The Kingston Trio: Their Greatest Hits and Finest Performances

(Readers Digest 093C)

DISC 1: KINGSTON TRIO CLASSICS / Their Greatest Hits: 1. TOM DOOLEY (Traditional: arr. by Warner - Lomax - Lomax) (3:03) 2. THE TIJUANA JAIL (Thompson) (2:50) 3. EL MATADOR (Bowers - Burgess) (2:27) 4. A WORRIED MAN (Guard - Glazer) (2:52) 5. WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE (Seeger) (3:03) 6. M.T.A. (Steiner - Hawes) (3:14) 7. ALLY ALLY OXEN FREE (McKuen - Yates) (2:05) 8. BAD MAN'S BLUNDER (Houston - Hays) (2:36) 9. RASPBERRIES, STRAWBERRIES (Holt) (2:15) 10. GREENBACK DOLLAR (Axton - Ramsey) (2:52) 11. DESERT PETE (Wheeler) (2:47) 12. SCOTCH AND SODA (Guard) (2:33) 13. COO COO-U (Wheat - Loughborough) (2:19) 14. REVEREND MR. BLACK (Wheeler - Peters) (3:01) 15. JANE, JANE, JANE (Wilson) (2:53) 16. SCARLET RIBBONS (FOR HER HAIR) (Danzig - Segal) (2:18) 17. EVERGLADES (Howard) (2:22) 18. ONE MORE TOWN (Stewart) (2:57) 19. THE PATRIOT GAME (Behan) (2:52) 20. SEASONS IN THE SUN (McKuen - Brel) (2:56)

DISC 2: Folk Favorites: 1. THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND (Guthrie) (3:13) 2. WHEREVER WE MAY GO (COMIN' FROM THE MOUNTAINS) (Stewart) (2:25) 3. THE WANDERER (Burgess) (2:37) 4. LONG BLACK VEIL (Wilkin - Dill) (2:28) 5. HANGMAN (Reynolds - Yagoda) (2:53) 6. YOU'RE GONNA MISS ME (FRANKIE AND JOHNNIE) (Seeger - Paley - Cohen -Guard) (2:45) 7. ACROSS THE WIDE MISSOURI (Traditional: arr. by Shirl -Drake) (3:05) 8. GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN (Traditional: arr. by Stewart - Shane - Reynolds) (1:54) 9. RUN THE RIDGES (Stewart) (2:42) 10. HARD TRAVELIN' (Guthrie) (2:32) 11. BLOWIN IN THE WIND (Dylan) (2:48) 12. LEMON TREE (Holt) (2:18) 13. THE WRECK OF THE "JOHN B" (Traditional: arr. by Hays - Sandburg - Hathall) (3:32) 14. GOOBER PEAS (Guard) (2:20) 15. STRANGE DAY (Stewart - Yanok) (3:54) 16. HARD, AIN'T IT HARD (Guthrie) (2:23) 17. REMEMBER THE ALAMO (Bowers) (3:01) 18. THE UNFORTUNATE MISS BAILEY (Gottlieb) (2:19) 19. ROLLIN' STONE (Wilson) (2:38) 20. DOGIE'S LAMENT (WHOOPIE TI TI YO GIT ALONG LITTLE DOGIES) (Traditional: arr. by Shane - Reynolds - Stewart) (2:19) 21. TO MORROW (Gibson) (2:42) 22. THE MERRY MINUET (MERRY LITTLE MINUET) (Harnick) (2:04)

DISC 3: Trio Treasures 1. BILLY GOAT HILL (Day - Arno) (1:48) 2. TAKE HER OUT OF PITY (Shane - Reynoldss - Stewart) (2:36) 3. TRY TO REMEMBER (Jones - Schmidt) (3:10) 4. RUN, MOLLY, RUN (Monroe) (1:51) 5. ALL MY SORROWS (Traditional: arr. by Guard - Shane - Reynolds) (2:48) 6. WITH HER HEAD TUCKED UNDERNEATH HER ARM (Weston - Lee - Weston) (2:52) 7. IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR (Drake) (3:22) 8. LEAVE MY WOMAN ALONE (Charles) (2:20) 9. THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE (MacColl) (2:52) 10. OLEANNA (Traditional: adpt. and arr. by Geller - Seligson) (1:57) LIVE . . . KINGSTON TRIO CONCERT: 11. TIC, TIC, TIC (Deleon - Raye) (2:08) 12. ZOMBIE JAMBOREE (Mauge) (3:16) 13. WIMOWEH (MABUBE) (Traditional: adpt. by Campell - Linda) (2:28) 14. THEY CALL THE WIND MARIA (Lerner - Lowe) (4:40) 15. THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE (Traditional: arr. by Reynolds - Shane - Stewart) (2:39) 16. 500 MILES (West - Bare - Williams) (3:15) 17. GEORGIA STOCKADE (Traditional: arr. by Reynolds - Shane - Stewart) (2:21) 18. LET'S GET TOGETHER (Powers) (2:48) 19. SO HI (Traditional: arr. by Reynolds - Shane - Stewart) (2:11)

In 1958, folk music broke out of the coffeehouse once and for all and became a mainstay of sophisticated nightclubs, campus auditoriums and millions of TV sets and record players. That was the year that the Kingston Trio immortalized an obscure 19th-century mountaineer called Tom Dooley and launched themselves on their own path to stardom.

