the word B movies. That's what they say. Yeah, well, you know what? Corman did a lot of B movies. What really pissed me off was when Spector killed that girl, you know, shout her in the face. But the news would always say, oh, yes. B actress, B movies.

It was like a slur. And I thought, you know, fuck you. This is a deceased person. And you're saying B movie. And she, the House of Blues, she kind of ran the up, you know, the private. Yeah. I mean, she was happening girl. Yeah.

I just thought it was so demeaning. Yeah. I don't like that. But your mom was in a band The Funsters and she was sort of eccentric. She was fun. Oh, she was great. She was like your mom, kind of bubbly. And they'd go to retirement homes around town.

Yeah, Kathleen. Well, I want to thank you, Mom, for putting me in touch with this guy. And she's a great writer and loves music like no other. And that's where I get my love for music. She just loves music and she knows so much about it. Yeah, I was wondering about that. How did you, did you have relatives or did? Was there an instrument laying around?

No, you know, it was just like my dad listening to a certain kind of music. It was like Zeppelin. and all these different bands. And my mom listened to, you know, from Chicago to the doors to Three Dog Nights. So it was just... Your dad was listening to... He was Zeppelin. He was in, like, Cream and, you know, John Barricor Must Die and John Mail and all that stuff.

So they... Together, I was influenced by a lot of different music. It was kind of eclectic, you know. Our first tour was Zeppelin. Your first tour? Yeah. We finished their first album and our manager said, you guys should go out on tour. He said, I'll get another band, a young band, and you go out with him.

So that one wasn't a big band then. Oh, no, no, yeah. So we went out and we did a gig in the Northwest. And we flipped the coin. We went on first. They went on after us, and they blew the house down. You knew they were good. Yeah, but you got to remember, so I'm an old guy from big band.

I remember hits from the 50s. And they were just, they knew their stuff. I mean, Paige, Jimmy, it played on so many hits. Yeah. He was like one of the guys in a wrecking crew. Unbelievable. So, and Robert, I used to know, I'd see Robert in town. He loved Little Feet, you know, Little Feet.

Yeah. Yeah, I was on, I've sung on their album. Wow. Loll saved my life, actually. That's another story. Dealing with drugs? Well, dealing with drugs. booze. I lived in Little Laura Canyon, and I came home, and I had a gullwing, a little hole.

And I pulled in, the driveway, the garage door came down, and I just like what I was hearing in the radio. So I passed out with the engine going. So he came by on a motorcycle. He used to come by all the time, and we'd stay up late doing having fun. I'm sure. So he saved you? So he went up and I know if you know Van Dyke Parks. Yeah. Yeah, well, Van Dyke because he lived up the street. So Van Dyke came down and I started, I wrote with Van Dyke and stuff.

So they broke in and dragged you out of the car? Yeah, I ended up and I would have died. Did that make you quit alcohol right then? No. No, but I think the third time I was arrested for DUI. Then it was no, there's no mothers. There was none of that thing. and all that stuff.

So people just did it and you didn't really... Well, yeah, I was a rest of one time for going five miles an hour of Crescent Heights. How high were you? I was fine enough where... Yeah. Anyway, the third time, I guess I'd tell you a story. He said, if you want to hear him.

I met Brian Wilson's, right? And you guys were close. I was best friend at his wedding. I was one of the four best men. He had... four best men standing there. So I was one of them. Wow. I was there and he had, he was playing on the piano and got a knock on the door and it was Iggy, Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper. And so we, we got out to Alice's birthday party at hotel. So they came, they came over and then he had a sitting, he was

playing the piano and he had a sitting down and he said, okay, all right, here. Let's do something. They're going, yeah, yeah. So he says, you take. take apart, shortening, shortening, and you take another part of bread, bread. He has us playing, Mama's little baby loves shortening bread. Iggy Pop and Allison, me. And finally, they said, it's time to go, but I thought it was so funny that he was doing that. And they left. And then Brian laughed and said, okay, let's get back.

He was goofing on them. Jesus. What we were writing at the time was a song, and he went out and ordered all these different beers, beer cans, and a lot of them say something about the water on them. Right. So it was about water. So I drank a lot. So then driving home and in front of the Hyatt House, a Hyatt Hotel, which is called the Riot House, the Zeppelin used to state, right in front of it, I drove into a fire engine that was parked. So they get out and I said, what are you doing?

What are you doing me drugs? I said, no drugs. And they went like this and then I had a joint in the, so anyway, I'd lost my license. That's what's the original thing. Right. And so I bought a limousine. Well, first of all, I mean, 21 hit singles, including 11 top 10 hits, 12 consecutive goes.

No, we hold the record in the Billboard magazine, 21 consecutive top 40 hits, BG's their second, Elton is third. Well, it's the first part of the year, because we only had a six-year stretch. So every album was insane. I mean, did you always want to be a musician, and who inspired you? I was the shyest person there is, I think. I came from Ireland when I was four and a half. My father left when I was two, bailed,

then this is Second World War we're talking about. It's funny, all three singers, all their fathers kind of abandoned them. We didn't grow up. You know that thing? You, Corey and Chuck? Yeah. That's a tough word.

