British guitarist analyses folk trailblazers The Kingston Trio live in 1958!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.พ. 2020
- Tonight we're going back to 1958 to take a look at The Kingston Trio!
Original video - • The Kingston Trio Tom ...
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Little Tennessee girl born in 1960. My dad raised us on The Kingston Trio. Woke up to it and went to bed to it. True authentic folk music.
My father died on Friday. I was starting to go through some of his things today and came across an album by The Kingston Trio. I remember hearing Tom Tooley from the album. Perfect timing Fil for stirring up good memories of my dad.
So sorry for the loss of your Loved one.❤
Condolences. It’s strange, and comforting, how music can be one of the strongest “ties that bind” to loved ones, especially in the loss of them.
Dan Jennings My heart hurts for you...thank you for sharing...a very special moment!
Dan Jennings , my condolences to you and yours.
Condolences Dan Jennings.
I just turned 66 years young and even though these guys were a little before my time, I was thrilled when I finally discovered them. I love "Worried Man", "MTA", " Greenback Dollar", and of course "Tom Dooley". Good music is good music; life's too short to argue about it.
GT Steele...Oh yea, I had forgotten about Worried Man....I can hear it in my mind as I type and I remember the melody and most of the words...wow...that brings back a lot of memories.
@@marbleman52 You got me thinking too........I remember how popular Tom Dooley was when I heard a comic on one of those early sixties variety shows sing "Hang down your head Tom Dooley, your tie's caught in your fly". Not sure I completely got it then, but my mother was hysterical.
And then they did The Streets of Laredo in the most serious way, that one still makes me laugh.
Yep, the MTA...
They really put out a good and unusual Christmas LP too.
Strangely enough my dad as a jazz musician hated almost all forms of other genre. But Dad loved folk music, bought and played it often at home. He had all the Kingston Trio, the Seekers, and even the Smothers Brothers music. So, I know all of these songs and still have their music to this day. Thanks Fil.
Yes love the Smothers Brothers, too! Recently went searching for vintage content on TH-cam and it did not disappoint.
My dad was a jazz guy too, turned me on to Louis, Benny, Anita, Gene, Lionel, and all the big bands, plus guys like Roland Kirk and Monk of all people.
He also had a bunch of "Folkie" albums including "Country" and played them regularly.
Needless to say, I'm not too much of a musical snob, I hope.
Lol, I have turned turned into an equal opportunity, musical idiom basher, and grizzled old bastard to boot.
@@Seeker0fTruth ; Nah, they were a comedy team that sang folk songs, and that's a completely different animal.
Mee too, except I lost " Gretsch Drum Night At Birdland (1060)" and so many others.
i deserved to inherit them all, over and above non jazz aficionado relatives, as such.
Still looking to replace it, Art Blakey, Joe Jones, Philly Joe Jones, and Charlie Persip.
"Wee Dot" is the killer bop tune, learn that one and you are officially "Bop" qualified, imho. of course.
I love the Kingston Trio dearly. I'm 25 years old and also a Brit, have loved them for years on end. Not only the original Trio but every roster to date have brought something new while keeping it awfully familiar. When I turned 18 the Trio at the time (Bill Zorn, Rick Dougherty and George Grove) send me a video wishing me happy birthday and singing me that birthday song they love to sing to people. George had been with the Trio since the 1980s so he was a long time member and I was a big fan of his playing and singing. I also have a picture of them that's signed which is also pretty sweet.
Bob Shane (the one in the middle singing the majority of the song) may he rest in peace, and his wife Bobbi also sent me George Grove's banjo DVD as a gift when I bought a simple decorative pin for a couple pounds. I used to post covers of Trio songs on TH-cam playing all the parts (after learning the banjo of course!) and singing them too. They would comment on them and encourage me. They're all really nice people and I appreciate them immensly. All of them. I've had a few regular emails with Rick Dougherty who was in the previous Trio roster, he told be about the new band he had formed with George Grove and how he wanted to send me a copy of their new album. They're called The Folk Legacy Trio, I highly reccommend to any Kingston Trio fans.
This was so popular when I was a child--I remember singing it! The Kingston Trio was one of my favorites from that time period. Thanks for analysing this, Fil!
I am thrilled that you covered this group and the song in the history I grew up in the late 50s. From the late 50s on. I learn so much by watching your videos.