Three clean-cut young men in matching button-down striped shirts, the Trio made folk music seem like a hip alternative to rock and roll. With their precise yet gentile harmonies. Original members Dave Guard, Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane brightened a repertoire of traditional folk, calypso and satirical tunes. In most cases, the focus was music, not politics -- which is why their recordings sound fresher today than a lot of topical folk music of that era. Their influence was so great that they inspired many other vocal groups, from Peter, Paul and Mary to The Brothers Four to Manhattan Transfer, and their place in pop music history remains secure.

The Kingston Trio's Roots are Hawaii, where both Dave Guard, from Honolulu, and Bob Shane, from Hilo, grew up. They met in 1947 as students at the same junior high school and later discovered a mutual love of the guitar, ukulele and banjo. In 1951, the two young men moved to California to attend college and decided to form a folk act. By their senior year they added a third member, Nick Reynolds, a native of Coronado, California, outside San Diego. Reynolds played guitar and congas, which enabled them to perform calypso as well as folk.

In fact, because calypso made up about half of the Trio's early repertoire, and since Harry Belafonte was having great success with it at the time, the guys decided to call themselves The Kingston Trio after the town of Kingston, the home of calypso and capitol of Jamaica.

By 1957, the group had attracted the interest of Frank Werber, former press agent for the 'Hungry I,' a well-known San Francisco night spot (Mort Sahl, Josh White, and Kaye Ballard had all appeared there) and bohemian refuge for struggling artists. (The name is shorthand for "hungry intellectual.") Werber became the Trio's manager and got them a Memorial Day weekend booking at the Purple Onion, another local club. By sending postcards to friends and acquaintances, they sold out the room and were invited back for the forth of July week. They ended up staying on for seven months.

Capitol Records signed them and released their album, 'The Kingston Trio,' in 1958. Gigs followed at the most prestigious clubs in the country -- Mister Kelly's and the Gate of Horn in Chicago, the Blue Angel and the Village Vanguard in New York. The group became an enormous concert attraction, particularly on college campuses. Hits such as "Tom Dooley," "The Tijuana Jail," "M.T.A." and "A Worried Man" piled up, and their albums frequently went gold. Selling more than 500,000 copies each. In 1961, 'Show Business Illustrated' magazine detailed their lavish success: "The Kingston Trio is big business . . . Trio recordings grossed in excess $25,000,000, accounting for nearly 15 percent of bustling Capitol Records' total business. The Trio's annual earnings exceeded $1,299,999. They received $200,000 to plug Seven-Up on radio and TV commercials. A Kingston Trio line of men's clothing grossed another $500,000 in six months.

More important, though, is the universal chord that they touched among listeners. Youngsters adored them, while adults wholeheartedly supported their popularity. "When teenagers switch over from 45's," reported Look magazine, "their first buy is often a Kingston Trio album, for several good reasons: The Kingstons build their arrangements on fairly simple harmonies, and the three singers strum out a strong, exuberant beat on their guitars and banjos. Many of their songs tell the kind of straightforward, no-phony-stuff stories that today's realistic, somewhat skeptical teenagers can follow."

In 1961, Dave Guard left the group and was replaced by John Stewart, who helped uphold their success for several more years. (Guard died in 1991 at the age of 56 after a long illness.) But with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the escalating war in Vietnam, America's social climate was transformed. Folk music became more accusatory and a vehicle for change, not just entertainment. By 1967, the group had disbanded. John Stewart went solo and still plays the coffeehouse circuit. Nick Reynolds moved to Oregon to raise his family and run a movie theater and antique shop. In 1969, Bob Shane began a new Kingston Trio, which Reynolds eventually joined. Along with singer, guitarist and banjo-player George Grove, they have continued to tour, making The Kingston Trio much more than just a memory.

KINGSTON CLASSICS: THEIR GREATEST HITS

Tom Dooley (Traditional: arranged by Warner-Lomax-Lomax) One afternoon in 1957, the Trio heard this song at a Purple Onion audition. It told of Tom Dula, a Civil War veteran returned home to the Blue Ridge Mountains who was wrongfully hanged for murder in 1868. They recorded it in February 1958 for their debut album, The Kingston Trio, and when several disc jockeys picked up on the song, Capitol Records released it as a single. No one could have foreseen the results: It shot to No. I, gained the group a Grammy for Best Country and Western Vocal Performance and helped keep The Kingston Trio album on the charts into 1961. It also inspired the 1959 film The Legend of Torn Dooley, which starred Michael Landon.