Not abandoned, but my father left. My father came back when I was 15. It was funny, I never had that talk. You know, that talk you have was, either it's about sex or whatever. He was just always his. happy kind of guy and I never got into it. But I used to notice when we'd be driving, when he see a baby, he's saying, oh, look at that baby. And later on I analyzed, I think

part of it was he felt guilty when he was with me. That he left you. And he was almost signaling to me. Right. He didn't know how to sort of communicate. Irish. Irish people in general. Yeah. They used to be anyway. When you were, when you take, going to to the ships or airplanes to say goodbye, the biggest trauma was saying, oh my God, I got a hug. You know, it's not like Italian or something.

Yeah. Yeah. So. Yeah, my father, no, there weren't. We didn't hug. We didn't, you know, he was kind of old school. There wasn't a lot of, um. Saying I love you.

I never heard it. Exactly. Never heard it. And I made, I made sure with my boys. I've said it since they were little kids. I love you. I love you. On the phone.

Yeah, it's important. Every, when we're doing gigs, you know, dad, our call, hey, I love you, love you. Yeah, and I'm sure he does, but, you know, but he just didn't, he didn't know how to do it. But did he, who inspired you to play music and who were you listening to? Well, like, game over, my mother, brother and sister, myself, landed in New York, went to Boston, all the Irish people, all my aunts and uncles. Boston. Boston, Packet, Packet, Cat. Pact the kind of habit, yeah.

I know. I know that. I've had three accents. I've had an Irish accent, Bostonian accent, which is different than a New England accent. And a laid back, L.A. And in L.A., which is kind of no accent. This show is sponsored by Better Help. March brings International Women's Day, a moment to celebrate women's strength, progress,

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Americans from Believe, follow and listen on your favorite platform. But you're in Boston. Oh, I'm in Boston, and we were the poor relatives. My mother was the youngest. My grandmother was paralyzed in bed. They all left became successful, and my mother was the last one to come out. And so they would have big nights. They had a big night for us.

Once a month, all the relatives would get together. a different house. And you had to get up and you had to play an instrument. What? You had to sing. You had to recite poetry. You had to dance or you had to do a juggling. You had to do something.

What did you do? Hit under the kitchen table. You don't want any part of it. Oh, I was not. No, I was very shy. Then had you get into music? My brother, who died when he was only about 32, was when he came over, he was already a master printer.

and he ended up imagine and I came over in 48 49 and we didn't have we had very little money and he bought a machine like an acetate machine where you actually can make a record and he he had me saying if you if I knew you were coming I had to bake the cake and I had it and I had it and I had it and I broke it. But I had this little, you know, I had a little big voice and my pitch was good. But did he, like, inspire you to do music? Or who was it? Because you seemed like he didn't really want to do it. Well, I didn't want to get up in front of people. I still find it challenging. What I always feel now, we have, it's kind of bombastic, but before we go on, we have the, we recorded an album with the London Symphony Orchestra. So they, they,

did an overture. Larry Barretted, our conductor, who we did symphony dates with, he wrote an overture. So it's dark and dumb, dum, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. And I always feel like, the only way I can feel, it's like a, you know, a paratrooper where you're in the plane. Got to jump. And you're waiting, you're waiting to, and then, here he goes, and then you jump. And then once you jump, you're okay. You're committed. But when did you start singing? I went on Route 66 from Santa Monica Pier, where it ends, Route 66. Five other people, you paid money, everybody, six people on the car, and all the way to Chicago.

And then from Chicago, I hitchhike to New York. And I'm in New York for four days before I'm going to get on a studentship, Dutch suit. And I'm there four months after Dylan had arrived. arrive. The whole scene was happening in the village. So I just got to walk around and see that whole scene. Then I then I then we got a student ship and had bunks. They didn't have a room. There were bunks. Right. Went to Paris star for for about a week. Went to London. Rented rented a bicycle and I bicycled got all the way. I bicycled down south and then I said screw this. I couldn't take it.

So I hitchhiked with my bicycle, with trucks, up to Liverpool. Beatles. Cabin were playing. I didn't know. I'm staying at the YMCA. But that town was rough. They were like throwing rocks at the window. Jesus.

Took a boat to Ireland with my bike and then I bicycle to my hometown, Boncranagh. And I went to, oh, I bought. a guitar in Belfast. And then I went to a phenomenon. But I don't think it ever happened in the States, people don't realize they were called show bands. And these show bands, it would be like the mods or it was a lifestyle. It was a ballroom in my hometown. I had springs underneath the dance floor. Crazy. And I just saw these bands and they would be wearing all different colored stuff. And they played every style of music. And you loved it.

And I just went, I wanted, that's cool. I started taking lessons. They used to go to Music City. Sunset and Vine. That was the Wallach's Music City, was the big place,

and they had listening booths. And there was a guy across the way that was a teacher, and he taught Flamenco, he taught Spanish kind of music. So that kind of got me started. But I've been around, I went to Blessed,

Sacrament Grammar School. which was on Selma, across from the recording studio, you know, the church there, John Wayne was married there. So I was kind of around the whole Hollywood scene. I remember being in a listening booth, playing a record, and Fred Astaire walks by. And I just thought, holy crap.