Cool!
For a couple of years, I lived in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the area where the story in the song takes place. Someone else mentioned that Tom Dula is the actual name, but it is pronounced Tom Dooley. Tom Dula was a veteran of the US Civil war, fighting for the Confederate side. He was a musician who played the fiddle. He was quite literate, somewhat unusual for the time and the extreme poverty he grew up in. He was considered a "lady's man", and was very much a "Southern Gentleman".
The basic story in the song is correct in its facts, but that is not quite the whole story. After being released from a prisoner of war camp, Tom had returned home to Wilkes County and had taken up an affair with Anne Foster. He also met a cousin of Anne's, Laura Foster, and started an affair with her as well. Laura was the woman who was murdered and buried in an unmarked grave in the woods. Suspicion was fell upon Tom Dula, and he fled the area, only to be caught, and returned for trial. His lawyer managed to get a change of venue since it was felt that he could not get a fair trial, so it was moved down to Statesville, just south of Wilkesboro. Both Tom and Anne were charged with Laura's murder, convicted. After an appeal, he received a second trial and was convicted again. Tom admitted to killing Laura, saying that Anne had nothing to do with it, and she was released. On May 1, 1868, Tom Dula was executed. On the hangman's platform, it is said his final words were ""Gentlemen, do you see this hand? I didn't harm a hair on the girl's head".
Years later, it is said that Anne Foster on her death bed confessed to the murder of her cousin Laura in a fit of jealousy, and asked Tom to help her conceal Laura's body. It was Anne's word that led to the discovery of Laura's body, leading to further suspicion of Anne's guilt. Anne's cousin, Pauline Foster, testified that Anne had taken her to the grave one night to make sure it was still well hidden. And remember that Tom was, as they say, a Southern Gentleman, and would feel honour bound to sacrifice himself to save his lover.
I always thought it would be nice to re-write the song to tell the more plausible story about how Tom sacrificed himself to save his lover who killed his other lover in a fit of rage, rather than being a murderer himself.
The Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four, Peter, Paul and Mary, Serendipity Singers, The Limeliters, and the rest from that era had great harmony. great analysis and rundown on the guys great footage too. keep Rockin' through the history of music Fil.
One might also add The Highwaymen (not the later supergroup), who had a hit with "Michael Row the Boat Ashore", followed by "The Whistling Gypsy".
Pete Seeger wrote "Where Have All the Flowers Gone". IMO every folk band who ever did well in the 1950s and 60s is because of him. Not just because of that song, but because of his overall influence on the modern folk music of the time.
@@primroseburrows Yes, and I think he was a communist...
Simply the best up till Dave left the group. After John Stewart joined they were more commercial, but still wonderful.
I saw Peter, Paul and Mary around 1964 in Jonesboro Arkansas also the 4 preps
I was 4 years old in 1958, and I remember sooooooooooooo much of the music from then. Love these guys! BTW, Bob Shane was the last surviving original member, and he *just* passed away on January 26, 2020 ... "He died on January 26, 2020 at a hospice facility in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of 85." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Shane
I hadn't heard about Shane, had been wondering about it. Tremendously saddened.
The Kingston Trio are why I became a singer and songwriter. And made my living at it all my life
Although I respect the right of the people giving a thumbs down I wonder why they do it . These videos aren't about whether we like the genre, they are a teaching tool done in an interesting and entertaining way. OfCourse that is merely my opinion. I may be wrong.
There are some people that would thumbs down the Lord’s Prayer or Santa Clause so don’t worry about it
I knew Frank Warber he managed the Kingston Trio. He owned Trident Records in Marin County California. My dad designed Trident Studios. So I grew up listening to the Kingston Trio.
I think they were a great musical influence. Frank also owned the Trident restaurant and Nightclub.
Frank hired a guy named Carlos Santana. Carlos taught me how to roll the seeds out of marijuana in a cigar box when I was nine. The Kingston Trio was a great band. Great performers and great entertainers. Folk rock.
I believe the term Folk-Rock wasn't coined until the Byrds hit the scene. I could be wrong but I don't think so.
eric heine - did you grow up in Marin? I grew up in San Rafael.