The Tijuana Jail (Thompson) Written by Denny Thompson, "The Tijuana Jail" was the Trio's third-highest-charting single after "Tom Dooley" and "Reverend Mr. Black" (see page 12). Recorded in February 1959, it was released hastily when word came that Harry Belafonte was also cutting a version. When the group performed this tale of gambling and drunken revelry on TV, Mexico and the city of San Diego both censored it. Nevertheless, within a few weeks it zoomed to No. 12 on the charts.

El Matador (Bowers-Burgess) A Mexican bullfighting song, "El Matador" gave the group a moderate hit (No. 32) in the winter of 1960. The pivotal track of the group's fifth gold LP, Sold Out, "El Matador" tells of a matador performing in the ring while he knows his fiery woman is watching him from the stands. The song was written by Jane Bowers and Irving "Lord" Burgess, who also wrote "The Wanderer" (see page 15) and "Islands in the Sun."

A Worried Man (Guard-Glazer) An old chain-gang tune reworked by Dave Guard and Tom Glazer, "A Worried Man" showed that work songs could yield popular hits. It describes a man whose sole worry in life is about his girlfriend Sue's faithfulness while he's away on a business trip. The single reached No. 20 in the fall of 1959. Soon afterward, Sam Cooke picked up on the trend and had a No. 2 hit with "Chain Gang" a year later.

Where Have All the Flowers Gone? (Seeger) Pete Seeger is responsible for this legendary folk ballad, one of the earliest protest anthems of the '60s. A gentle lament for the loss of innocence and the ravages of war, it asks over and over, "When will they ever learn?" "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" has been recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez and many others. Even Marlene Dietrich sang it, to great acclaim. But The Kingston Trio had the biggest chart success with the song, at No. 21 in 1962.

M.T.A. (Steiner-Hawes) This satirical tune had been the campaign theme for Walter O'Brien, a left-wing candidate for mayor of Boston in 1948. Next to "Tom Dooley," it became the Trio's most requested song. It begins with a mock-serious spoken introduction about the need to fight the injustice of a fare increase in the Boston subway. Then the group launches into the tale of Charlie, a man doomed to ride the M.T.A. (Metropolitan Transit Authority) for eternity because he doesn't have the extra nickel demanded by the conductor, who won't let him off the train until he meets the fare. "M.T.A." reached No. 15 on the charts, helping the album from which it came, The Kingston Trio At Large, climb to No. I for 15 weeks and eventually go gold. It also won them another Grammy, this time for Best Folk Performance of 1959.

Ally Ally Oxen Free (McKluen-Yates) Rod McKuen's "Ally Ally Oxen Free" was the last Trio single to make the charts, near the end of 1963. They also included it on their album Time to Think (1964), a collection of tunes some of which had overt suggestions of protest and social consciousness. ("The Patriot Game" was also on that album; see page 14.) However, at a time when Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and other folk artists were taking a harsher view of things, the song drew only moderate attention, reaching No. 61 near the end of 1963. Still, given the current emphasis on the environment, the Trio's call for a greener, safer world for children-using the words of the kids' game "hide and seek" when reaching home base - definitely rings true today.

Bad Man's Blunder (Houston-Hays) This humorous song tells of a scoundrel who shoots a sheriff's deputy, goes home to sleep with the murder weapon under his pillow, is arrested, convicted and sentenced to 99 years ("It could've been life") on the rock pile. Written by the admired folk artists Lee Hays, of The Weavers, and Cisco Houston, "Bad Man's Blunder" was the Trio's eighth chart single, reaching No. 37 in 1960. It was also in their sixth gold album, String Along.

Raspberries, Strawberries (Holt) This tender toast to the girls of Paris is one of two Will Holt "fruit" songs popularized by the Trio, the other being "Lemon Tree." They recorded it in November 1958 In an effort to duplicate the success of "Tom Dooley" - a tough task, indeed. "Raspberries, Strawberries" became the group's second chart single, hitting No. 70, and appeared in an album for the first time in their fourth No. I LP, Sold Out, from 1960.

Greenback Dollar (Axton-Ramsey) "Greenback Dollar" is a true country tune, borrowed by the Trio from its co-writer, Hoyt Axton. This recording gave Axton his first songwriting hit, reaching No. 21 on the singles charts in 1963. It finds the group in an unusually forceful mood, accentuated by some bristling guitar strumming. The word "damn," controversial for the times, was excised from the 45 version of the song in order to get radio airplay. "Greenback Dollar" also was the featured track on the Trio's New Frontier LP of 1962.

