The Chad Mitchell Trio
The Chad Mitchell Trio was a popular folk music group during the 1960s. The… Read Full Bio ↴The Chad Mitchell Trio was a popular folk music group during the 1960s. The group became known for their willingness to perform both serious and satirical songs that criticized current events and news-makers, compared to the typical 'folk music' groups of their time.
The original group was formed by Gonzaga University students and Glee Club members William Chad Mitchell (from Spokane, Washington); Mike Kobluk (from Trail, British Columbia, Canada); and Mike Pugh (from Pasco, Washington). They were encouraged by Spokane, Washington Roman Catholic priest Reinard W. Beaver, who invited the three to travel with him to New York City in the summer of 1959 and to try performing in the burgeoning folk-music scene. Unlike many fellow folk-music groups, none of the Trio's members played instruments.
The key people that helped the Trio get going were musical arranger Milton Okun and star performer/singer Harry Belafonte. Okun provided a professional polish to their performing skills, which helped them gain both a key booking at New York City's Blue Angel club and radio appearances with Arthur Godfrey and television appearances with Pat Boone. Belafonte had them appear as back-up singers, with a small featured spotlight, in his May 1960 Carnegie Hall concert, and signed them to his Belafonte Enterprises management firm.
In the summer of 1960, Pugh left the group to return to college. After auditioning over 150 singers, Joe Frazier (from Lebanon, Pennsylvania; not the heavyweight champion boxer) was chosen to replace Pugh.
After releasing mostly conventional folk songs, the Trio unleashed the then-daring satire "The John Birch Society" (Fighting for the right to fight/The right fight for the Right!), which established their ability to perform more controversial material. Their departure from Belafonte Enterprises in 1962, followed by their move to Mercury Records in 1963, gave them more freedom to add aggressively political songs to their body of folk, love, and world-music songs.
Mitchell left the Trio in 1965 to embark on a solo singing career. Another audition process replaced him with young singer/songwriter named John Denver. The group retained the well-known Mitchell Trio name, with Denver writing some of the group's songs, as Mitchell had done.
Frazier's departure from the Trio in 1966 brought on replacement David Boise. After a final live release, Kobluk left; Denver and Boise replaced Kobluk with Michael Johnson (who would later go on as a solo artist) and, because of contractual requirements that prohibited using the "Mitchell" name after the last original member left, became Denver, Boise and Johnson. Soon, however, the group disbanded.
Mike Kobluk, Joe Frazier and David Boise later left the music industry, Chad Mitchell released a number of solo albums before retiring from music, and Denver's time with the Trio became the springboard to his solo career (he died in October of 1997). Michael Johnson lives in Nashville and continues to record.
The Mitchell/Kobluk/Frazier trio and John Denver reunited in 1987 for several concerts, some broadcast on PBS. These are the only recordings of all four members singing together.
The Mitchell/Kobluk/Frazier trio reunited again in 2005 for a short program as part of a concert also featuring Tom Paxton and the Kingston Trio's current lineup in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Other featured musicians for the Trio through the years included:
* Jim McGuinn (who later founded The Byrds and took the name Roger McGuinn): Guitar, banjo
* Paul Prestopino: Guitar, banjo, and mandolin
* Bob Hefferan: Guitar
* David (Jake) Ander: Guitar
* Pete Soloway: Acoustic bass
The original group was formed by Gonzaga University students and Glee Club members William Chad Mitchell (from Spokane, Washington); Mike Kobluk (from Trail, British Columbia, Canada); and Mike Pugh (from Pasco, Washington). They were encouraged by Spokane, Washington Roman Catholic priest Reinard W. Beaver, who invited the three to travel with him to New York City in the summer of 1959 and to try performing in the burgeoning folk-music scene. Unlike many fellow folk-music groups, none of the Trio's members played instruments.
The key people that helped the Trio get going were musical arranger Milton Okun and star performer/singer Harry Belafonte. Okun provided a professional polish to their performing skills, which helped them gain both a key booking at New York City's Blue Angel club and radio appearances with Arthur Godfrey and television appearances with Pat Boone. Belafonte had them appear as back-up singers, with a small featured spotlight, in his May 1960 Carnegie Hall concert, and signed them to his Belafonte Enterprises management firm.
In the summer of 1960, Pugh left the group to return to college. After auditioning over 150 singers, Joe Frazier (from Lebanon, Pennsylvania; not the heavyweight champion boxer) was chosen to replace Pugh.
After releasing mostly conventional folk songs, the Trio unleashed the then-daring satire "The John Birch Society" (Fighting for the right to fight/The right fight for the Right!), which established their ability to perform more controversial material. Their departure from Belafonte Enterprises in 1962, followed by their move to Mercury Records in 1963, gave them more freedom to add aggressively political songs to their body of folk, love, and world-music songs.
Mitchell left the Trio in 1965 to embark on a solo singing career. Another audition process replaced him with young singer/songwriter named John Denver. The group retained the well-known Mitchell Trio name, with Denver writing some of the group's songs, as Mitchell had done.
Frazier's departure from the Trio in 1966 brought on replacement David Boise. After a final live release, Kobluk left; Denver and Boise replaced Kobluk with Michael Johnson (who would later go on as a solo artist) and, because of contractual requirements that prohibited using the "Mitchell" name after the last original member left, became Denver, Boise and Johnson. Soon, however, the group disbanded.