What a wholesome childhood. (Wink, wink.) 😉
@Nikki Huffman No it was really innocent. It was more like what he happened to be doing. We were sitting on these two bar stools next to this little round cocktail table, alongside a duffel bag full of Mexican ragweed. I don't even think I really knew what marijuana was. Frank and Carlos were out of rolling papers, so Frank had Carlos stuff it in a tampon wrapper. I didn't even know what a tampon was, let alone where it would go. I've always thought tampons you were pretty clever though. They know where they're headed before they leave the factory. Carlos was also showing me the artwork on the cover of Abraxas. Which I appreciate even more as I got older. I saw him in 2000 at his studio in San Rafael. It was right after his success with Supernatural. He said he'd probably have to get high to remember it. Life is funny.
@@redwoods7370 Yeah I was born in Marin General. Lived at 385 Marine Avenue in Mill Valley California.
Learned to swim at Tam High School. Spent a lot of time between Stinson Beach and Bolinas. Spent a lot of time in Tiburon. Worked in Strawberry,
I work in San Rafael for Ghilotti Brothers, Mario and Dino. My father was an architect in Sausalito at 3030 Bridgeway.
He did the Trident, Trident Records, Houlihan's, and the Record Plant. Over 200 homes in the Bay Area, Italy, Saudi Arabia, and New Zealand. Lots of memories.
Hi Fil !!!!
OMG!!!!!! 1959, Brookland Arkansas, a house in the middle of a cotton field, sitting on the edge of the bed one summer night, my stepdad taught me to sing Tom Dooly! The man did have some patience. I can still hear him playing that old Gibson Jumbo.
Thank you so much for making me feel five years old again Fil.
David Cantwell.... I was born in Memphis in '52 and was raised in Keiser and Osceola until about 1964 when we moved to Batesville. My Dad grew cotton and wheat on about 200 acres outside of Keiser. I remember vividly seeing the houses like yours....no yard...maybe a tiny bit in the back for a clothesline, and cotton growing up within a few feet of the house. What are some of your memories of those times?
@@marbleman52
Not much. That same year we picked up and moved to West Texas where there was work in the oilfield but mainly because of my mother's asthma. I've been in Texas ever since. Ma's folks along with my daddy's we're all from the Ozarks around Norfork.
@@davidcantwell2489 My mother was born and raised in Keiser; which is near West Memphis, with all that flat-land and reclaimed swamps and pollen and allergies. She also developed asthma; most likely from living in those conditions, and then she developed bronchial breathing problems later. She always had an inhaler in her purse. By the time medicine had advanced to where her breathing problems could be properly dealt with, the damage had already been done. The sad thing is that she had a fantastic voice; when she was at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, she had majored in voice and had even been asked by the New York Metropolitan Opera to come and audition. She chose instead to get married and settle down and raise a family, and this is why I can be typing this..LOL..!! She died at only 44 years "young" of a massive coronary; just one week before Christmas, in 1972. The autopsy revealed that her heart had been worn out from dealing with the breathing problems and the doctor said that her heart looked like the heart of a very old man. Needless to say, it wasn't until 7 years later when my first child was born that I could enjoy Christmas again. Anyway....I love Lake Norfork...it is such a beautiful and clear lake !! One Spring, a few years ago, I and my son rented one of those simple aluminum fishing boats and went fishing, but it was in the middle of spawning time and they were just not biting. But the water was the clearest I had ever seen it. I swear that we could see down 15 feet, probably more, and it was crystal clear...amazing..!!
marbleman52 Do you mean Lake Norfork in northern Arkansas in Baxter County? If so, I’ve been to that lake!
@@marykuranda7254 Yes...that's it....beautiful country and a gorgeous lake..!!
I was a serious Kingston Trio fan. They were extremely entertaining. Their vocal work was very professional. They were the reason I started playing guitar. Thank you.
I have All their vinyl albums!