Desert Pete (Wheeler) "Desert Pete" was The Kingston Trio's 16th, and second to last, chart single, peaking at No. 33 in 1963. Written by country singer-songwriter Billy Edd Wheeler, who also wrote "Reverend Mr. Black" (see page 12) and "Coward of the County" for Kenny Rogers, it features then little-known Glen Campbell on banjo and backup vocals. "Desert Pete" also helped boost the Trio's 1963 Sunny Side! LP to No. 7-their last appearance in the Top 10 on the album charts.

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.

Coo Coo-U (Wheat-Lough-borough) The Trio loved to sing this Latin-flavored ditty during bus rides around the country, and recorded it for a lark. But they brought in two of the more distinguished Latin musicians of the day for the occasion: on conga Mongo Santarnaria, who scored a No. 10 hit in 1963 with "Watermelon Man": and on timbale Willie Bobo, whose playing and shouts give the tune an authentic touch. "Coo Coo-U" was the sixth Trio single to crack the Top 100 (No. 98, 1959) and was also covered by The Manhattan Transfer in their 1979 Extensions album.

Reverend Mr. Black (Wheeler-Peters) Songwriter Billy Edd Wheeler was championed by many folk performers of the '60s, notably Judy Collins and The Kingston Trio. This tale of a traveling preacher, co-written with Jed Peters, is one of the few Trio records to feature additional voices, supplied here by a chorus. "Reverend Mr. Black" climbed to No. 8 in 1963-the group's second and last Top 10 single ("Tom Dooley," of course, was the first). As with "Desert Pete" above, Glen Campbell backs them on the banjo.

Jane, Jane, Jane ( Wilson) This unusual but engaging tune about the love affair
between a beautiful blind orphan and a blind man was a staple for Stan Wilson, a folksinger popular on the '50s coffeehouse circuit, particularly at the Hungry i, where the Trio heard him sing this song. Issued in 1962 as the flip side of "Scotch and Soda," "Jane, Jane, Jane" made the charts as well (No. 93)-the Trio's only twin-sided hit.

Scarlet Ribbons (for Her Hair) (Danzig-Segal) "Scarlet Ribbons" is such a country-folk evergreen that many believe it to be a traditional song. In fact, it was written in the 1940s by Evelyn Danzig and Jack Segal, and then quickly adopted by Jo Stafford, Dinah Shore and Harry Belafonte. It also provided the Trio with their first single. They introduced their version when they made their national TV debut on the CBS dramatic series Playhouse 90 on May 1, 1958. They sing it with the soothing lullaby quality that the lyric requires, but give it a unique spin by performing it in waltz time. Nevertheless, the group was still so unknown that their record didn't chart; only when they re-recorded it for their No. I At Large album the next year did it become a Trio trademark.

Everglades (Howard) Written by famed country song-writer Harlan Howard ("Pick Me Up on Your Way Down," "Heartaches by the Number"), "Everglades" is the story of a fugitive who stays on the run in the vast Florida swamp for years, unaware that a jury ruled he had acted in self-defense. The Trio give a tongue-in-cheek tribute to The Everly Brothers on this recording: The introduction has the same chords as "Bird Dog," while at the end they sing "running through the trees from the Everlys." "Everglades" was the Trio's ninth chart single (No. 60,1960).

One More Town (Stewart) A country-flavored ballad about the life of a troubadour, "One More Town" was written by John Stewart for the Trio. The rhythmic strumming and light percussion underneath the vocal add the effect of riding on horseback, while a string ensemble lends the song an appropriate sweetness. "One More Town" was another Top 100 single for the Trio, their 13th, in 1962. It can also be found on their Something Special album, which followed The Best of The Kingston Trio in August 1962 and rose as high as No. 7 on the LP charts.

The Patriot Game (Behan) The still-raging conflict in Northern Ireland makes this cautionary Irish song by Dominic Behan as topical today as it was 30 years ago. The Trio borrowed "The Patriot Game" from the Irish folk-singing group The Clan-cy Brothers and released it as a single in February 1964, but it didn't make the charts (it's on the Trio's 1964 Time to Think LP). Six years later the song resurfaced on Judy Collins' Whales and Nightingales album, which also contained her hit version of "Amazing Grace."

Seasons In the Sun (Le Moribond) (McKuen-Brel) This poignant French ballad tells of a dying man's farewell to his best friend, his father and his wife. Originally entitled "Le Moribond," it features English lyrics by Rod McKuen, translated from Jacques Brel's French. Released in April 1964, this recording was the last Kingston Trio single issued by Capitol. It failed to chart, but 10 years later Canadian Terry Jacks turned the song into a No. I smash.

FOLK FAVORITES

This Land Is Your Land (Guthrie) Perhaps the most universally loved patriotic folk song, "This Land Is Your Land" will forever recall the legendary Woody Guthrie. Born in Oklahoma in 1912, he spent his early years as a roving folksinger and later became famous as an advocate of the poor, unions and other progressive causes. "This Land Is Your Land" was made popular by The Weavers in the mid-'50s as a kind of radical alternative to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America." Its rousing sing-along quality made it a natural for The Kingston Trio.

