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.
All Through the Night
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guardian angels God will send thee, all through the night
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping, hill and vale in slumber sleeping
God, His loving vigil keeping, all through the night
While the moon her watch is keeping, all through the night
While the weary world is sleeping, all through the night
Through your dreams, you're swiftly stealing, visions of delight revealing
You, my God, a babe of wonder, all through the night
Dreams you dream can't break from thunder, all through the night
Children's dreams cannot be broken, life is but a lovely token
Christmas should be softly spoken all through the night
The Kingston Trio's song, "All Through the Night," is a lullaby that invokes prayer and protection from God for a child while they sleep. The first verse calls for the child to sleep peacefully while the angels watch over them. The second verse continues to declare that the child is safe and sound, even while the rest of the world sleeps. The last verse draws parallels between the child and Jesus, who was also a baby wrapped in wonder.
One interpretation of the song could be that it's a prayer for safety and protection, perhaps in uncertain times. The message is that God is there for the child through the night and that they can sleep soundly with the knowledge that they are being watched over. The song's connection to Christmas also implies that it's a time of magic and wonder, and that even the dreams of children during this time are especially powerful and meaningful.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleep, my child and peace attend thee, all through the night
May you enjoy a peaceful sleep throughout the night, my child.
Guardian angels God will send thee, all through the night
God will send you guardian angels to guide and protect you throughout the night.
Soft the drowsy hours are creeping, hill and vale in slumber sleeping
The hours of sleep are gradually approaching, and the hills and valleys are already sleeping.
God, His loving vigil keeping, all through the night
God is watching over you with love, and will continue to do so throughout the night.
While the moon her watch is keeping, all through the night
While the moon is shining and watching over us, we will be kept safe throughout the night.
While the weary world is sleeping, all through the night
Even though the world is tired and resting, we will be safe and protected through the night.
Through your dreams, you're swiftly stealing, visions of delight revealing
You are quickly and joyfully embracing dreams that are revealing visions of delight to you.
Christmas time is so appealing, all through the night
Throughout the magical night, the wonder and beauty of Christmas can be felt and appreciated.
You, my God, a babe of wonder, all through the night
Throughout the night, you, my God, are a wondrous child.
Dreams you dream can't break from thunder, all through the night
The dreams you are having are so strong and reassuring that they cannot be disrupted by thunder during the night.
Children's dreams cannot be broken, life is but a lovely token
The dreams of children are unbreakable, and life itself is a precious gift.
Christmas should be softly spoken all through the night
Christmas should be celebrated with gentle voices that set a peaceful and calm tone throughout the night.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind