Teen Screen magazine The Kingston Trio Sound Off On Dates!	December,1963

What can "make" of "break" that big date? We have advice from three young men whose words -- as well as songs -- are worth hearing.

The Kingston Trio insist they are not authorities on dating do's and don'ts. Bus as recording stars who have performed on virtually every major college campus in the nation, they have had plenty of opportunity for observation.

For the formal date -- the prom, for example -- the matter of how to dress can be a trial. But as the Kingstons' Nick Reynolds puts it, "Proms should be fun, but they don't have to be a financial blow to the family pocketbook."

On the date the Kingston Trio recommends certain amenities that can keep a young couple from turning a beautiful evening into a sad one. "For example," says Bob Shane, "don't take another fellow's girl home from a dance. Switching partners is bad form for either sex."

Nick continues, "Be as tasteful as possible, without being ostentatious, Don't put your parents into hock to buy an outfit you'll only wear once." Boys need not go to the expense of buying a tux, adds Nick, who confesses that he usually wore a rented jacket to formal functions in high school and college.

Nick's wife Joan, gives this hint to the gals. "The more simple your gown, the better. And choose one you can wear again." For the boys she has this bit of advice, "If you're going to buy your date a corsage, don't feel you have to get an orchid or some other expensive flower. It's the thought that counts and any girl worth dating will realize this.

Concerning drinking on a date, the Kingston Trio -- to a man -- say it's ridiculous to do it excessively in the mistaken notion that this is adult behavior. John Stewart puts it this way: "Drink only what you would at home -- if at all. By going to excess you merely spoil what could be a beautiful and sentimental occasion."

The Kingston Trio is unanimous in their final Advice for the big date: "Relax." The ability to relax and be yourself is the key to fun in any situation.

A date should be a blended of common interests, much like a Kingston Trio recording session. If you follow the Kingston Trio's advice you'll probably accomplish the same harmony in dating as they have in rising to become the nation's foremost sellers in popular music.

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Last revised: February 23, 2006.