How did you know you were good? I didn't know. Look, I'm not a great singer, but I'm good at organizing people. Putting it together. I'm good. I can do a chest, a chest, a D or E, as far as high notes, full, full range, no false shuttle. But I don't, you know, there's other guys, stylists that are better.

That's why, because you came up with the idea that we should have three vocalists. I formed a group. You formed the group. Oh, yeah. You were like three vocalists. I was at Hannah Barbera. I got a job at, a friend of mine said, you want to work at Disney Studios. I went, yeah.

So I went there and I ended up being across the street where the animation building is now. That used to be a warehouse. I ended up loading and unloading with a forklift, Buena Vista Records, cartons of records. That's what I did. And they used to get Billboard Magazine. But Billboard Magazine then was really for the business. now, you know, now it's much more everybody knows about it. But in the back

I saw a picture of these guys with long hair, the Beatles, the foreign section. And they meant nothing in the States. So I went out and a VJ records they flipped me out of it. From Me to You. That's not from me to you?

Yeah. I heard and I went, these guys are incredible. And they were on, uh, uh, what's the white label? Another label. Let Me Do and all that stuff. So I became a complete expert. You knew music. Well, nobody in L.A. knew about them.

I got the songbook, and I learned all of Beatle chords. You knew every Beatle song. What's your favorite Beatle song if you had to say it? Like, I feel fine. Certain, I mean, they started that whole fuzz thing. The amplifier, they did a lot of first. I found a song by Sella Black that Paul wrote. called It's for You.

And they never did it. And it was a waltz. Right. She was a big singer. I know if you know who Sella Black is, but actually she used to be the coat girl at the cavern and her name was Sela. Cavern in Liverpool. Yeah, but her name was Sella White.

Right. They had her change her name to Black. So that, right. So that song. You should check it out on her first album. I did a vocal trip on it, that Acapella vocal trip on it. completely, completely different. So that song sort of got things going?

Well, no, I think learning all the beetle chords and stuff. And then what I would do, which ended up I always did, and I did with Three Dog Night, is I would get two better singers than me. And basically, I always say, it's better to be the guy that makes the phone call and say, you want to join my band? You don't want, it's better than somebody call and saying,

you want to be in my band. So I was always the guy that kind of would go, okay, and I got an idea. Come on over. You know what that's like? That's like surrounding yourself, always surround yourself with people that are as talented or more talented. So it lifts you up. I always call it B people, hire C people.

A people are higher A plus people. Yeah. And surround yourself. Know thy weakness. Yeah. And every says, oh, don't be humble. And said, no, man. I know my strengths.

Right. No, that's a good thing. You've got to know your weakness. And I always just thought, I'm good at kind of seeing stuff that, that's good. Where there's cars, about style, you know. I have a whole thing about fashion and style. And fashion is transient. It's built to go out of styles.

And a lot of it's commercial. Yeah. But style is forever. Carrie Grant's forever. Yeah. He could have been movie from the 30s. He could walk into a room at a party and he still would look in style. He would still have the right.

Well, three dog night. Well, I mean, how many years, though, you've been together? I was on about four record labels with different, I would get different people that would sing leads. And I was bored that always have been the organizer, manager, the conductor. The conductor. Oh, I didn't finish my story. So I'm at Disney, Disney studio. and I get a call that, you know,

I mean, the Beatles and that stuff, and I get a call from Kim Fahley says, Hannah Barbera is looking for a, they're starting a rock and roll, record company. So why don't you go over this? I went over with my guitar and the guy gave me a sheet of music and he said, go in the other room and write a song. I'll give you a half hour.

And it was hippity hoppy-y-a-hankaroo. So I went in, I came back and he went, okay, you're hired. I said, what am I going to do? He says, well, you're going to be part of A&R. So your job, we're just starting out, and you're a young guy, so you know what's going on. So let's have you go in a studio and do stuff. Wow. I can kind of play guitar on a little bass, but I didn't say that to them.

So I remember I'd go in and I would, I'd write a song. then I would put the bass on it and for drums I'd use the leather chair and then I would slow the track down and play a lead and then speed it back up so it is and then I would put lead vocal and all three-part harmony on it I would do the whole record wow and then they would I remember they had a group in Seattle and I said we'll call it the bats so the bats went uh went to one of those rock and roll shows every Friday night. You know, the local hot DJ has a TV thing for a half hour. And they lip sync my songs. So I did a song. I wrote it one night. I ended up getting the Baja Marimba band.

They're actually the wrecking crew. So I got the wrecking crew doing the track. You know, I started learning. Wow. Earl Palmer, Little Richard's drummer. That was all you. Kind of creating that whole thing. Oh, yeah, yeah. Then I played it for the, for, the company and they said, oh, yeah, yeah, all right, you're going to go out on tour and, you know, we're going to really promote this. I've never been on stage. I don't do another performer. Like the paratrooper, you just got to jump.

They booked me on a Sunday insurer tour when they had, I got you, babe. So the first time I ever performed was in front of 5,000 people and I had my guitar. And if I took a deep breath and I said, I'm either going to faint or get through it. So I got through it first night. I remember the second night, I thought, well, When I got out at the second night, the other part of my brain said, you realize where you are? And my nature doing this.