Great review and commentary. There is no doubt in my mind that these guys provided the foundation that virtually all modern music is built on. When a reporter once asked Al Jardine (Beach Boys) where they had gotten the idea for the striped shirts, Al looked at him as though he was from Mars and said, "Ugh...from the Kingston Trio" ("Ugh," as in, "DUH!!" :-) Virtually every major artist/group since them has, at one time or another, acknowledged them as a major influence in their music (Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Grateful Dead, America, The Band, Jewel, etc., etc., etc.). The most requested song they ever did was a solo that Bob Shane did called "Scotch & Soda;"...bluesy, piano lounge type song. Bob and Dave learned it in 1955 (prior to their forming The Kingston Trio) from the parents of a girl Dave was dating when he was attending Stamford University. They had learned it from a piano player at the Sheraton Hotel in Phoenix, AZ back in 1935, when they were there on their honeymoon. Both being very musically talented, asked the the guy to write the song out for them, which he did, but never signed it. So, to this day, no one REALLY knows who wrote it. Regardless, the parents took the song home to San Francisco, with them and played it for friends and gatherings for 25 years. And, on this particular night, they tried playing it for the future KT members. But, every time they started to play the song, their 10 year old son would appear on the stairway and complain that they were making too much noise and he couldn't go to sleep, necessitating one of the parents to get up and spend 20 minutes trying to get the kid back to sleep before they could try to do the song again. After about the 5th time of this happening, Bob Shane's date leaned over to him and said, "That little bugger is gonna have to go some to make up for what he's done here tonight." Bob used to love to tell the story years later (in concerts) of how the kid actually did kinda make up for it...in a way...when he pitched the New York Mets to the World Series in 1969. His name was Tom Seaver; arguably, one of the greatest baseball pitchers in the history of the game.
I thought I had collected and read everything on the Kingston Trio, but your knowledge of this Group is astounding!
The 3 way harmonies are excellent in this performance, perfect folk trio, love it!!!! thanks Mr. Fil...
My dad used to sing this song to me when I was a boy of 5 or 6. That was almost 60 years ago. You brought back some sweet memories.
I see from the other replies that you have a lot old geezer fans, Fil.
Hello, Relayer56 ...Hello from one of those "old geezers"....yep, I admit it....I am 68...Ha..!!
The thing about Fil is that his insight and personality speaks to all ages and sexes. You are never too old to learn and definitely not too old to be entertained. Another geezer here.
I'm one......my mom played TKT all the time. I know all these songs by heart over 50 years later.
My parents turned myself and my siblings on to The Kingston Trio when I was a kid.. My favorite song they do is, Scotch and Soda. The Merry Minuet is awesome, too! I absolutely love this trio.
And the three jolly coachmen
My personal favorite by the Kingston Trio was the MTA.
The Merry Minuet is as current today as it was then. Love the song. Too bad the youth don't understand it :)
John Martin I don’t think that it’s that they don’t understand but that they never heard of it and have their own music. They are as interested in listening to their grandparents music as we are of theirs
Cindy Van Camp Love them, too! My eldest sister bought their albums back in the day and we all learned their songs as kids. They inspired me to pick up guitar as a teenager and play. Their music was so good and covered many genres.
My Dad, younger sister and I knew the Trio and often hung out with them backstage. After their last performance we watched Dave silently pack up his gear. Bob and Nick chatted quietly. No goodbyes were said. It was the end 😥
I grew up on The Kingston Trio. My mom loved them and I've loved them for over 50 years.
Loved them since I was just little, they were SO funny between songs as well as having awesome harmony and great musical chops. I'm glad you mentioned how they crossed a lot of genre boundaries, because the variety of songs on those first several albums gave us kids a taste of everything!
I like their syncopated singing each taking a lead at some point even if short, they each take turns going in and out of backing vocals. It kept it interesting.
Interesting. I would also note the arrangement when guys are all singing different things at the same time. That was very important to keep such a simple song interesting to listen to. Thanks for the educational throwback to that time before the folk music turned more topical.
My music teacher taught our class this song when I was little, along with other songs whose lyrics spoke of death, murder, disease, etc. Seems a bit odd now. But didn't give it a second thought at the time.
1960 in San Francisco, 2 friends of mine - Kirk Roberts & Alex Nisperos - we’re so enthused with The Kingston Trio albums that Kirk had...we formed a Folksinging Trio of our own, named The Bucket Three (gut bucket for a bass). We entertained around the campfires @ our Troop 15 Boy Scout Summer Camps. In early 1966, Alex joined the Navy...and Bob Visini joined our group, in time for The Bucket Three appearance on The Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour! I am so thankful for The Kingston Trio’s recordings & performances that has served as inspiration & happiness for so many people.