Wherever We May Go (Coming from the Mountains) (Stewart) This spirited tune is a highlight of Close Up, the first Trio album in which John Stewart replaced Dave Guard. Stewart was already experienced in show business, having led a rock band called John Stewart and The Furies. In the late '50s, he formed The Cumberland Three, a folk trio that cut three albums on the Roulette label. When Guard announced his intention to depart, Frank Werber, who managed both groups, persuaded Stewart to switch over to The Kingston Trio. Stewart joined Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane in 1961 and stayed with them until 1967, when he went solo. He subsequently released seven LPs that made the charts, most notably Bombs Away Dream Babies, which hit No. 10 in 1979.

The Wanderer (Burgess) Many folk and blues songs tell of journeying away from home and searching for some sense of identity or a better livelihood on the road. "The Wanderer" was written by "Lord" Burgess, who also wrote "El Matador" (see page 7), as well as tunes for Harry Belafonte. In the song, the singer is homesick, wondering about his "baby's latest beau" and dreaming of when he will have enough money to return to her. The Trio included it on their 1959 No. I album Here We Go Again!

Long Black Veil (Wilkin-Dill) "Long Black Veil," like "Tom Dooley," is about a false accusation of murder. But here the singer is without an alibi, for he was "in the arms of [his] best friend's wife." In the '60s, Joan Baez recorded it several times, and The Band put a folk-rock version of it on their first album, Music from Big Pink, in 1968. The Trio's recording here, from their 1962 LP New Frontier, is pure folk.

Hangman (Reynolds-Yagodka) Nick Reynolds wrote this song with Adam Yagodka in 1960. A lament with a glimmer of hope, "Hangman" is about a man on the verge of execution who finds himself rejected even by his brother and father. But at the last moment he learns that his sweetheart still loves him, for she's the only one who didn't come to see him "hangin' from the gallows pole."

You're Gonna Miss Me (Frankie and Johnny) (Seeger-Paley-Cohen-Guard.) The rousing "You're Gonna Miss Me" is the Trio's fresh take on "Frankie and Johnny," the old tale of a love affair that ends in homicide. With new lyrics by Mike Seeger, Tom Paley, John Cohen and Dave Guard, the song no longer describes a woman's murdering her lover for being unfaithful- now it's Johnny threatening to leave Frankie and turning her down after she begs him to stay that makes her shoot him in the back.

Across the Wide Missouri (Traditional; adapted and arranged by Shirl-Drake) Songwriters Jimmy Shirl and Ervin Drake, two of the four co-writers of Jane Froman's 1952 hit "I Believe," adapted this song from an old folk tune, "The Wide Mizzoura," sung by soldiers and sailors in the 19th century. Another folk favorite, "Shenandoah," is also known as "Across the Wide Missouri" because those words form the last line of each verse. While this arrangement is a bit different musically and lyrically from "Shenandoah," the spirit is the same: a slow, romantic ballad that salutes a rollin' river-and the woman left behind.

Go Tell It on the Mountain (Traditional; arranged by Stewart-Shane-Reynolds) Occasionally, The Kingston Trio incorporated spirituals into their repertoire. "Go Tell It on the Mountain" was ideally suited to their youthful, exuberant harmonies. This gospel tune proclaims the birth of Jesus Christ in his "lowly manger," but somehow transcends its Christmas associations. It's a surefire rouser in churches all year round.

Run the Ridges (Stewart) Pop artists from the '50s with a predominantly young audience generally didn't sell large quantities of LPs, because kids preferred to buy 45s. The Kingston Trio's vast success in the album format is a tribute to their ability to hold the youngsters' attention. "Run the Ridges" is drawn from The Kingston Trio #J6, which hit No. 4 on the LP charts in 1963. Today, in an age when pop stars can take two years or more to produce an album, it seems astonishing that the Trio could prepare three highly successful collections a year.

Hard Travelin' (Guthrie) Woody Guthrie traveled the highways and byways of America after he left Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s. He once wrote of that time, "It got so dark at times [from the blowing dirt] that you couldn't see a meal on your table nor find a dollar in your pocket." The song "Hard Travelin'," about the tough life on the road, was certainly born out of his own personal experience. The Trio included it on their Make Way.'LP (1961).

Blowin' In the Wind (Dylan) This Bob Dylan protest anthem may come closer than any '60s folk song in capturing that era's yearning for peace and personal identity. Scarcely a folksinger of the day failed to perform it, but Feter, Paul and Mary recorded the biggest-selling version, which reached No. 2 in 1963. The Kingston Trio gives it a quiet folk rendition, letting Dylan's piercing lyrics ring through, in this cut from their Sunny Side! LP (1963).

Lemon Tree (Holt) A father's admonition to his son about the deceptive sweetness of love, "Lemon Tree" gave Peter, Paul and Mary their first Top 40 single in 1962. Its writer, Will Holt, discussed The Kingston Trio in Look magazine in 1961: "The Kingston boys sing good folk music and manage to do it in a way that's readily acceptable to teenagers . . . [They] are also comforting to teenagers in another way: Those who buy Kingston records can assure themselves they are listening to a 'better
kind of music' than rock 'n' roll." This "rack is from the Trio's Gain' Places LP (1961).

The Wreck of the "John B" (Traditional; adapted and arranged by Hays-Sandburg-Waihall) Lee Hays of The Weavers adapted this old folk tune from the Bahamas from a version in poet Carl Sandburg's 1927songbook The Amurican Songbag. The Kingston Trio's version, true to its calypso roots, is from their first LP in 1958. Then, eight years later, The Beach Boys changed the title to "Sloop John B," altered the lyrics and walked away with a No. 3 hit. But their debt to the Trio goes far beyond one song: The Beach Boys adopted the group's striped, short-sleeved shirts and wholesome persona as well.

Goober Peas (Traditional; arranged by Guard) Confederate soldiers during the Civil War used to sing this funny song. The phrase "goober peas," originating in the Gullah language spoken by blacks along the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, refers to peanuts- a staple of Southern troops. This recording, featuring a Dave Guard blue-grass banjo solo, is from the Trio's Here We Go Again! LP (1959).

Strange Day (Stewart-Yanok) "Strange Day" is from another Top 10 Trio album (they had 14 in all) titled Something Special (1962), which was unusual for its use of orchestral arrangements and backup choruses. And, indeed, this song is something special-demonstrating beyond a doubt how quirky the group's sense of humor could be. Written by John Stewart and George Yanok, "Strange Day" is basically a spoken narrative about bizarre goings-on in the town of Hoggsville, U.S.A., that shed a whole new light on the typical American Saturday night dance.

Hard, Ain't It Hard (Guthrie) This fiery version of Woody Guthrie's "Hard, Ain't It Hard" is off of the debut LP, The Kingston Trio. In Alan Lormax's seminal book Folk Songs of North America, Guthrie relates that once when he got out of jail, he headed straight for a bar and met a hard-boiled, one-eyed woman who "had had her heart broke as many times as my uncle's wheat field." So he rattled off this tune about how hard it is to love someone who never did love you, and, says Woody, "by the end of the first chorus she was smiling through that one eye of hers."

Remember the Alamo (Bowers) One of the many folk songwriters that The Kingston Trio championed during their heyday was Jane Bowers, a Texan who based most of her work on local folklore. The group first encountered her during a date in Austin and then recorded several of her songs. One was "Remember the Alamo," a tale of .lames Bowie, Davy Crockett and the other 180 men who gave their lives for Texas's freedom,

The Unfortunate Miss Bailey (Gottlieb) This wry fable, modeled after old English folk tunes, was written by Lou Gottlieb, a San Francisco musicologist and comic. The lyrics tell of a captain seducing a young woman. who then hangs herself out of shame. Her ghost comes back to haunt him, because the church parson refuses to bury a woman of dubious morals. In the end, the captain gives the ghost money to bribe the parson into burying the unfortunate Miss Bailey. The Trio adopt English accents for this number off of Here We Go Again!

Rollin' Stone (Wilson) Most of the Trio's songs were ensemble efforts, with all members sharing the spotlight. It's remarkable, in fact, that they experienced few of the ego problems that have plagued other groups. Occasionally, one member would step forward to take a solo. Bob Shane had scored a considerable success with his rendition of "Scotch and Soda," and Stan Wilson's song "A Rollin' Stone" (also from Here We Go Again.') gives him another chance to take

Dogie's Lament (Whoopee Ti Yi Yo, Git Along Little Dogies) (Traditional; arranged by Shane-Reynolds-Stewart) This cowboy chestnut appeared on the Trio's 1962 New Frontier album, which gave the group a chance to show their skills as country troubadours. Its hit single, "Greenback Dollar" (see page 10), did much to help ensure yet another successful LP for Shane, Reynolds and Stewart.

To Morrow (Gibson) Folk-singer-songwriter Bob Gibson won his first major recognition on the Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts TV show in the mid-'50s and then worked the club and college circuit. His enormous catalog of songs became famous throughout folk circles, thanks to his own recordings on the Riverside and Elektra labels. The
tongue- and mind-twisting lyrics of "To Morrow" involve a journey to a town called Morrow "in the state of O-hi-o." And, yes, there is a Morrow, Ohio, northeast of Cincinnati on the Little Miami River.