But that was my start. All right. Before we jump back in, I just want to say thank you for listening and hanging out with us today. We've had the chance, Ryan, to sit down with over 300 to 400 guests on the show from people like Alan Richon, Kenner Reeves, Kristen Ritter, and a lot more along the way. So if you're here, or if you've missed some episodes, if you're newer here, there's a ton of great conversations in the archives worth checking out. Please, please do. I think you'll find some of them quite captivating. And if you're enjoying the show, make sure you're subscribed wherever you're listening. It really helps support the podcast and make sure that these episodes show up for you every week. And before we get back to it, here's a quick preview of what we've got coming up next week with Sarah Chalk. Definitely one of of the toughest. Yeah. The short version is you have a 10-day window to get IVIG, which is a 12-hour blood transfusion to save your kid's heart. And so it's a very time-sensitive thing. It often goes

missed. And for us, unfortunately, it did. And so I was back at the doctors every day for 10 days begging to see the specialist because I was looking at my kid and he looked exactly like the kids on the Kawasaki disease website. And I kept getting turned away and I got turned away by two ERs. I got turned away by my pediatrician every day. And finally on day 10, I begged my way into the specialist at Children's. And he said, yeah, that's what this is. We're going to send him for the treatment. And so it was really tough. All right. Let's jump back in. When you hear joy to the world now, do you feel pride, annoyance, or just God not again? Or how do you feel? I love it. The song is what it is. But every, the people, you know, it's old, tell me in your,

10 million copies. Number one, for any album we have, usually the first song on it, we thought was a hit, was never the hit. And that was released as a third. We had done two singles. We had two hits.

And we didn't record them as singles, but they were on the album. And then all of a sudden, the phone lit up all over. People kept some, that song, and we looked at each other, It was like, what?

It was kind of a goof song that we did. And that's going to be on my tombstone. What, joy to the world? Well, I'm not going to put it in them. But it's like, to me, it's like if the Who, if their favorite song was my, my girl's little squeeze box, we would say, did our little Chuck Barry doing my dingling. You know, that song, you throw in an album kind of us.

And it becomes a hit. You're like, what? You know? You don't expect it. It's a surprise. It's out on the album. And it's like, oh, let's just put that out. I love that.

Did you ever wake up in the 70s and think I am absolutely not equipped for this level of fame? No, I think it's like a frog, you know, boiling a frog. You learn. By the time, after my career got cold after, you know, I had three or four hits, my manager leaves. And he phones me and he said, I look, I just. just got a job and now the president of Brother Records, the Beach Voice Company. You want to meet Brian Wilson? I said, are you kidding?

Yeah, I mean, he was my first favorite, you know, because he started 61 and whatever, and the Beatles came to 64, 65. So I went up to Southland, and we just hit it off. I just became great friends with him. And I remember him phoning me and saying, hey, I'm going to be down the studio. Do you want to come down? and watch and I said, yes. So I learned so much from him.

I went down to the studio and I thought he was recording this beautiful movie theme. And Carl was there with 12 string, but none of the other Beach Boys. So he just does this whole track. There's no melody on it, right? So I don't know what it's about. I'm just hearing all of these parts. And later on, it was God Only Knows. Oh, my God.

So I was there when they recorded it. you know i want to ruin your day for that song forever Brian was really good at he was like a commander he'd be he'd be in the studio going hey I mean he's older than him old guys for us 35 years old he's wrecking crew guys and carol k and he would go go go oh oh slowdowns gone too fast okay how you know drive himself hell slow slow him down boom boom like that but if somebody and one of them came up an idea he'd go oh let me hear it He was real good about that.

Right. He knew what he wanted, but if somebody had something better or different. He was still open. Yeah. But he knew in his head. And you learned from that, didn't you? I learned how good something had a sound in the studio where it's got to flap your clothes. Yeah.

That's not loud. You got to feel it. You got to feel it. So then Hal got out this little, he had a little box of stuff. And he got out an orange juice, plastic orange juice bottle, empty, obviously. I think it had a little tape on it. Not a drumstick, but almost like a big chopstick. And he said, how do you like this on the record?

And you start playing this rhythmic thing? You listen to God only knows. It's a can? It's an orange juice, plastic orange juice bottle. But listen to the record, it's throughout the whole song. Up that loud. I told you'll ruin it. It'll ruin it for you every time you hear it.

Next time you get it. All right. I will. I'm not going to forget it now. Oh, I know. I've destroyed people. That's amazing. You know, when the Beatles started, they were really submissive. They do 30 takes. They do what many takes it was to get their first album or first two albums done.

And then they would leave and go to a pub and then, you know, phone. Hey, how's it going? You know, they weren't involved at all. And Brian could arrange. He could sing every part. I mean, most of the time he would, or lots of times, because a car was kind of in his range. He would do, he could have done God only knows easy, but he gave it to his brother. But he could do anything.

Right. I just sat there. In awe. But he could run the board. Deaf, deaf in one ear. I mean, that's all the stuff. Oh, he knew his one ear. Yeah.

