The Kingston Trio was formed in 1957 in the Palo Alto, California area by original lineup of Dave Guard (1934–1991), Bob Shane (1934–2020), and Nick Reynolds (1933–2008), 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. Capitol producer Voyle Gilmore[1] enhanced their vocal sound to great effect with reverb and the relatively new process of doubletracking, in which the performers sang along with their own pre-recorded part to produce a stronger sound than with a single voice, in part due to a natural time gap of a fraction of a second between the original recording and the overdubbed part. At first pairs of tape recorders were used, then later multitrack recording machines, to produce the effect.
Guard left the band in 1961 as part of a disagreement over its musical direction. He formed the group Whiskey Hill Singers, and was replaced by John Stewart, who led the group through several more years of popularity until the arrival of The Beatles and British invasion rock bands pushed them from the charts.
In 1967 the Trio disbanded after a final performance at the Hungry i, June 17, 1967.
Shane, the lone member to resist the break-up of the Trio, started a new group, aptly named, "The New Kingston Trio," in 1969. Eventually, Shane was successful in reaching a contractual agreement with his former partners, Guard, Reynolds, and Werber, to secure and license once again, the original name, "The Kingston Trio" (unencumbered by the adjective new), in 1976.(Blake et al. 1986.) Shane still owns the property today, 2006.
For a number of years in the 1980s Reynolds, one of the original three members, rejoined Shane.
In 2004 Shane retired from the group due to health problems. He was replaced by Bill Zorn, who had been with Shane in an iteration of the group called The New Kingston Trio; Zorn also has been a member of The Limeliters.
In 2005 Bobby Haworth (a one-time member of The Brothers Four) left the group to be replaced by Rick Dougherty, who also had been a member of The Limeliters.
As of 2006, The Kingston Trio consisted of George Grove, Bill Zorn and Rick Dougherty.
in October 2017, Grove, Zorn, and Dougherty were replaced as the Trio by new licensees Reynolds and Marvin and their friend, Tim Gorelangton. In 2018, Josh Reynolds left the group and was replaced by Bob Haworth, who became a member of the band for the third time. At the end of 2018, Haworth left the group and was replaced by Don Marovich.
A Little Soul Is Born
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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In the quiet of the dawn a little soul is born.
Put him in a blanket to see if he is warm.
Hold him very close, just as closely as you can,
For he'll never ever be that little soul again.
On a summer morning there's a little boy play
Discovering the world, that will be his one day.
For he'll never ever be that young boy again.
On an autumn afternoon a young man goes to learn
How to build the bridges and makes the wheels to turn.
And woman you will love him just as often as you can,
For he'll never ever be that young man again.
On a lonely midnight winter an old man goes to sleep,
Leaving everything he owned for other men to keep.
And the earth will hold him close, just as closely as it can,
For he'll never ever be that old man again.
[Epilogue:]
Gone a life of yearning, a heart that's old and worn.
And in the quite of the dawn a little soul is born.
The Kingston Trio's song "A Little Soul Is Born" is a poignant reminder of the transience of life. The song is a reflection on the various stages of life and the inevitability of change. The song opens with the image of a newborn baby, a soul that has just come into existence. The baby is wrapped in a blanket to keep warm, and the singer encourages the listener to hold the baby close because this moment will never come again.
The song then moves on to the stage of childhood, with a little boy discovering the world around him. The singer again urges the listener to watch closely, as the boy will never be that young again. The theme of impermanence is continued in the next stage of life, with a young man going off to learn a trade. The singer suggests that the man should be loved as often as possible because he will never be that young again.
The final verse brings us to old age and death, with an old man passing away and leaving everything behind. The earth is personified as holding the old man close, reminding the listener that even in death, there is a sense of continuity and connection to the natural world. The song ends with a restatement of the opening lines, suggesting that the cycle of life and death is unending.
Line by Line Meaning
In the quiet of the dawn a little soul is born.
At the peaceful beginning of a day, a new life comes into the world.
Put him in a blanket to see if he is warm.
Wrap the baby in a blanket to check if they are comfortable.
Hold him very close, just as closely as you can,
Embrace the newborn as tightly as possible, for they will grow quickly.
For he'll never ever be that little soul again.
This stage of infancy will never occur again, making it precious and fleeting.
On a summer morning there's a little boy play
During a warm day, a child has fun exploring the world around them.
Discovering the world, that will be his one day.
The child is learning about the world that they will eventually inhabit as an adult.
Watch him very close just as closely as you can,
Observe the child intently, as they will grow up and change rapidly.
For he'll never ever be that young boy again.
The child will continue to mature, and the joyful innocence of youth will eventually give way to adulthood.
On an autumn afternoon a young man goes to learn
A young adult spends time acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in their chosen field.
How to build the bridges and makes the wheels to turn.
The young man is studying how to create the things that make society function.
And woman you will love him just as often as you can,
If the young adult has a partner, they should cherish every moment spent together.
For he'll never ever be that young man again.
The young adult will continue to age, and the vigor of youth will eventually fade.
On a lonely midnight winter an old man goes to sleep,
In the middle of a cold winter night, an elderly man passes away.
Leaving everything he owned for other men to keep.
His possessions will become the property of others once he has passed away.
And the earth will hold him close, just as closely as it can,
When the old man is buried, the earth will embrace him just as lovingly as he was held by his loved ones in life.
For he'll never ever be that old man again.
The old man's life has ended, and that stage of existence will never repeat itself.
Gone a life of yearning, a heart that's old and worn.
The elderly man has lived a lifetime seeking fulfillment, and his heart and body have become tired from the effort.
And in the quiet of the dawn a little soul is born.
At the start of another day, a new life enters the world, perpetuating the cycle of birth and death.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN C. STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind