"Eli's Comin" is a song written and recorded in 1967 by American singer-songwriter and pianist

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter and singer. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968) and ''Ne ...

. The song was first released in 1968 on Nyro's album, '' Eli and the Thirteenth Confession''. While attending Joseph Wade Junior High School in the Bronx, Nyro performed an early version of the song in music class to prove to the teacher that

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

"wasn't junk".

Other versions

*The song was recorded by

Three Dog Night Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sn ...

in 1969 for their album ''

Suitable for Framing ''Suitable for Framing'' is the second studio album by American rock band Three Dog Night. The album was released on the Dunhill record label on June 11, 1969 and was the first of two albums released by the band that year. The album contains th ...

''; a live version also appears on '' Captured Live at the Forum'', released that same year. As a single, the studio version reached No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 4 on Canada's RPM Magazine charts. A 45rpm mono mix of the song features a piano outro. *

Don Ellis Donald Johnson Ellis (July 25, 1934 – December 17, 1978) was an American jazz trumpeter, drummer, composer, and bandleader. He is best known for his extensive musical experimentation, particularly in the area of time signatures. Later in his ...

released a version in 1969 on his album '' The New Don Ellis Band Goes Underground''. *

The Friends of Distinction The Friends of Distinction were an American vocal group founded by Harry Elston and Floyd Butler, best known for their 1969 RIAA-certified Gold hits "Grazing in the Grass" and "Going in Circles" and the 1970 hit " Love or Let Me Be Lonely", with ...

covered the song in 1969 on their album ''

Grazin' ''Grazin is the debut studio album by music group The Friends of Distinction, released in 1969 on RCA Victor. Commercial performance The album peaked at No. 10 on the R&B albums chart. It also reached No. 35 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album ...

''. * Honey Ltd. released a single of "Eli's Comin'" in 1969 on LHI Records. *

Maynard Ferguson Walter Maynard Ferguson CM (May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader. He came to prominence in Stan Kenton's orchestra before forming his own big band in 1957. He was noted for his bands, which often served ...

's version appears on his 1970 album '' M.F. Horn''. *

Affinity Affinity may refer to: Commerce, finance and law * Affinity (law), kinship by marriage * Affinity analysis, a market research and business management technique * Affinity Credit Union, a Saskatchewan-based credit union * Affinity Equity Pa ...

released a single of the song in 1970; it was also included on later pressings of their self-titled album. *

The 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American vocal group. Their music encompasses sunshine pop, pop soul, and psychedelic soul. They were an important crossover music act of the 1960s and 1970s, although both praised and derided for their particular music ...

included a version on their 1971 album ''Live!!'' *Singers Three performs the song on their 1971 album '' Foliole #2 The Sound Of Singers 3''. *

The Nylons The Nylons were an a cappella group founded in 1978 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, best known for their covers of pop songs such as The Turtles' " Happy Together", Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye", and The Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight ...

included the song on their 1991 album ''4 On The Floor - Live In Concert''. *

Lisa Germano Lisa Ruth Germano (born June 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album '' Geek the Girl'' (1994) was named one of the best albums of the 1990s by ''Spin'' magazine. She began her career as a viol ...

covered the song for the 1997 various artists

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century a ...

'' Time and Love: The Music of Laura Nyro''.

In popular culture

*"Eli's Comin'" was featured in a first season episode of the TV series ''

Sports Night ''Sports Night'' is an American comedy drama television series about a fictional sports news show also called ''Sports Night''. It focuses on the friendships, pitfalls and ethical issues the creative talent of the program face while trying to pr ...

'' called "Eli's Coming". *The song is referenced on

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

and

Brandi Carlile Brandi Marie Carlile (born June 1, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and producer. Her music spans different genres, including folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock. Throughout her career, she has received eleven Gramm ...

's song "The Rose of Laura Nyro" on their 2025 album Who Believes in Angels?.

References

{{authority control 1967 songs 1968 singles Songs written by Laura Nyro Laura Nyro songs Three Dog Night songs CBS Records singles Columbia Records singles Dunhill Records singles