Was his law losing him the biggest loss you've had? Oh, yeah. Is that the hardest for you? Well, yeah, I was probably one of his best friends. All that time, everybody said, oh, he's in bed and he was, you know, sleeping. He was at my house. He would come over at midnight. We reached up all night.

We actually wrote a song together, which called Catherine. I don't know what to do with it. But he would phone me when he would get nervous, especially later on in the years when he was going to England and Smile was out. and he would phone me and he'd say Danny I'm scared I'm frightened and then okay fine 10 minutes later Danny he'd phone me eight nine times in a row

or he just phoned me to you know he'd come over well he trusted me I never I was never I never did any business never did anything he knew it was a refuge he could come over and just be alone he was over I still have the pump organ over at the, you know, it's a little house I had in the bedroom. I painted black and had a pump organ in it. So he came over and he, and he's sitting there and he's playing me, sail on, sail on sailor.

And he's writing sail on sailor and sailor. And there's about four or five other people there. And then like Brian, he said, anybody don't want to help me in lyrics? And if you see the writers on it, I never, I didn't even jump in. I wouldn't do it. You just was his friend. Just a, just,

just, just, just, just, he knew, I was this, I was this, I was this,

I was this, I was this life raft. Wow. Yeah. He's just a sweet guy. Yeah, I could tell it affected you. Um, you know,

it's, it's rare in this business too, because everybody wants to be your friend. Yeah, you know, what are you looking for? You know, networking and you know,

and there's nothing wrong with that. No. Nothing wrong with that. You didn't want that. You just, you know, I always say what, I always want to do what's best for me and everybody.

Being best for you is not bad or selfish. If it's best for you, but it's also best for the other person, best for both sides, then it's a good thing. But if you're using best for me and screw you, then it's not good. Yeah. Did you think you took a lot of things to the grave, like where you would never, the conversations you had, the personal deep down dark secrets,

those things you've had that right and you would never no it's just between you guys yeah and some fun things that i still i just can't i want to hear that song you got to dig it up oh well let me tell you a song or there or anybody listening uh i went to see him about two weeks before he passed uh and i walked in and he was sitting down and it was odd uh i walked in he went danny he said he said he said sit down, sing, sing, going in circles for me. And I, I'd never done that. A song called Going in Circles that we did. And I said, well, let's go by the, let's go by the piano.

He said, no, no, I don't, I'm not using pianos anymore. And I just went, that's a bad sign. Because he used to always just, he always just, he always just, well, it was his escape. He'd sit there talking to you, but he'd be like, He'd be playing, but he's actually kind of holding on the music. Right. Yeah. And he didn't.

But listen to the lyrics, going in circles, don't really know where I've come from or where I will go. Isn't that something so relatable? Well, that's what I'm saying. That's because, you know, there's a thing of us doing an Everly Brothers song together. But this was just, I was just really worried. Yeah.

Everybody said he had the dimension and all that stuff. But he knew what was going on. Were you friends with Elvis? The only story I had with Elvis is that we were on tour, and I didn't know I had double pneumonia. Actually, the last show, I had to tape both of my knees so I could stand, and we had a jet, you know, blah, blah stuff. So on the, myself and the guitar player and the way,

and Corey on the way home, we're going to stop in Vegas. because Elvis was doing a never been to Spain. Oh, he was wrong. Yeah. So Corey got off the plane and I had to go home. Right. So he, he made Elvis.

He said he was a great guy. So I get home. Another story. And then I needed a doctor. So Van Dyke, who produced Randy Newman's album. Didn't Randy Newman do one or no? No. Mama told me not the time.

Yeah, that's the one. Yeah. So I had this house, but I had barbed wire all around it, that rolled the Vietnamese, you know, that serious wire all around it. And I had a TV camera, all that stuff. So I had to let people in. So I guess people thought I was a drug dealer or something. Because these crazy-looking people would come in. Because the whiskey was on the way home, a little oral, you'd have to kind of go through. Then you'd go. Danny probably has a blow. Okay, let's go by his guys. So I'm up in bed, and I've got an oxygen tank. And, you know, a face mask thing on. So Randy Newman's father, doctor, came over. And it went through that.

But then all of a sudden I hear this big bang downstairs, and it's the cops. They've broken in. And they broke something. I heard something crash. So I can't. They came up the stairs. open the door, you know, the guns.

And they see me and they went, oh. Yeah. They're thinking, he doesn't look like a drug deal. He doesn't look very dangerous. So they went, oh, we're sorry, sir. So that was all part of the Elvis thing. Let me ask you this. Why, like all these years, you still tour.

I mean, you're going on tour again, right? Yeah, my wife needs shoes. Do you, well, let me ask. Do you love it? still, do you do it to buy your wife's shoes, or you're just like, hey, I want to, I love music. I want to keep doing this. I leave Wednesday, right? Music Express picks me up, get to the airport, get to where I'm going.

Everybody from a lot of different states, get there. Tour bus is waiting for me. We do three shows. You know, and the bus has beds and all that stuff. Then I come home on a Sunday, and I'm going to. I'm home until Wednesday, and it's usually three weeks out of a month. And then I have another month off. So then everybody gets to do a side projects.

