The Kingston Trio

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The Kingston Trio is an American folk group. They helped launch the folk revival of the 1960s and continued to thrive despite the emergence of rock and roll.

The Kingston Trio was formed in 1957 in the Palo Alto, California area by Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds, and Dave Guard, who were just out of college. Greatly influenced by The Weavers, the calypso sounds of Harry Belafonte, and other semi-popular folk artists such as the Gateway Singers and the Tarriers, they were discovered playing at a college club called the Cracked Pot by Frank Werber, a local publicist then working at the Hungry i. He became their manager, and secured them a one-shot deal with Capitol Records.

Their first hit was a catchy rendition of an old-time folk song, “Tom Dooley”, which went gold in 1958. It was so popular that it entered popular culture as a catchphrase: Ella Fitzgerald, for example, parodies it during her recorded version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. It won them the first Grammy award for Best Country & Western Performance in 1959. The next year, they won the first Grammy Award for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording category for the album The Kingston Trio at Large.

At one point in the early 1960s The Kingston Trio had four albums at the same time among the Top 10 selling albums, a record unmatched for nearly 40 years. In spite of this, they had a relatively small number of hit singles.

The group’s music was simple and accessible, with much use of tight vocal harmony, signature riffs (often played on the banjo), and repetitive choruses.
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Popular tags: folk, 60s, country, oldies, acoustic  See more

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  • noodel1988

    Tom Dooley great song! Here is the story behind the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c16z6WSea-c (dutch television).

    December 2011
  • borntogeek

    the kingston trio sing about the major issues at http://theozhiztoryblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/kingston-trio-tackles-major-issues.html

    September 2011
  • dzidzitop

    oldcool

    August 2011
  • zedshtein

    oh...it's sweet

    July 2011
  • yJURAy

    oldschool

    April 2011
  • vigil438

    grew up listening to these guys gotta love old hippie parents

    April 2011
  • Choirchick22

    <3

    April 2011
  • dbwb

    Greenback Dollar

    April 2011
  • GedasB

    and I don't give a damn about a greenback dollar

    February 2011
  • NoeLennon

    one of my dads fav's.... I even got to see them live in ogdensburgh NY in about 1989 or so...

    August 2010
  • u2martyman

    Greatest band ever.

    March 2010
  • Wethand

    Yeah, pretty cool! I like them.

    August 2009
  • xnrat

    I discovered them through the Thank You For Smoking OST. When I got the Capitol Years box-set I couldn't stop listening to it.

    July 2009
  • mrsdbcolny

    aok

    March 2009
  • kArPeX

    AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT A GREENBACK DOLLAR...awesome xD

    March 2009
  • LondonLouis

    First time I've heard them in decades. Don't think they've worn too well. A little bit too genteel. ...... but they were big in their time, and important in the revitalisation of folk.

    January 2009
  • Twiggystickstoo

    This, as I remember listening to,was the grassroots music of the flower children and the hippies of which Peter Paul & Mary & Dylan's music began.

    December 2008
  • meanmrmustard

    Geeze.

    October 2008
  • ulovemadde

    Så fina "pojkar"välsjungande,delade med sig på Universiteten,gratis nästan, i en tid då vår värld närde ett litet hopp om en ljusare framtid, i skuggan av 2 världskriget,banjon trollband mina öron,min sårade själ fick balsam och lindring,jag sprang barfota i sommaren,till skivbutiken,där söta flickor ,plockade fram KINGSTON TRIO.... Lp för 9:90 och jag skyndade hem,trummande på gatstenarna,lagda för hand av hårt arbetande äkta jobbare i Östersunds begynnande 1900 tals framtid...du ska vandra ensam i den långsamma dalgången... och i själens öron ,så kliver banjon,gitarren,basen,sången...från en svunnen tid. TACK KINGSTON TRIO !!!!! ni gav mig balsam och lite hopp.

    August 2008
  • meanmrmustard

    They are pretty popular, but I'd imagine most of their fans don't use last.FM

    July 2008
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