The Merry Minuet (Merry Little Minuet) (Harnick) "The Merry Minuet" is also known as "Merry Little Minuet," an early satirical song of Broadway lyricist Sheldon Harnick, whose shows with composer Jerry Bock include Fiorello!, She Loves Me and Fiddler on the Roof. This topical rundown of world trouble spots was introduced by Orson Bean in the 1953 revue John Murray Anderson 's Almanac. This "live" performance, off of the From the Hungry i LP (1959), the Trio's first in-concert album, shows them at their hilarious best.

TRIO TREASURES

Billy Goat Hill (Day-Arellano) Out of their commitment to lesser-known folk writers, The Kingston Trio recorded "Billy Goat Hill," by James Day and George Arellano, for their Coin' Places LP. The song tells a story about a man leaving his love behind that could well have come from traditional sources. The question, though, is this: Did he abandon her, or was he called to war?

Take Her out of Pity (Shane-Reynolds-Stewart) John Stewart contributed many original tunes to The Kingston Trio, often working in collaboration with Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds. "Take Her out of Pity" is an appealing example of the camaraderie they shared not only as performers, but also as composers. Their 1961 album Close-Up, the first to feature Stewart after he replaced Dave Guard, yielded this gentle jewel.

Try to Remember (Jones-Schmidt) Occasionally, the Trio looked to the musical theater for appropriate material. When Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt's Off-Broad-way classic, The Fantasticks, opened in 1960, this tender ballad about the yearning for a simpler past immediately found its way into the repertoires of countless singers. This pleasing version is from the #16 album.

Run, Molly, Run (Monroe) "Run, Molly, Run," from Goin' Places, is a welcome souvenir of Dave Guard's final days as a Kingston Trio member, because it has his signature banjo-picking in the background. Guard, who announced in May 1961 that he was leaving the Trio, had wanted them to focus more on serious folk material, but Shane and Reynolds had no desire to tamper with a successful formula. After he departed, he formed Dave Guard and The Whiskeyhill Singers. Unfortunately, they only lasted long enough to record one album, after which Guard headed to Australia to host a weekly TV music show, Dave's Place.

All My Sorrows (Traditional; arranged by Guard-Shane-Reynolds) Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds first came across this song, a variant of the lullaby "All My Trials" (recorded by Odetta and Dick and Dee Dee), in a Los Angeles coffee house. Later they heard Glenn Yarbrough, lead singer of The Limeliters, give it a love-song interpretation, and they kept that approach for their own adaptation. Appropriately, this intimate version (from The Kingston Trio At Large LP) is backed by very quiet guitar and bass. "All My Sorrows" also was recently covered by ex-Fleetwood Mac member Lindsey Buckingham on his 1992 solo LP Out of the Cradle.

With Her Head lucked Underneath Her Arm (Weston-Lee-Weston) This macabre piece of musical wit, by Bert Lee, R.P. and Harris Weston, refers to Anne Boleyn, the most famous of King Henry Vlll's unlucky wives. The King had her beheaded, but soon found that she wasn't through with him-for every night at midnight she walked the tower, her bloody head held underneath her arm. This track is from the Sold Out LP.

It Was a Very Good Year (Drake) In 1961, five years before Frank Sinatra made this autumnal song one of his trademarks, The Kingston Trio committed it to vinyl. Ervin Drake's lyrics portray a man in midlife reflecting upon his past, culminating in the present when his life reminds him of a well-aged fine wine. The Trio captures much of the song's wisdom and serenity in this version from the Coin ' Places LP.

Leave My Woman Alone (Charles) This song represents a departure for The Kingston Trio in that it was written by Ray Charles, renowned for infusing rhythm and blues with gospel feeling. By 1960, though, when the song appeared on the Trio's String Along album, Charles had expanded his repertoire to include jazz, traditional pop and rock 'n' roll. "Leave My Woman Alone" finds the Trio in a gutsy groove, capturing Charles' defiant sentiments with ease.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (MacColl) This gentle ballad of romantic awakening took a while to find an audience. It was written by Scottish folk-singer-musicologist Ewan MacColl for his wife, Peggy Seeger, sister of Pete. The Trio recorded it in 1962 for their New Frontier LP, but the song didn't make much of an impression. Ten years later it turned up on Roberta Flack's debut album First Take. When Clint Eastwood used her recording as the backdrop for a romantic scene in his 1972 film Play Misty for Me, record stores received so many requests that Atlantic Records rushed out a single version. By April of that year, both Flack's single and her First Take LP had captured the No. I spot on their respective charts.

Oleanna (Traditional; adapted and arranged by Geller-Seligson) The Kingston Trio was known, among other things, for resurrecting unusual, somewhat obscure material. "Oleanna" originally was a satirical tune about a 19th-century Norwegian fiddler named Ole Bull who tried to buy land in Pennsylvania for his fellow countrymen to settle on. But he was bilked in the deal, and many immigrants went bust in pursuit of the land of milk and honey they called "Oleanna." Various lyrics were written to the tune, including this playful set (from Here We Go Again!) that retains practically nothing of the original story except the chorus.

LIVE . . . KINGSTON CONCERT

The following nine tracks come from three live albums: the first four from the No. 2 LP From the Hungry i (1959), the next two from the No. 3 LP College Concert (recorded at U. C. L. A. in December 1961) and the last three from the No. 22 LP Back in Town (1964, again recorded at the Hungry i). Together they provide all the excitement of a live set by The Kingston Trio- a group that truly excelled at performing in front of an audience.

Tic Tic Tic (Raye-DeLeon) This lightweight ditty is a rousing opener for the Trio's From the Hungry i performance. It harks back to their early love for calypso and features a dominant bongo rhythm that keeps the pace moving. The song is about a man who loses his watch in a train station and the woman suspected of stealing it.

Zombie Jamboree (Mauge) As related in the Trio's spoken introduction to this song, "Zombie Jamboree" won an extemporaneous composition contest for Lord Invader at Trinidad's Calypso Carnival in 1955. It's an amusing novelty about zombies coming from all over to celebrate at a cemetery on Long Island, near New York City. If nothing else, "Zombie Jamboree" (according to the Trio, it was "the song that killed calypso") certainly displays the group's zany, yet refined sense of humor.

Wimoweh (Mbube) (Traditional; adapted and arranged by Campbell-Linda) This distinctive tune may have earned The Tokens a No. I hit in 1961 under the title "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," but theirs was by no means the first recording. Originally a South African Zulu hunting song, "Wimoweh" was familiar to folk audiences from The Weavers' 1952 hit version. This live recording also is notable for containing an early Los Angeles-bashing joke in the spoken introduction.

They Call the Wind Maria (Lerner-Loewe) The 1951 Broadway show Paint Your Wagon, by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, about the California Gold Rush, featured the enduring "They Call the Wind Maria." As Russ Wilson wrote in the liner notes for the From the Hungry i LP, "The Trio's new dress for this standard includes counter rhythms, shifting keys and varied tempos, which, combined with the vocal solo, build the number into an expression of great feeling."

This Little Light of Mine (Traditional; arranged by Reynolds-Shane-Stewart) A gospel evergreen, "This Little Light of Mine" was adapted by Shane, Reynolds and Stewart as a folk hand-clapper with a decidedly happy feeling. Like most gospel tunes, "This Little Light" is a declaration of faith, urging the listener to understand the importance of sharing the spiritual gifts of love and prayer every day of the week. It and the next song were recorded live at a concert at U. C. L. A. in December 1961.

500 Miles (Bare-West-Williams) This well-known ballad about a man who is painfully far away from home became a folk staple through Peter, Paul and Mary's version on their No. I debut album, Peter, Paul and Mary (1962), and country-singer Bobby Bare's crossover Top 10 hit from 1963. In 1989, "500 Miles" was returned to the charts (No. 97) by The Hooters, a Philadelphia rock quintet, in an entirely new treatment. However, quieter renditions like The Kingston Trio's are closer to the true spirit of the song.
Georgia Stockade (Tradition-al: arranged by Reynolds-Shane-Stewart) This rip-snortin' show-stopper from the Back in Town LP is a traditional bluegrass number also known as "Columbus Stockade." Although the Trio dabbled only occasionally in bluegrass, this recording proves that they could perform it with great vigor.

Let's Get Together (Powers) The Kingston Trio's return visits to the Hungry i were greeted with special pride because San Franciscans had "known them back when." The landmark club began with owner Enrico Banducci charging only a 25-cent cover and every night setting out free sandwiches and bean salad. Financial realities eventually made such generosity impossible, but the welcoming atmosphere of the place is typified by the peace anthem "Let's Get Together." The Trio was performing the song several years before it became a big pop hit for The Youngbloods in 1967 and again in 1969.

So Hi (Traditional; arranged by Reynolds-Shane-Stewart) With its unbridled hootenanny high spirits, "So Hi" brings this collection to a fitting close. An adaptation by Nick Reynolds, Bob Shane and John Stewart of the old spiritual "Heaven Is So High," it's a reminder that The Kingston Trio's contributions to folk were hardly limited to performing. The Trio's penchant for unearthing forgotten or new material, and their clever yet tasteful arrangements also were hallmarks of their success. And as the 61 recordings collected in this set prove, few folk artists have created such a joyous, long-lived body of work.

Digitally Remastered sound. Reader's Digest cassettes and compact discs are compiled from standard (analog) tapes that have been digitally Remastered. (The letters AAD on the back of the compact disc album signify this.) Digital Remastering results in a finished product of greater clarity of sound and expanded dynamics than previously available. (Digitally Remastered tapes can be played on existing home tape decks.)
Photo Credits: Frank Driggs Collection: pp. 9, 21 and 29.

READER'S DIGEST RECORDED MUSIC Album created by Eric S. Bermcin

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Last revised:February 23, 2006.