I get to take the garbage down my driveway. You love the little things. It's a little things. Everything in my car, all of that stuff. Yeah. I mean, do you see an end point, an end game? Like, you know, it's like, you know, I'll do this for another year. Yeah.

Or five years. Well, what am I going to do, you know? You get bored easily, don't you? I like to sleep, no, but I also, you know, I managed fear, you know, the punk band. So I got into that whole scene after. You don't slow down, man. Well, I did slow down, like 77. I was so bad, I had to stop every, you know, I was bad.

I was never any needles or any, that kind of thing. A lot of coke, a lot of booze. Yeah, but, you know, people don't realize, and there was an innocence. When Coke came in, the people were doing like mandrax, you know, diet pills. And all of a sudden there's this magic powder. Hey, you can take this and you get all energized. And the next morning there's no hangover. There's no come down.

Now the fentanyl, you die. Oh, no, even then, once you get really into it. Right. You get so wired, you're going to start taking downers in there or a drink. And then all of a sudden you don't get high, you get sideways. And that's the danger. If you're too high and you take a downer, your heart. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and you're always looking for that first time where it was fabulous. You can't ever get that.

What was the last time you did Coke? I woke up one morning and my left arm and left leg were almost, were paralyzed and had bruises, although I looked in a mirror at myself. And I probably passed out for, I don't know, so many hours that it stopped the circulation in this part of my body. And I looked at myself and said, I'm done. done. Done. Done with everything. Wow. Two packs a day. Cogaine. Second all.

A glass of gin this high. And it was all gone. You said done. In the morning, just to get up, to feel normal. I would get up and have a big thing of gin. What year was that? Second all, 77. And then within four years, you might the love of your life.

I was in Alice's house by then, and upstairs bedroom, I just had my cousin. I said, just lock me up here. And my dope dealer, cocaine guy, came by, and he came by with an ounce. And he said, here. And I said, I'm done. And he said, oh, well, keep it anyway. So I put it in the bathroom, you know, in. in the shelf.

And he came back a week later with a scale. And he waited and he said, did you cut this stuff? And I said, no. I said, I'm done. I just cut everything. You were like looking at yourself, like, I'm going to die. Yeah.

I'm going to die. No, I just said it doesn't work anymore. Nothing works. My body doesn't work. But all the stuff that I'm putting, my body's so accustomed to it. You can't get normal. Yeah.

So then I started, I got up to running 10 miles a day, too much, Mr. Health. And that was, what, 19, how many years? It's 1980. So that's 45, 46 years. Yeah. And in the meantime, that's when I get into the whole punk scene. I went down and I just saw fear and I went, ah, those guys are good, you know. And I couldn't get them.

They were big amongst the whole punk scene. But the problem was they'd come out and say on stage, if there any record executives out there, fuck you. And you're like, no, no. No, but they're doing it. I've taken them to San Francisco. And they're going, hey, how are you homo's doing? They're like, whoa.

But leaving, he was a college graduate. it. The bass player was a physicist. It was all theater. They were like, you know, wrestlers and people didn't get it. They didn't get it. But I mean, they still, you're going to mess with it. He'd get off stage and everybody in the dressing room, they'd all kind of, you know, he'd say, God love you. How you doing? But it was theater. I don't think people realize that. You understand, but people see someone on stage, not so much stage because they figure, oh, he's an actor,

but when they see heavy metal bands, they see him, it's theatrical. Yeah, and it's theater. People don't, they'll get, you know, the same guy screaming with his face painted and all that stuff is in Hawaii with his kids wearing a Hawaiian shirt when he's off.

Getting ready for a game means being ready for anything, like packing a spare stick. I like to be prepared. That's why I remember, 988, Canada's suicide crisis helpline. It's good to know, just in case. Anyone can call or text for free confidential support from a train responder anytime. 988 suicide crisis helpline is funded by the government in Canada. This is called shit talking with Danny Hutton.

This is rapid fire. So these are from my fans, patreon.com slash inside of you. Taylor R says, who was your favorite singer growing up? Little Richard. Randy S says, if you could listen to me, to one album the rest of your life what would it be oh pet sounds i was going to say pet sounds one an amazing album linda m what are you most grateful for in life uh health is cliche but that's absolutely my wife family you know yeah uh rachel d what is your favorite song to perform live and why

mama's only not to come maybe yeah that that's still love it well it's funky because a lot of the A lot of the hits we had, our albums, you hear our album, there's a lot of kind of really strong, groovy stuff. And we'd say, what's the next,

we'd let the record company pick whatever the song was. And I'd say, oh, your next single was going to be an old-fashioned love song. And I'm like, oh, my shit. Great song.

I mean, yeah, but your whole passion love. We're back. It's very common for bands, to be like, ah, I don't want to play one of her slow ones. I want to jam. I want to rock. I don't want to play.

But you got to give them what they love, right? It's a combination. Yeah. It's a balance. Yeah. I've read a lot of new songs. We tried some of them in the set. And some of you, you know, just a dainty, they're here for memories.

Yeah. That's great having your new songs. Right. They're not here for that. It's true. Yeah. Little Lisa says, who was your childhood hero growing up? My brother.

