c. June, 1969 (exact date unknown)

Detroit Free Press

John Stewart Is Happy Without Kingston Trio

By MIKE GROMLEY
Free Press Staff Writer

Whether he likes it or not, John Stewart is , if he's remembered at all, as one of the Kingston Trio. But, he doesn't like it.

"It was the biggest mistake of my life," he said

Now, when you think of it, a person who joins a group that has made a few million dollars, sold many millions of records, started an entire music trend -- and become a household name around the world -- well, that person has stepped into something good. But that's not necessarily so with a creative person.

John Stewart is a creative person and as a result doesn't consider the Kingston Trio experience a good one. "You see, it was Nick, Bob and Dave's group. They started the whole thing and it was their creation. Coming in after they had reached that success made me nothing more than a sideman." (To the lay person, a sideman is a musician who accompanies the "star" on stage.) John continued to explain his difficulties with the trio.

"I couldn't do what I wanted to do. All their music pretty well had to pertain to what they were known for."

"There's another aspect of working with the Trio I didn't like. As in all big groups there is a great deal of hassle going on around the group. You know, managers, public relations people, promoters record company people and the whole thing. With that going on a songwriter and performer can get a very big head when it all happens so fast." That all cramps the creativity.

BUT NOW John Stewart is on his own. "California Bloodlines," his first Capitol Album is selling well. It's already being called one of the best albums of the year. One record producer is getting a group together to play "California Bloodlines" type material. There is a reason for this.

"I recorded the songs I like the best. I don't go into the studio to get just anything down on wax. 'California Bloodlines' is a collection of songs I really enjoy and consider worthy of recording."

John feels his recording facilities have a great deal to do with the actual feeling on the album. "We recorded in Nashville, you know. The whole thing on the album is a result of the musicians in that city. Nashville musicians are so eager to do what you want to do. Of course the feeling of the city goes into the studio. I've always felt hate and tightness in Detroit and Chicago and it can be heard in the records out of those cities. The West Coast and New York are very aggressive. Listen to Blood, Sweat and Tears, out of New York. Even Simon and Garfunkel are aggressive. Nashville is calm and cool."

"You go into record there and within half an hour of meeting these strangers, you are friends and the recording is going well. They listen to your music and work with you.."

John now lives in Marshall, California, several miles outside San Francisco. "It's a town of about 50 with a general store and a gas station. Things are spread out so much there and it's one of the few places left in America where there is a really lot of room." As a result of that room Marshall hasn't become Laurel Canyon or New Mexico. "A few freak-types live out there but the area isn't concentrated enough to make it one big community. Your neighbor can be a few miles away."

Nashville is a nice place to record. Marshall is a nice place to live and John writes nice tunes. Whether he likes it or not, John Stewart will be remembered for a while as an ex-member of the Kingston Trio. But all the other nice things will soon take over.

-- THANK YOU to Tom Lamb for sharing a photo copy
of the foregoing article for our reading enjoyment.

Last revised: February 23, 2006.