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.
Ally Ally Oxen Free
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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Time to let the rain fall without the help of man. Time to let the trees grow tall. Now, if they only can.
Time to let our children live in a land that's free. Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free.
Time to blow the smoke away and look at the sky again. Time to let our friends know we'd like to begin again.
Time to send a message across the land and sea. Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free.
Time to see the fairness of a children's game. Time for men to stop and learn to do the same.
Time to make our minds up if the world at last will be. Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free.
The Kingston Trio's song "Ally Ally Oxen Free" is a poignant commentary on humanity's impact on the natural world and our relationships with one another. The song opens with a call to allow nature to take its proper course without human interference, such as allowing rain to fall naturally and trees to grow tall without being cut down prematurely. The repetition of "Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free" emphasizes the importance of granting freedom to both nature and people, suggesting that we must let go of our need to control and manipulate our surroundings.
The song then shifts its focus to human relationships, calling for an end to the pervasive themes of secrecy and deception. The lyrics ask us to "blow the smoke away" - a metaphor for revealing the truth - and to communicate honestly with our friends and loved ones. The message is simple but profound: in order to create a better world, we must learn to find common ground and work towards our shared goals.
The final verse calls for an end to childish competition and a move towards fairness and equality. The repeated use of "ally" represents the idea of working together towards a common goal, rather than pitting ourselves against one another in a never-ending game of "hide and seek." The song ends on a hopeful note, urging listeners to come together and create a world that is truly free.
Line by Line Meaning
Time to let the rain fall without the help of man. Time to let the trees grow tall. Now, if they only can.
It is time for us to allow nature to take its course without interference. We must give nature the gift of growing free, even if we aren't sure it can.
Time to let our children live in a land that's free. Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free.
We must allow our children to live in a land where they can express themselves freely, without any restrictions. 'Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free' is a call to all those involved to do away with any hindrances, making the land a truly free place.
Time to blow the smoke away and look at the sky again. Time to let our friends know we'd like to begin again.
It is the right time to let go of the pollution that certain people create, and to rediscover the scenic beauty around. We must attempt to reconcile by initiating a renewed relationship with our comrades, and the world in general - thereby facilitating peace and progress.
Time to send a message across the land and sea. Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free.
This line urges people to spread a message across the land and sea, promoting unity, freedom, and mutual respect. The phrase 'Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free' emphasizes that the era of deceit, miscommunication and misunderstanding is over.
Strong and weak, mild and meek, no more hide and seek.
There should be no more discrimination based upon anyone's strengths or weaknesses. Rather, we must eradicate the game of hide-and-seek from society to promote transparency and honesty in our actions.
Time to see the fairness of a children's game. Time for men to stop and learn to do the same.
It is crucial for society to understand that it needs to learn from basic childhood games, which taught us the importance of fairness, in order to lead a peaceful life. The line also elicits the need for men to evolve into better, more decent human beings, which involves understanding fairness and its importance.
Time to make our minds up if the world at last will be. Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free.
This line calls upon everyone to ponder and make a stand on whether the world can live in peace or not. The phrase 'Ally, ally, ally, ally, oxen free' is a call to unite, remove all shackles and become one ethically sound race.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Rod Mckuen, STEPHEN YATES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind