The band Three Dog Night had an incredible 21 Billboard Top 40 hits–with three of those hitting No. 1–in a short span of time between between 1969 and 1975. One of their oddest hits during that period was a song called ‘The Show Must Go On’ originally written and released by British singer Leo Sayer (of ‘Long Tall Glasses’ fame) that used circus life as an analogy to the troubles of modern world.  The versions are fairly similar, with TDN taking the circus theme to a higher level with a typical “ringmaster” introduction to the song, although Sayer liked to perform his version in clown makeup. They also changed the last line in Sayer’s chorus from “I WON’T let the show go on’ to “I MUST let the show go on.’  Most US rock fans have only heard the TDN version, while fans in the UK are likely to have only heard the Sayer version.

Here’s the chart-topping Three Dog Night version, sung LIVE in 1974. Below, the original Leo Sayer version.  Which do you prefer?

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