It sounded like that when you were talking about your brother. Yeah. You still think about him a lot. Yeah. That's got to be the hardest thing. It's like, you know, you just carry him with you, you know. Well, I had dreams. I kept dreaming about him, you know.

Yeah. I wasn't there when he died. So I had to go and see his tombstone. And I stopped having those dreams. You know, oh, he's gone. Right. And how many years ago was that? Well, he was like 32.

He was 10 years older than me. Yeah. He was a health nut and he never, he never smoked, never drank. And he died of cancer, skin cancer, you know, when he was, he was 32. He used a sun lamp, you know, Irish. I had a skin cancer and I'm like, Jesus. Oh, I've had about 12 in them. Yeah.

Usually it's nothing, but you got to always check. He can't let it go. I know. I know. What would you say to Chuck or Corey if they were here now? I would say with Chuck, we had this

usual rock and roll arguments and so we didn't talk for 20 years. We wasn't in a group after 85. So a long, long time. And there was that nasty stuff going on and lawyers got involved and all that crap. And then when I heard that he was really,

really, really sick. And he had, you know, tubes coming up his nose and hepatitis, Parkinson's, I mean, everything. So I, and I, they're doing a documentary on us and that sizzle rail has me saying, uh, would you, would you ever talk to Chuck again? I went, no, never. And then when I heard, I'd I go and see him. Oh.

Yeah. You hugged. It's amazing how you forget about all that stuff when something like that happens. You know, because you were so close and you had so many experiences together. Yeah, no one else could describe it. I mean, the stuff we went through, you know, the good and bad stuff. Yeah. Do you, your mental health, like, do you get anxiety?

Do you get depression? Do you have you dealt with it? Or do you just kind of pick yourself up? Yeah, I suppose I've been depressed. But, no, I've never had any dark cloud. I can, that's all I can sense people that have that dark, they look at life in that kind of way, you know, the half, half, half, all of that kind of stuff. I don't have that.

If I want to do something, quit, I can do that. I've got good control. And that's helped me, I think, a lot of stuff. And I think, I don't know if you come out of the oven that way, but I see the big picture. you know i i see when i see situations i can kind of i'm a survivor i can look and you know i always tell my kids uh oh he's a nice guy and i said well no he has the appearance of being a nice guy uh you so i have a caution but uh but it's not that that thing where i'm going to react because i've i've got that thing i'm i'm open

But I understand. Yeah. What would you say about to someone giving advice in terms of like you've lived a long, fruitful life? You're still going. Like what would you say to somebody who's worrying about the things that aren't that important or worried about this, worried about that? What could you say about just living so many years?

Well, well, the guy's always in the band. I'll always say, oh, it's going to be a killer tonight. And I look at him and say it's going to be not as good, as good, or better than you thought. I read, I got into Spinoza philosophy. I liked Jack Nicholson when they asked him, and I know how much he was dancing on it, but they said, well, what do you feel about religion?

And he said, I just wish I had the gift of faith. I just said that was very cool. I mean, it's probably true, but the way he said, he let the person down gently. No, I'm an atheist. My feeling is either there's nothing or else I'm going to have a hell of a time. I think you're going to have a hell of a time. Well, exactly.

You know, talking to your wife just on the phone before you came over. Oh, she's great. I just, I felt, you know, she had the energy of like a 30-year-old. And I have to believe that that has something to do with you and your energy and you're... Well, I think is what drew me is in a way. Because you were a player. You went out with a lot of women. Well, I went out with a lot of women, some famous and stuff.

But what I did realize is that the beautiful woman, it's the cliche. I don't mean all good-looking women. But in general, a lot of the ones I went with, they've got less and less pretty. The more I was around them. The personality or whatever. And it's not their fault. but a lot of beautiful genetic people are genetically really good-looking they don't realize they're getting a pass on a lot of stuff they think they think they're smart they think

they're they're they're doing it all because of them inside they're probably innocent and sweet but they don't realize no no no darling if you didn't look like that you would not be in And men, too. Yeah, that's what I said genetically. Yeah, genetically. Yeah, yeah. You get a little rise and your height and all of that stuff. What was it about your wife, though, that changed you?

I tell you, and it's real. What I'm going to tell you sounds like I'm making a... Larry Valles is a friend of mine. So I've got the punk band, and we're doing a gig at the skeleton club down in San Diego. So my dad had died and I bought him a cult, a little Dodge Colt. And I thought, it was my airport car that I would just take this banging car. So Larry says, hey, come on, come on and visit me. And I'm just right off the freeway and Encinitas and blah, blah, blah.

So I get off the freeway and he's got a Corvette and he takes off. And all of a sudden we're going through the hills. the road turns into dirt and I'm on the road and I lose them and I'm driving and the car slips off it just slips off the road

this girl comes riding by a bearback with flannel shirt and jeans she said hey can can I help you I said well she said she got off a horse and then she went over with me and we've lifted the car back onto the

road. He said, where do you live? And she said, I live, blah, blah, blah. Do you know Larvali? I live next door to him. Come on. It was fate. So maybe they planned it.