Such a tragic song and so beautifully performed.
Congratulations on 117k subscribers!! :)
Thanks!
My parents had them on vinyl. I must have listened to this song 1000 times. Thanks for covering them. Another song we sing in Canada that’s based on a true tale is Sam Hall.
The Wilson Brothers and Mike Love were big Kingston Trio fans, along with the Four Freshmen (with all due credit to Chuck Berry as well). You can hear heavy influences which became the classic Beach Boys sound... not to mention those equally classic candy-striped shirts, also adopted by the Beach Boys
Hi Fil! I was 12 yrs old when my sisters were playing this music! I loved it! I was at the beginning of my love for all kinds of music! Elvis had been introduced to me, and then this group was also one I found myself enjoying! I remember when they sang the song about never returning...MTA..it was just funny! The 50s had so many cool folk songs! Then came Smother’s Brothers, and soon Peter, Paul and Mary! Loved that era...I became so eclectic with my music! Rock and Roll one minute, and folk music the next! So glad I never got stuck on just one sound! You sure have an appreciation for the music that was my world! Thank you for doing the old songs...they were special! ✌️
P,P and M are my all-time favorite musicians. I had to stop listening to them for a very long time after Mary passed. I'm just gradually feeling like I can listen again without feeling overwhelmingly sad. I love all the other folkies you mentioned as well.
New Mom I remember when my daughter was in college, and one day I mentioned Peter Paul and Mary...she squealed with delight, and informed me she loved them too...a huge bonding moment and of course we went to their concerts together after that...good memories! Thanks for sharing too! Isn’t it fun coming here, and meeting like minded people! Hugs!
@@suzannerobbins6293 YES! Thanks for your story.
New Mom Hugs! Glad I found you as a new friend! Really means a lot!
@@suzannerobbins6293 Great!! Thanks to Fil too as he is the person who brought us together.
...and no autotune 👍
I remember these guys from the Ed Sullivan show, Ed turned us on to a lot of acts that we never would of heard of without him
I have to give Fil my heartfelt thanks and admiration for doing such an absolutely remarkable job of capturing all of the nuances and turns in the road the Kingston Trio took to get started and reach the national acclaim they eventually received. He also covered with incredibly accurate detail the Trio's eventual decline in the music industry, beginning with their acrimonious breakup in 1961, their rejection by the traditional folk community because of their commercial appeal and their choice to remain apolitical during the Folk Era of the '60s, and their inability to remain relevant following the British Invasion. Even during the height of their popularity, The Kingston Trio would have been the first to admit they were hardly the best musicians instrumentally and vocally compared to many of their peers, but they were extraordinary entertainers and were successful in bringing folk music to the attention of a wide audience across all domains of American society. The scope of their influence on other musicians, both amateurs and professionals, is immeasurable. Over time, I have had the opportunity to meet and spend time with the members of every configuration of the Kingston Trio from the Dave Guard years through to the Grove/Zorn/Dougherty ensemble that last played in 2018. (I was even fortunate enough to play Bob Shane's guitar and sing a solo number for him and his New Kingston Trio bandmates, Jim Connors and Pat Horine, after a concert in 1970). So I feel I can say with some authority that Fil's research and presentation touched all the bases in telling the Kingston Trio story. I am deeply impressed and most grateful for his wonderful efforts.
Thanks!
Thanks for this, Fil. Another great job. Tom Dula was tried and hanged in the town where I live; he couldn't get an unbiased jury in Wilkes County where the murder occurred. When I taught middle school, I'd have my 8th graders make makeshift banjos from pie plates, elastic bands, and paint stir sticks and we'd sing and play it around the school after exams. They loved it. The KT had fabulous harmonies and good sense of humor (e.g. "Merry Minuet" and "MTA).
Always love your analysis videos, Fil! Please do The Highwaymen singing "Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore." Theirs is far and away the best version ever. Thanks!
One of the 1st songs I ever learned to sing -I preformed this on stage when I was 9!!! Love this!!! Thank you!!!
Loved all of their music. It was so funny to watch them doing their routine every week. The blonde one was my favourite. I like the songs " My Old Man & the song that talked about how whenever people are whispering they were saying bad words❤❤❤❤
Golly that's a blast from the past and lovely to have it analysed, thanks Fil. I remember we sang Tom Dooley and Where Have All The Flowers Gone in Grade 7 singing class at school (1971). My teacher liked folk music. I remember also singing Puff the Magic Dragon and Morning Town Ride.
