Welcome everyone, to the#AtoZChallenge Blogging Extravaganza, where hundreds of bloggers publish 26 posts in 30 days, one for each letter of the alphabet, covering a myriad of topics!“Musical Memories” is my theme. Click HEREto see all posts and HEREto view the A to Z Blog. Please support our efforts by visiting, sharing and commenting. We have all worked long and hard on this project. Have fun and thanks for reading! ♥
ONE | #AtoZChallenge 2017 (O) Day 15 #MusicalMemories #dogladysden Share on X
The times: June 1969 / November 1971
The places: Soest, Germany / Toronto, Canada
My first exposure to the song ‘One’, was a performance on German TV by the band Three Dog Night. We were packing up to move back to Canada (see ‘B’ post), after living here since 1965. I was drawn to the sad lyrics and plaintive arrangement, having experienced many ‘parties of one’ in my life. It comes with the territory when you’re an only child. I bought the album as well and became a huge fan.
One of my earliest dates with hubby and first actual rock concert was a November 1971 Three Dog Night show in Toronto. The feeling of musical euphoria lasted for days and I was completely hooked. As the saying goes: ‘Who needs drugs when there’s music?” Works for me! So does ‘Rock ‘Til You Drop’.
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We didn’t get the chance to go to that many concerts in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, so now we’re making up for lost time. Click HERE to view this old Hippie/Rockchick’s concert list (not complete – most of the earlier ones are missing).
Do you like going to concerts? If not, what’s your favourite recreational activity?
Looking forward to your comments!
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
34 thoughts on “ONE | #AtoZCHALLENGE (O) #MusicalMemories”
Hmnn…Not much lyrics in the song, but it’s catchy. I remember back in college a song that I heard my co-DJ play on the air. It’s called ONE, too. His show’s theme was alternative rock so he had songs that I didn’t know about back then. It was a really sad song. Maybe I’ll go look for it and share to you after I find it.
Ode Things
This song is a definite hit with me! Really like lots of Three Dog Night songs. I went to a fair number of concerts in my early 20’s. Back then, it was nearly as expensive as now. All I’ve been to see since then is Charlie Daniels, complete with a buffalo and Michael Grim at an event to honor the family whose company I worked for. I’d just rather listen to music where I can dance if I want. Like by a fire with friends or family.
I am also an only child, so “One” spoke to me. I am a Three Dog Night fan and bought (as a record) their greatest hits album somewhere around 1976. I am not, however, an indoor concert goer as (like my autistic brother inlaw) I have some sensory issues.
‘One’ should be the anthem for all of us only children. 🙂 Rarely did I ever feel lonely, though. Some people come to concerts with ear plugs.
Like I said in the other post, concerts are too crowded for me to enjoy. I prefer to listen to music on my own, preferably with ear phones plugged into my ears. It’s even better when I’m alone at home, ‘coz then I can sing along at top volume without disturbing anyone!
Happy AtoZing!
Singing along to the music is a great mood lifter! 🙂
I love concerts! The energy of the performance, meshing with the energy of the fans’ adulation is magic. I remember one such concert of Phil Collins I watched where the first few songs were entirely sung by the audience! I found myself crying with emotion! Hugs, Debbie! I like “one”
Concerts are definitely magical, Vidya! 😀 They make you feel so alive, don’t they? I’m always wired when we get home and can’t sleep.
I was only 7 but already had a bad memory so I won’t go there but I do love that song. My brother was the big concert goer and saw the Who 2 weeks after the horrible situation in Cincinnati. He said he was so scared from how he was being pushed up close to the stage that he left early but he saw them more than once. I wanted to see ABBA for the Voules Vous tour but my mom said no because there might be drugs there. I just looked at her blankly and said,”Mom, …..it’s ABBA!” I still was not allowed to go.
I remember that incident in Cincinnati. I don’t think they should have general admission to these types of events. Understandable that your brother would be nervous. We saw The Who twice and loved them! Too bad your mother wouldn’t let you see Abba. Drugs are pretty much at every concert, but that doesn’t mean you have to take them. Likely not as much of an issue with Abba; they had that ‘clean cut’ reputation.
There was a time when the kids were little Ft Wayne had a great alt-rock scene. The kids both have memories for life, as do I. Sadly, the flower has withered and most of what we have now are cover bands. Virtually nothing of those days are available online now- with the lone exception of Onionhead’s Supersonic Rock And Roll Star on Spotify. Kind of a tongue-in-cheek version of Bad Company’s Shooting Star, we were there the day that he played this song and, in the middle of the last verse, he got a big smile on his face and laid his guitar down and snuck away-as the music, which he had been lip synching for no one knows how long, finished up. It was the greatest!
Lip synching is a good thing? I’m not familiar with Onionhead. Will have to check that out. Thanks!
DEBBIE ~
>>… “Do you like going to concerts? If not, what’s your favourite recreational activity?”
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Not anymore. But I went to countless of them back in “the day”. The first one was Styx opening for Journey at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, circa 1975.
