It's not too far-fetched to state that folk music owes a lot of it's popularity to the Kingsston Trio. This unique act gave the genre a much wider appeal in the late 1950's, when it was strongly associated with left-wing political singers such as Woodie Guthrie.The Trio ensured that acoustic guitars, banjos, and sweet melodies were just as popular as the rugged rock 'n' roll of that era. The band were formed in 1957, in Palo Alto, California by school pals Dave Guard, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds. Their debut album, released in 1957, was an instant success, featuring such classics as Scotch and Soda and the nr. 1 hit Tom Dooley, the latter selling no less that three million copies. Of their first six albums, five managed to get to the top of the charts, and their first seventeen records all went top 20. Their success was consolidated with two grammy awards in 1959. In 1961, Guard formed the Whiskeyhill Singers (he later died of cancer in 1991), and a replacement Kingston Trio member was found in John Stewart. The group extended their repertoire to accomodate a few more contemporary R&B and protest songs, like their 1962 release Where Have All the Flowers Gone. The Trio temporarily disbanded when Reynolds and Stewart left in 1967. Shane got the ball rolling again in 1972 with George Grove and Roger Gambill. Gambill died in the late 1980s signaling the return of Reynolds. The Kingston Trio continued to be popular live act in the years to follow, and are still active today.

Discography:

The Kingsston Trio ('58), From The Hungry I ('59), The Kingston Trio At Large ('59), Here We Go Again! ('59), Stereo Concert ('59), Sold Out ('60), String Along ('60), Last Month of The Year ('60), Goin' Places ('61), Make Way ('61), Close-Up ('61), Encores ('61), College Concert ('62), Something Special ('62), The Best of the KIngston Trio ('62), New Frontier ('63), Sunny Side ('63), Time To Think ('63), The Kingston Trio #16 ('63), Sing a Song With the Kingston Trio ('63), Back In Town ('63), The Folk Era ('64), SOmethin' Else ('64), Stay Awhile ('64), The Best Of The Kingston Trio, Vol. 2 ('65), The Best Of The Kingston Trio, Vol. 3 ('66), Children of the Morning ('66), El Bottle of Wine ('87), The Best Of The Kingston Trio ('87), Made In The USA (89), Capitol Collector's Series ('90), Live At Newport ('94), The Capitol Years ('95), The Lost Masters (1969-1972) ('97), The Best of the Decca Years ('98)

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A New Wrinkle in Music CDs . . . The Story

With the exception of the efforts made by Bear Family Records (The Guard Years and The Stewart Years)

The LINER NOTES recap of the album liner notes from this EMI Plus "THE KINGSTON TRIO - THE STORY" (2000) is followed by my review of the companion "Bonus" CD-ROM.

Any Kingston Trio fan who purchases this year 2000 EMI Plus (Europe) compilation for any other reason than the music, is destined for disappointment. Any expectation that "THE STORY" CD-ROM included as part of this package will add to ones knowledge and enjoyment of this CD album.