Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Before Easy to Be Hard became a hit for Three Dog Night and a standard covered by artists like Shirley Bassey and Cher, it began as a deeply personal composition for HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical.
This extraordinary original acetate captures composer Galt MacDermot performing an early rendition of the song with only piano accompaniment and his own voice. Stripped of later arrangements, the recording reveals the emotional core of one of Broadway’s most enduring songs, showcasing the vulnerability, urgency, and melodic power that would make it a modern classic.
Preserved within MacDermot’s personal archive of working materials documenting the creation and evolution of HAIR, this recording is a rare and significant artifact from the development of the groundbreaking musical that forever changed Broadway.
🎵 Featured Song: Easy to Be Hard
🎭 From: HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
✍️ Composer: Galt MacDermot
entertainment.ha.com/itm/music-memorabilia/recordings/hair-the-american-tribal-love-rock-musical-1967-1968-galt-macdermot-s-personal-copy-of-his-performance-of-easy-to-be/a/7332-90104.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515
#HairMusical #EasyToBeHard #GaltMacDermot #BroadwayHistory #ThreeDogNight #MusicalTheatre #RareRecording #Acetate #MusicHistory #HeritageAuctions
Brought to you by HA.com
To learn more, visit HA.com/7332
Stay Connected to Heritage Auctions:
facebook.com/HeritageAuctions
twitter.com/HeritageAuction
Before Easy to Be Hard became a hit for Three Dog Night and a standard covered by artists like Shirley Bassey and Cher, it began as a deeply personal composition for HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical.
This extraordinary original acetate captures composer Galt MacDermot performing an early rendition of the song with only piano accompaniment and his own voice. Stripped of later arrangements, the recording reveals the emotional core of one of Broadway’s most enduring songs, showcasing the vulnerability, urgency, and melodic power that would make it a modern classic.
Preserved within MacDermot’s personal archive of working materials documenting the creation and evolution of HAIR, this recording is a rare and significant artifact from the development of the groundbreaking musical that forever changed Broadway.
🎵 Featured Song: Easy to Be Hard
🎭 From: HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
✍️ Composer: Galt MacDermot
entertainment.ha.com/itm/music-memorabilia/recordings/hair-the-american-tribal-love-rock-musical-1967-1968-galt-macdermot-s-personal-copy-of-his-performance-of-easy-to-be/a/7332-90104.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515
#HairMusical #EasyToBeHard #GaltMacDermot #BroadwayHistory #ThreeDogNight #MusicalTheatre #RareRecording #Acetate #MusicHistory #HeritageAuctions
Brought to you by HA.com
To learn more, visit HA.com/7332
Stay Connected to Heritage Auctions:
facebook.com/HeritageAuctions
twitter.com/HeritageAuction
