The Kingston Trio: A Folk Music Legacy
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The Kingston Trio’s legacy in folk music is undeniable. From their early hits like “Tom Dooley” to modern classics like “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” the Kingston Trio’s influence is still felt today. In this blog post, we explore the history and lasting impact of the Kingston Trio.
The Kingston Trio’s Beginnings
The Kingston Trio was one of the most popular folk groups of the 1950s and 60s. The group was started by Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds in 1957. The trio was known for their close harmonies and traditional folk songs. The group had a string of hits that included “Tom Dooley,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” and “Greenback Dollar.” The Kingston Trio was a major influence on the folk music scene of the 1960s.
The group’s formation
The Kingston Trio was one of the most popular folk groups of the 1950s and 1960s. The group’s rise to fame was rapid and their influence on American music was profound. The Kingston Trio’s story begins in the summer of 1957, when Bob Shane (b. 1934), Dave Guard (1934-1991), and Nick Reynolds (1933-2008) met while working at a summer camp in northern California. The three men bonded over their shared love of folk music and soon began playing together informally.
The group’s early success
The Kingston Trio’s career can be traced back to June 1957, when Bob Shaw, a San Francisco disc jockey, brought Dave Guard and Nick Reynolds together to record some songs for his radio show. The three men clicked immediately, both musically and personally, and they decided to form a group.
They began gigging around the Bay Area, and soon caught the attention of scouts from Capitol Records. The label signed the trio in 1958, and their self-titled debut album was released that same year. The album was a surprise hit, propelled by the success of its lead single, “Tom Dooley.” The song topped the Billboard charts for three weeks and helped the album reach number two on the Billboard 200.
The Kingston Trio’s follow-up album, From the Haunted Hills, was released in 1959 and was another commercial success. The group became one of the most popular musical acts in the country, helped in part by their appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and other TV programs. They also found success with their live concerts, which were often sell-outs.
The Kingston Trio’s Impact on Folk Music
The Kingston Trio was a folk music group of the 1950s and 1960s that helped revive interest in folk music. The group’s style was influenced by both traditional folk music and popular music of the time. The group’s success helped to launch the folk music revival of the 1960s. The Kingston Trio’s influence on folk music is still felt today.
The group’s influence on the genre
The Kingston Trio’s influence on the genre of folk music was both immediate and lasting. When the trio debuted with their self-titled album in 1958, they sparked a renewed interest in American folk music that had been largely overshadowed by rock & roll in the years since World War II. The clean-cut, collegiate look and sound of the Kingston Trio appealed to younger listeners, who flock to their concerts and bought their albums in droves. In the process, the trio helped bring folk music back into the mainstream and paved the way for a new generation of folk artists, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Pete Seeger.
The group’s influence on other artists
The Kingston Trio’s influence on other artists was significant. Bob Dylan, who was already a fan of the group, acknowledged their influence when he said, “The first time I heard the Kingston Trio … I wanted to sound just like that.” By the time Dylan released his first album in 1962, he was being hailed as the “new Woody Guthrie” and the “spokesman of a generation,” but he always credited the Kingston Trio as an important early influence.
The folk music revival of the 1960s would not have been the same without the Kingston Trio. Folk singers like Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, and Odetta were all strongly influenced by the group. The Kingston Trio’s popularity also played a role in bringing traditional folk songs to a wider audience. Many of their recordings, including “Tom Dooley” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” became Top 40 hits and were heard by millions of people who might never have otherwise been exposed to traditional folk music.
The Kingston Trio’s influence can still be felt today. In 2006, Rolling Stone magazine ranked them No. 67 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Their legacy continues to inspire new generations of folk musicians.
The Kingston Trio’s Later Years
The Kingston Trio was one of the most popular folk music groups of the 1950s and 1960s. They were known for their close harmonies and witty lyrics. The group continued to tour and record together until 1967, when Dave Guard left the group. Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds continued to tour and record as a duo until Reynolds’ retirement in 2016.
The group’s changing sound
In the early 1960s, The Kingston Trio’s sound began to change. The group’s trademark three-part harmony began to be augmented with occasional fourth part harmony and droning electric guitars. The addition of drums on some tracks further widened the group’s sound. Some critics derisively called this style of music “folk-rock”, but the Kingston Trio refused this label.
The group’s later success
The group’s later success was marked by a series of lineup changes. In 1963, Dave Guard left the group to pursue a solo career and was replaced by John Stewart, who would stay with the band until 1967. The new lineup recorded several successful albums, including Here We Go Again!, which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the hit single “Reverend Mr. Black”. Despite this success, theTrio’s popularity began to wane in the late 1960s. They failed to achieve any Top 40 hits after 1967, and their album sales declined sharply.
In 1971, John Stewart left the group to pursue a solo career, and was replaced by Billy Frank Jr. The Trio’s lineup would again change in 1972 whenOriginal member Dave Guard returned, rejoining John Stewart and replacing Billy Frank Jr. The reformed trio released two successful albums, including nostalgia-tinged Back in Town, before Steward left again in 1974. He was not replaced, and the Trio disbanded later that year.