Favorite recreational activity? Well, like Mick Shrimpton said in ‘Spinal Tap’: “As long as there’s, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll.”
Here’s my tribute to Three Dog Night:
http://stmccpresentsbattleofthebands.blogspot.com/2016/10/one-or-three-minus-two.html
~ D-FensDogG
Check out my new blog @
(Link:] Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews…
Hi Stephen; I’ve heard a few people say they have given up going to concerts as they get older. Why is that, I wonder? The ones we attend are filled with people like us; of a ‘certain age’ and many with grey hair. 🙂 The old rock stars still rock (except Meatloaf; that was a disaster) and a good time is had by all. The pot smoke sometimes gets pretty thick and you can almost get a contact high just from the smell. (That’s the extent of my ‘drug use’.) Sounds like you don’t like the song, ‘One’ all that much. We’re not big on handguns up here in Canada, but I do like John Goodman.
Hi Debbie – let me hope the comment takes this time … I’ve gone to few concerts in my life – a few in South Africa … then I played in way too many squash matches – and now films and anything else that’s interesting around – museums et al … cheers Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/o-is-for-orkney-islands-adapted-breeds.html
Your previous comment is there. 🙂 Squash matches must keep you in good shape.
Hi Debbie – I was never into concerts – went to a few in South Africa … but here no. I enjoy films, used to play a lot of fairly serious squash … now I’ll do whatever is around to learn something about … cheers Hilary
http://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/o-is-for-orkney-islands-adapted-breeds.html
Films are good too. 🙂 You lived in South Africa? That’s interesting, Hilary. Thanks for your comment.
I love that song and used to relate to the sadness of it, too. I always felt like a loner being a military kid and a shy introvert. I remember listening to the New Seekers singing it, I think was the group. Just tried Googling New Seekers singing it with no luck. I did enjoy their music.
I like this version a lot, too. I Googled to hear the original of it by the guy who wrote it. 3 Dog Night do a much better rendition. You’ll have to use this song for Battle of the Bands.
That’s fun that you can now go to more concerts. I know how much you love them.
I’m not that big on concerts though I do tag along with Brian to jazz concerts on occasion. He has really opened my ears to jazz and I like it much more than I did before I knew him. I used to have very bland musical tastes when I was a teen preferring soft rock like Carpenters, Bread and Air Supply over harder rock. I also liked classical and showtunes. I even liked stuff my parents liked. How dull! hahaha! Being a musician really makes you like a lot of different kinds of music that others might find strange. To each his own, right?
Apparently, The New Seekers included it on their 1971 album, Beautiful People. Funny you should mention BOTB, Cathy. ‘One’ has been in my drafts since last year. 🙂 I like some Jazz and Classical, too and was a big fan of Bread. When hubby and I first got together we briefly adopted “Baby I’m a Want you’ as ‘our song’. Everyone has unique tastes in music and everything else. The Carpenters had some good songs. Love this one:
I loved Three Dog Night and this was one of my favorite songs. Thanks for making my day again!
Thanks for your support of my theme, Susanne. Sorry to be so far behind with responses. I forgot to bookmark your link and you haven’t been adding it to your comments, so that makes it more difficult to reciprocate. Will seek you out, once more.
Oh, if we’re talking about earliest date song memories. I’d have to go with Hey there Delilah. Great post Debbie.
That’s a good one. Thanks! 🙂
I used to attend lots of concerts going back to my college days and later in life was a season ticket holder for the Detroit Symphony. Now I listen to CDs at home. I am familiar with the song One, but again had no idea who sang it.
As a youngster, I went to the ballet and the opera many times. Loved the pageantry of it all! The Symphony must have been equally exciting.
I am not much of a concert person. Maine was too far from the big cities without transportation to get there! I have seen Freddie and the Dreamers; Peter, Paul and Mary; and James Taylor, though.
Donna Smith
Mainely Write
That’s the great thing about living in the Toronto area. This is a real ‘music mecca’. Everybody wants to perform here. We’re spoiled. 🙂 Love James Taylor! Thanks for dropping in, Donna.
Haven’t heard this number but it has a catchy beat. I like concerts but choosy what I attend as tickets are very expensive.
So true about ticket prices. They are getting ridiculous! 😮 I put artists I like in two categories. Those I’d be willing to pay to see and those I’m content listening to at home.
I love the description found in Wikipedia “The song is known for its opening line “One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do”. (Harry) Nilsson wrote the song after calling someone and getting a busy signal. He stayed on the line listening to the “beep, beep, beep, beep…” tone, writing the song. The busy signal became the opening notes of the song.”
I’ve always found the song to be hauntingly beautiful. Great share!
That is pretty funny, Mary and doesn’t give the song the weight it deserves. 🙂 Three Dog Night’s cover is much better than Nilsson’s original, IMO. I’m glad you like the post.
Never heard this one before. I enjoy concerts but prefer the classical music ones
Whatever the genre, a live performance is always exciting. 🙂