Peaked at 15: Out In The Country

Day three of our salute to songs that peaked at #15 brings us a number from Three Dog Night’s “It Ain’t Easy.” This was one of the first albums I received as a member of the Capitol Record Club which was a Christmas present in 1970. My version of the album was actually pressed by Capitol Records under license from ABC/Dunhill – with the old style Dunhill label - not the ABC/Dunhill label. 

The 1970 release had two hit singles, the number one “Mama Told Me Not to Come” and its follow-up, “Out in the Country,” which peaked . . . wait for it . . . at #15. “Out in the Country” did somewhat better on the Adult Contemporary chart showing up just shy of the Top 10 at #11.

Composed collaboratively by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols, “Out in the Country’s” charm is in the instrumentation: the double tracked guitars of Mike Allsup and the organ of Jimmy Greenspoon. All three lead singers of the band (Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton) sing the melody in unison. Nice clean stuff.