Have you been with her ever since? Ever since. Yeah. 46 years. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm with her. The first night, you know, I wake up in the morning and I look and she's sitting,

she's sitting in the living room. She's got a cigarette in her mouth. and she's got makeup, she's putting makeup on. She's a clown. And I said, what are you doing? She said, well, I've got a gig and go over to the golf course and you can kind of see what I do. So I went over to this fancy golf course and I'm waiting here looking for her. And I'm a helicopter comes down and she jumps out of the helicopter.

And, you know, she can ride a unicycle. Wow. And she was a surfer and all that kind of stuff. She was a lot to handle, wasn't she? Oh, she, you know, your father was a cop, LAPD cop. He knocked down Timmy Lary's door when he lived in San Vicentee. She was adventurous and smart. Yeah.

And now she hits at Hark Children's Hospital. She's there almost every day. She teaches art. And she's riding her elbows, her horse. She rides them every day. That's amazing. Let me ask you, lastly, where, I don't know when this is going to air exactly, but when, where are you touring?

Oh, every. So where do they go? Where do they go on Instagram? Three Dog Night. Go there's at three dognight.com. Listen, this has been awesome. Oh, God. My wife.

I'll just get her. Watch, watch this. Oh, this is. I wait one, too. Oh, that's my mom. Oh, so don't answer it right now. Hello. Tell her you're in the middle of an interview. Hi, darling. Hey, I'm in the middle of an interview. Oh, if we come up with anything. I'm here right now. We're in it. We're in the middle of an interview. You've interrupted. I love you. He'll call you back. Yes, we'll call you back, mom. I know. Well, that is a perfect way to end it, isn't it? That is amazing. I love having you.

Thank you for being here. One plus one equals more of the greatest stories. Hulu on Disney Plus. Stories about our survivors. Watched us. The most dangerous planet. Family. Retribution.

Murder. Prophecy. Beer and propane. Bally Dillard. Blake Pantha. The ultimate soldier. Chicago, all right? The best of the best stories now with even more from Hulu.

Amazing. Have it all with B1 Disney Plus. Danny, I feel like. like you're you're like an uncle now you're in the family uh i really appreciated you coming over and being so open and sweet and charming and i just scratched the surface on your story my friend so i know there's a lot more going on so we might have to revisit someday get deeper um but thank you and uh you know this show would not be possible without my patrons patreon.com slash inside of you if you want to join

And their names get shouted out every episode. They get boxes for me every couple of months with a lot of gifts. And so much more, I just zoomed with a bunch of them. And we had a great time. We zoom for like an hour and a half. It was supposed to be like a half an hour of Zoom. And I just stuck around. I just wanted to talk to everybody.

That's what happens. I'm a people pleaser. We talked about it on the Zoom. But thank you for all the love. Thank you for all the well wishes. Yes, I have to have surgery. But I'll be okay. And I guess that's it.

Why don't we give a... Why don't we say the top tiers? Let's do it. Why don't we? Nancy D. Little Lisa, Uquico, Brian H. Nico P. Rob B. the 4th. Jason W. Raj C. Stacey L. Jemal F. Janelle B. Mike L. Dun, Supremo.

99 more. Santiago M. Kendrick F. Belinda N. Thive Ho. Dave Hol. Brad D. Ray H. Tab of the T. Tom and Talia M. David G. Betsy D. sweet bed c d i hope you're doing well and ryanne and c i just sent you a box reaan and i'm almost positive uh michelle a jeremy c mr melski uh eugene r how's that kid monica t monica i just talk to you i talk to most of these people mel s er er kama r kevin um little lisa loved

the concert and it was because of you you gave it to her and you're awesome and i just want you to know that also jamming j what's up Leanne J. Luna R. Jules M. Just talked to Jules. She was very calm in our Zoom. Jessica B. Frank B. Hello, Jessica. Frank B. Tauterman. Jant. Randy S. Claudia. Randy S. Claudia. Rachel D. Nick W. Stephanie and Evan.

Stefan. Charlene A. Don G. Jevin. Jevin B. Jevin. What just happened to my mouth. That's Jenny B. 76, man. Well, I jumped ahead. I went Jenny B. 76. Jevin. Yeah, you did. NG Tracy, Keith B. Heather and Greg. Grether. Yeah. Ben B. Jammin, Pierre C. Sultan of Swing. Dave Tab. Who else? Brian B. T. Paul.

Gary F. Jackie J. R. Ritzel. Benjamin R. Of course. Other brother Darrell, Ivan G. John A. and Michaela L. I love each and every one of you and can't thank you enough for all you do. So thanks for the support and the love. And from the Hollywood Hills in Hollywood, California. I am Michael Rosenbaum. He is. I'm Ryan Tayas. I'm here.

Yeah, that's right. A little wave to the camera. He's barely here. He's got a hurt finger. I don't know what the hell. There's a lot. I love you guys. Be good to yourself.

I'll see you next week. The Muser's the podcast. So why a podcast? Podcasting's very intimate. That's why I'm shirtless. Your weekly dose of absurdity and fun. The things in life that we put up with simply because we don't get around to fixing them.

And I let be a problem for much. longer than it should be a problem because of the single problem of me. I'm the problem at the center of my life. The Musers, the podcast. Are we podcasting now? Follow and listen on your favorite platform.