Scotch and Soda

Song Specific Liner Notes
ALBUM	NOTES
THE CAPITOL COLLECTORS SERIES:	"Scotch And Soda" is actually from the group's first LP, "The Kingston Trio," though for some reason it was not released as a single until four years after the album came out, on April 9, 1962. The song has a history all its own: In 1954 Bob Shane and Dave Guard went to Fresno for Easter to Visit Dave's girlfriend, Katie Seaver. Katie turned out not to be at home, but her parents and 11-year-old brother entertained the boys. Mrs. Seaver played piano while her husband sang a song from their honeymoon in 1934. Four years later, Dave revised the tune for the Trio, and Bob sang it. It was subsequently covered by The Manhattan Transfer on their 1976 album, Coming Out. (And Katie's little brother grew up to be baseball great Tom Seaver.)
THE CAPITOL YEARS set:	12: Scotch And Soda (Dave Guard) 2:15 Master #18389A added to the Capitol archives December 14, 1958 Previously unreleased Now considered the ultimate saloon song, "Scotch And Soda" was already an oldie when Dave and Bob first heard it In 1953. They were on a pre-Trio double date and Dave's dates parents {whose most famous offspring became baseball great Tom Seaver) played them a memorable song they'd heard at a hotel piano lounge on their honeymoon. When the time came to record the Trio's first album, Dave worked up an arrangement for Bob's solo. After nearly five years of pleas from DJs, Capitol released "Scotch and Soda" as a single In 1962. The version Included here is the earliest known live recording of the song, another previously unreleased selection from the STEREO CONCERT tapes. Today "Scotch And Soda" is still Bob's favorite Trio tune and the identity of the original composer still remains a mystery.
The Kingston Trio: Their Greatest Hits and Finest Performances	Scotch and Soda (Guard) Rarely did a Trio member have a whole solo, but this memorable ballad spotlights Bob Shane's grainy voice. "Scotch and Soda," written by Trio member Dave Guard, came from their first LP, The Kingston Trio (1958), but Capitol waited four years to release it as a single. Although it climbed no higher than No. 81, the song has always been a big favorite of Trio fans, including The Manhattan Transfer, who sang it on their 1976 LP Coming Out. © 1994 The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. © 1994 The Reader's Digest Association (Canada) Ltd. © 1994 Reader's Digest Association Far East Ltd. Philippine Copyright 1994 Reader's Digest Association Far East Ltd. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
Other Notes of Interest
Posted to the Kingston Crossroads board by Bob Shane on 3/18/2007, 12:17 pm, in reply to "A Scotch and Soda story...."	OK One more time. Dave and I got the song in 1955 from Tom Seaver's parents when he was 9 . They had heard it on their honeymoon in 1932 in Phoenix played by a back room piano player. They had him write it out for them as they referred to it as "Their song". He did not sign it. It was on our first album that sold several million records in 1958. Dave, unknown to us, put his name on it and several other tunes and when finally approached about it, agreed to split it evenly with us which he did not do. In my estimation, this is part of which, I think, brought him bad karma. I have told this true story for many years and have been misquoted so many times it's silly. Bob Shane
From a 1983 radio interview transcribed by Tony Lay and preserved on the LINER NOTES bookshelf:	BOB SHANE: "When Tom Seaver was about nine, his parents gave us 'Scotch and Soda' in Fresno, California. Dave Guard was going out with his older sister, Katie, at the time at Stanford. We stopped off at their house driving down from Stanford to L. A. around Thanksgiving and we stopped off at their place for dinner. After dinner, they brought this piece of music out that they had heard in 1932 in Phoenix, Arizona, on their honeymoon, that a backroom piano player had been playing. They liked the song so much that they had him write it out for them but he never signed it. They had this old sheet and they took it out and sang the song for us and we said we would like that song. "Originally, Dave Guard was going to sing it but he couldn't get the right feeling into it, so I ended up singing it. The song is anonymous and at a later date, Dave went and put his name on it to collect the writer's royalties on it which, I think, we gave some to the Seaver's."
Memories of Past Concerts Posted to the Kingston Trio Place Forum by Tony Lay on 5/9/2000, 2:12 pm:	. . . Nick has just introduced Bob. He and John leave the stage. Bob, preparing to sing "Scotch and Soda", ask, "Could I have a sexy spot light, please?" One spot light goes off, leaving one on him but shining less brightly. "Could I have it a little sexier, please?" Both spotlights go off, leaving just the overhead lights. "Could I have it just a little sexier?" Suddenly, all the lights go out. Of course, the audience cheers and hoots. Then Bob says, "Uh, not quite that sexy, please." With that, one spot comes on, hitting Bob perfectly on his crotch. On some shows, prior to singing "Scotch and Soda", he would include in his introduction, "As they say in the Virgin Islands, 'Well, I never!'" . . .

Covers by other artists
Artist's Name	ALBUM	CATALOG NO.
John Boutte & Glenn Patscha	"Scotch and Soda" (1999)	N/A
The Brothers Four	"Greenfields and Other Gold" (1996)	N/A
Teresa Bright	“Quiet Nights” (1998)	N/A
Amanda Carr	"Carr-Toons" (2000)	N/A
Steve Carter	"Act One" (1997)	N/A
Cynthia Crane/Mike Renzi	“Smoky Bar Songs For The No-Smoking Section” (1999)	N/A
Travis Edmonson	"The Tucson Tapes Second Set" (2001)	N/A
Lannie Garrett	"Just for a Thrill" (1996)	N/A
Dave Guard	"All Along the Merrimac" (1986)	N/A
	"Up and In"	N/A
Donna Griffin	"Old Gold" (2001)	N/A
Gene Harris	"Little Piece of Heaven" (1993)	N/A
Heartbeats	". . . and Other Texas Girls" (1998)	N/A
Moe Keale	"South Sea Island Magic" (2000)	N/A
Manhattan Transfer	"Coming Out" (1976)	N/A
Lee Prince	"Pencil Logic" (2001)	N/A
Lou Rawls	"Anthology" (2000)	N/A
Johnnie Ray	"Yes Tonight Josephine" (1999)	UK release
Royaltones	"Flamingo Express " (1999)	N/A
The Shaw Brothers	"Something Special" (2000)	N/A
Suede	"Barely Blue" (1992)	N/A
Henry Thome	Phoenix Panorama” (1995)	N/A
Hank Thompson	"Seven Decades" (2000)	N/A
Jennifer Trainor	"Call Me" (1999)	N/A
Velaires	"Screamers To Flairs To Velaires" (1997)	N/A

Bob Shane (vocal (SOLO), guitar), Buzz Wheeler (bass) 10-6-00:


Bob Shane (vocal (SOLO), guitar), Buck Wheat (bass):

Bob Shane (vocal (SOLO), guitar), Dean Riley (bass):

Bob Shane (vocal (SOLO), guitar), Stan Kaess (bass):

Bob Shane (vocal (SOLO), guitar), Cary Black (bass)):

Bob Shane (vocal (SOLO), guitar), Paul Gabrielson (bass):

Bob Shane (vocal (SOLO), guitar), Ben Schubert (bass):


Last revised: March 20, 2007.