Mike Kobluk, Joe Frazier and David Boise later left the music industry, Chad Mitchell released a number of solo albums before retiring from music, and Denver's time with the Trio became the springboard to his solo career (he died in October of 1997). Michael Johnson lives in Nashville and continues to record.
The Mitchell/Kobluk/Frazier trio and John Denver reunited in 1987 for several concerts, some broadcast on PBS. These are the only recordings of all four members singing together.
The Mitchell/Kobluk/Frazier trio reunited again in 2005 for a short program as part of a concert also featuring Tom Paxton and the Kingston Trio's current lineup in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Other featured musicians for the Trio through the years included:
* Jim McGuinn (who later founded The Byrds and took the name Roger McGuinn): Guitar, banjo
* Paul Prestopino: Guitar, banjo, and mandolin
* Bob Hefferan: Guitar
* David (Jake) Ander: Guitar
* Pete Soloway: Acoustic bass
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
The Chad Mitchell Trio Lyrics
A Dying Business [Spoken:] Funeral Directors of America, I am very deeply ho…
A Mighty Day I remember down in Galveston, When storm winds swept the tow…
Adam's Rib They really hung it on old Adam Powell It beats me…
Adios Mi Corazon Adios Mi Corazon Spanish is the loving tongue Soft as music…
Ain't No More Cane on This Brazos Ain't no more cane on this Brazos my boy Oh, oh,…
Alice Revisited You've heard of the story Alice Told without any malice Alic…
Alma Mater [Spoken] The Mitchell Trio had its beginning when we were st…
An Irish Song As I walked out one May morning To take a pleasant…
Barry's Boys We're the bright young men, who want to go back…
Blowin' In the Wind How many roads must a man walk down Before you'll call…
Blues Around My Head CHORUS: D Am D Am When the sun comes up in the…
Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound I Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound Chad Mitchell Trio …
Cherry Tree Carol When Joseph was an old man An old man was he He…
Come Along Home Come Along Home Chad Mitchell Trio Album: "At The Bitter End…
Dona Dona Dona Dona, Dona, Dona Chad Mitchell Trio Album: "Might Day On Cam…
Dubarry Done Gone Again Dubarry Done Gone Again Chad Mitchell Trio [Spoken:] Dubar…
Ecumenical March Sholom Aleichem Sholom Aleichem Hava nagila Hava nagila Hav…
First Time Ever I Saw Your Face The first time ever I saw your face I thought the…
Four Strong Winds Four strong winds that blow lonely Seven seas that run high …
Get Together Love is but the song we sing Fear′s the way we…
Golden Vanity Oh there was a lofty ship and she sailed on…
Green Grow the Lilacs Green grow the lilacs all sparkling with dew Green grow the…
Hello Susan Brown Coffee grows on white oak trees* The river flows with brandy…
I Do Adore Her When shadows fall and stars appears A pain I feel I…
I Feel So Good About It I Feel So Good About It Chad Mitchell Trio I just got…
I Was Not A Nazi Polka Wenn Sie durch Die Schöne Deutschland gehen Einen gesang wer…
Introduction & What This Country Really Needs Is Another Movie Star [Spoken] Do you worry about Vietnam? Do you fear the…
James James Morrison Morrison James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree Took g…
Jesse James Jesse James was a man, and he traveled in the…
Johnnie Album:(The Chad Mitchell Trio Collection) When Johnny comes…
Leave Me If You Want To Way down in Columbus, Georgia I want to go back in…
Leaving on a Jet Plane All my bags are packed I'm ready to go I'm standin' here…
Let Us Begin I am the son of a grassland farmer Western Oklahoma 1943 I…
Lizzie Borden Yesterday in old Fall River Mr. Andrew Borden died And he go…
Marvelous Toy When I was just a wee little lad Full of health…
Mighty Day I remember down in Galveston, When storm winds swept the tow…
One Man's Hands One man's hands can't tear a prison down Two men's hands…
Song For Canada Words by Ian Tyson How come we can′t talk to each…
Stay With Me The time it is too long for the waiting Minutes seem…
Stewball Come on, you men of sportin' blood and listen to…
Super Skier Well, they called him Super Skier As he sat around the…
That's the Way It's Gonna Be So you say that all the good times are gone And…
The Ballad of the Greenland Whalers On the twenty third day of the month of June In…
The Draft Dodger Rag I'm just a typical American boy From a typical American town…
The Great Historical Bum I was born about ten thousand years ago There ain′t nothin'…
The Great Historical Bum (The Bragging Song) I was born about ten thousand years ago There ain't nothin'…
The Ides Of Texas Some of America's most beautiful ballads come from the land …
The John Birch Society By Michael Brown Oh, we're meetin' at the courthouse at eigh…
The Marvelous Toy When I was just a wee little lad Full of health…
The Natural Girl for Me All over this great big city Can't find a woman who's…
The Story of Alice, Part 1 This is the story of Alice Told without any malice Alice is…
The Unfortunate Man The Unfortunate Man Performed by Chad Mitchell Trio D G A T…
The Whistling Gypsy The Gypsy Rover come over the hill Down to the valley…
What Did You Learn in School Today Two and two are four And four and four are eight ABCDEFGHIJK…
What Did You Learn In School Today? Two and two are four And four and four are eight And…
Whup Jamboree [Moderate tempo. Loud.] Dm F C The captain he looks out ahe…
With God on Our Side Oh my name it means nothin′ My age it means less And…
You Can Tell The World Well, you can tell the world about this You can tell…