This is the beginning of what Utah Phillips called "The Great Folk Scare" .One of those guitars is a four string tenor guitar- an instrument invented in the 1920s which allowed a tenor banjo player to get a guitar sound as the guitar was becoming the dominant string instrument. After the great folk scare ended, the tenor guitar disappeared from sight but it is back again. The film "A Mighty Wind" from the Spinal Tap folk is a mockumentary about a reunion of folk musicians.
Fil, I love you for analyzing this video. The Kingston Trio was part of the music of my childhood. This is a song I can hear in full, in the jukebox of memory.
I remember my brothers played the Kingston Trio, they have lots of uplifting songs too. I think that the difference then was that there was a lot of peace in the world, and justice was brought about when there was crime. It’s a very sad song, but I remember it did not get me down like it feels now. It seems like they show a little love to this man who was condemned to die.
My dad was mad keen about these guys. I grew up listening to them, Guthrie, Seeger and Dylan. I think this was the first song I ever learned on my ukulele (I was about 4). Thanks Fil. You keep reminding me of so much of my childhood.
Later one would leave and be replaced by John Stewart as I remember.
Love folk music. Such wonderful stories and musicians. My all time favorite though, without doubt, is Peter, Paul and Mary. I've got their first album and just about wore it out when I was a teenager..… in the 80's!
In the 50s I use to listen to them all the time! They were ahead of their time!
My Dad (born in 1951) absolutely loves the Kingston Trio. They are his favorite band of all time (followed closely by The Beatles). I grew up listening to The Trio and my kids now listen to and enjoy their music. I especially appreciate the harmonies and often sing along with the music. Thanks for this! 🎶
Always learning something new listening to Wings of Pegasus his description is so precise, such a talent!
I can see you are a big fan like the rest of us. Thank you for the background bio information about the pivotal history of the Kingston Trio. I love it.🙏💕
Thank you so much for going over my old beloved group, the KT. Although I never had all their records, I had most of them and I still play their songs. I’ve never heard a banjo sound like Dave Guard and John Stewart, most sound tinny. That song was unusual in that DG was not playing the banjo. He played the difficult 5-string, Bob played the 4-string in that one.
I also loved their Martin guitar sound and always wanted one. I had to settle for a Gibson.
I formed a similar-themed folk group but with insufficient talent to succeed.
Playing guitar and singing was my passion but alas, the fingers grow stiff with age.
👍🏻
I have always liked this Folk music band..very soothing music...thanks Fil
Nothing like an old classic compared to the so called music today!
One of my husband’s favorite groups, he introduced me to them, loved them ever since. Miss you desperately my baby (Sept 21 1947-Jan 21 2020). We made 37 years, cancer kept us from the big 5-0, see you on the other side in God’s good time.
Wow! Great surprise. I was 7 listening with my 17 year old brother and song jumped out at me. Perhaps the major key backing morbid lyrics drew me in easier, but I was very touched. Similarly the Everly Brothers' chill producing "Ebony Eyes" had me spellbound as sad subject matter handled with great care can be uplifting. Thanks for the history, and I'm always interested in how moving sad songs always got through to me with laser sharpness!
Thank you for your great research.
Thank you so very much for this excellent vid! I've read that the song was actually written by the condemned man himself while awaiting his execution! His name was Tom Dula. The Trio was a phenomenon in the entertainment business. At their peak, they were producing 15-18% of Capitol's income. Thanks, again!
I'm so excited!
I can't believe you are doing this song. I have just been listening to the Kingston Trio the last few months. I was ten years old when this came out and I remember me and my buddies could actually sing it. I think the idea of it being about a gruesome subject was appealing and not that lovey-dovey stuff.
Great song choice Phil
The Reverend Mr Black😉, Charlie on the MBTA 😅,
Scotch & Soda🥤, Greenback dollar 💵, The Tijuana Jail 🍻🍺🍺, More Greats for the Kingston Trio, Fil . Oh, and Where have all the flowers gone? 💐. Thanks Fil, for this analysis on the Kingston
Trio.
The Kingston Trio were the biggest vocal group in the world for a couple of years. They got me interested in music, and a whole lot of others as well in the days of the "folk boom." Many of those went "hipper than thou" on them when that was advantageous in the midst of the next fad; some of those expressed some shame at this later in their careers. My tastes developed very broadly over the next sixty years, but I always liked the Trip , especially the original three together, and to this day am as likely to listen to them as Sinatra, Zappa, Beefheart, Dylan, Devo, etc., ad nauseum.
I saw the KT IN 72 only Bob the original-at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas in 1972. We walked out of there after the show and Bob was sitting just outside the door with his band mates drinking Cold Duc-Had a good chat with him and got his autograph--It was an honor to meet him. Bob Shane was the first Elvis tribute artist
PS-I again saw the KT (bob with others) in S CA: 87--Folk singers show Some good artist-During the show John Stewart did a solo act--wonderful-and the grand finalie all the artists playing and Nick Remolds came out playing a stand up base-I was floored seeing almost all them together
A study of the song’s origin came up with a strange story. Tom Dooley did not actually kill the woman, but he was there when one girl friend killed another. He helped bury the body and left the area. He stopped at the farm of Grayson and did enough work there to buy a pair of boots. Tom was himself a ballad singer. Because of a mistrial, he spent a year in jail. Friends of his came by the jail cell often and sang with him. The song emerged from that jail cell. Tom may have written the song himself. Two different versions of the song were written and passed down independently. The two versions resulted in a copyright struggle. The girl friend who did the killing later confessed to a doctor who was treating her for a chronic disease. After she died, the story emerged.
For so many of us who grew up in the late 1950s - early 1960s, these guys were the reason we learned to play the guitar. Whether this lead to the growth of guitar based rock later in the 60s, I don’t know. But without them, I’m sure pop music wouldn’t have been the same.
I had all their albums! Loved them.
Spot on analysis about the music and the time/attitudes. Thanks Fil.
It's amazing how melodic they made something so gruesome sound good, wonderful harmonies. Look at what happened with Ring A Round the Rosey, it became a favorite children's song.
great group...used to listen to them constantly..brings back memories for sure.
I had older brothers that listened to a lot of folk music in the Vietnam era. I grew up listening to Peter Paul and Mary, Simon and Garfunkel, and Arlo Gothrie. Simon and Garfunkel turned Scarborough Fair into an anti war song and Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" was an anti draft song that was so funny I still listen to it now. Thanks for exposing me to the trio. Always heard of them, never knew who they were. !
Arlo did Alice’s Restaurant” which was a comedic movie based on the Vietnam War. But, part of the story is true!
Very interesting “ back story” about this trio and the industry ! Great analysis once again !
The first song I learned on the guitar.
I remember playing this in guitar class too!
When I was a kid we had a Dooley's hardware store in town and as kids we always thought it was owned or founded by Tom Dooley. They had a good gun section there.
Did they have any knives?
@@rogereisnaugle6012 the place was an early version of a Hardware kinda Megastore so they had just about everything.
Man... I miss guns in hardware stores.
@@jamesstuart4037 yeah nothing like telling the clerk you want "a couple Lengths of three-quarter inch pipe, 6 elbows and a box of shotgun shells"
I was 6 years old in 1958 , here in Arkansas, and it seems that I have known that song since then. I sang along with them on this video and sang in tune and beat and only missed a few words. I enjoyed this...thanks, Fil..!!
First melody I ever learned,cowboy chords baby,sweet!♥️
Thanks for calling attention to these guys Phil! My favorite pre-Beatles vocal group! As a young kid I used to imagine myself serenading a girl on a park bench with their song "Scotch & Soda".
Well done Fil, in describing the early days and eventual success of my all time favorite band, who inspired me and millions of other HS and college kids to pick up and learn the banjo and guitar. I still listen to them, and include a number of their old standbys in the repertoire of our grey-head folk group.
One of the albums my stacked up on our stereo every Sunday! Love it. ❤️
I grew up on the Kingston Trio as an 8-year-old in 1958, and remember seeing them on Ed Sullivan doing Tom Dooley. (I still have my parents’ LPs!)
Thanks to them, “Folk Music” became a genre and was BIG!!! The Kingston Trio dominated the popular music scene until the Beatles and the rest of the “British Invasion” overtook them.
One of my favourite albums is College Concert-well worth a listen! It has “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” on it, another biggie.
Many thanks for your recognition of such beautiful and singable music. And thanks to the Kingston Trio my house is now infested with guitars, and I’ll sing at the drop of a pick!!
You must have really felt this wonderful song and trio Fil, I haven't seen all your videos but so far I haven't seen you nodding your head to music before 💎
Charlie On The MTA! My childhood had the Kingston Trio, the Chad Mitchell Trio played on repeat!
I stumbled upon this the other day…the conclusion to Charlie’s ride on the MTA: th-cam.com/video/GCA0tM8gG8E/w-d-xo.html
3yo and loved them. Thanks for the back story FIL. Fun to know.
I love that even after an analysis of a plodding depressing song like this, Fil still manages to tell us to "Rock!" at the end!
Loved the Kingston Trio and "Tom Dooley." What a great, tight group and song. Always loved the harmony and stringed instruments.
I was introduced to this via a record of my brother. Even as a kid, I was horrified by the imagery of a girl being stabbed to death, all in a pretty song. Thanks for highlighting the dissonance of lyrics and music.
Thank you! Like others have mentioned, this was the backdrop of my childhood. Tom Dooley is not my favorite song (it's been played so often, is all). I agree with a lot of the other suggestions. Scotch and Soda, their version of Blowin in the Wind and Where Have All the Flowers Gone, New Frontier, Detainee, Try to Remember, Scarlet Ribbons, 500 Miles, The River is Wide, Reverend Mr. Black, Greenback Dollar, A Worried Man, ... I could go on. Great foundation for precision musicianship without taking themselves too seriously, full of meaning and humor and fun. Wonderful!
I grew up in Chicago and my older brother sometimes played in ''Beatnik'' coffee houses. A KAY-po is a device that clamps on a fret to allow playing a higher pitch on a stringed instrument. A Cah-po is the greaseball wiseguy waiting in the Cadillac in the alley, to accept a paper bagfull of money from the Beatnik club owner as an installment on his premium for ''arson'' insurance.
Fil, I want to applaud you for bringing all these diverse artists back to us all and exposing at least a couple of generations to a whole new experience, from what they have grown to call music. One of the things I take note of is the instruments being played, how they sound in the mix, there brand, and are they still around today. LP’s Tele’s and Strat’s , saw a lot of competition back in the day.
Great selection once again Fil.
🍺😎
Thanks Fil. You are always introducing me to all types of music..I never heard this song and I enjoyed this. They harmonize so well together.
Thanks for doing this, Fil. I certainly remember this song but I was sure you were going to say Pete Seeger wrote it. I always learn so much watching you.
I love how much of their history you knew and got right.
I’m my goodness Fil you are trawling my memory banks now. Still know all the words and I was only 3 years old. One of my older brothers like this kind of music and went so well with the saturation of tv westerns of. the time. Still love tv westerns from the 1959 onwards.
Music lover here, appreciate your understanding of music and the artists over the years, your research and analyses. Enjoy you watching and thinking about the videos you are commenting on.
As a fan of John Stewart, I love listening to the KT with his early harmony singing.
I visited the Martin factory in Pennsylvania and they had a Kingston Trio display and Martin gives them a lot of credit for giving a major boost to their sales because they played Martins (and Vega banjos which were owned by Martin for a while.) The fact that this very popular song used only 2 chords, as you said, it inspired a lot of other people to get guitars and play folk music. (Hey, if they can do it, we can! :) ) Speaking of copyright and song writing, do you know the story behind Scotch & Soda? Hint: it has something to do with Tom Seaver (Hall of Fame baseball pitcher).
Guys in my high school all got guitars (couldn't afford Martins) and we would spend hours playing and singing these songs. Sometimes we wore striped shirts as well.
I Too played jazz, did jingle work and yet loved this group. Simple? sure, pure velvet blend.
Thank you for this. The Kingston Trio were my introduction to Folk Music. Hope you do more on them in the future.
Also, I should say the John Stewart era, is my favorite.
Can’t imagine my grandmother passing down a song to me about a hanging! It was popular though and kids sang it at summer camp😎
Great video. I never realized Bob and Dave switched instruments on this song.