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.
Blowin
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind
How many times must a man look up before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take 'till he knows that too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind
The lyrics of "Blowin' in the Wind" by The Kingston Trio are a series of rhetorical questions that challenge the listener to consider the state of the world and human experience. The first stanza asks how many obstacles must be overcome before a man can be considered a man, and how many tragedies must occur before war is finally eliminated. The second stanza continues with the theme of perception, asking how many times a man needs to look up to finally see the beauty of the world around him, and how many ears one needs to hear the cries of people in need. The last stanza poses a question about freedom and human rights, asking how long it takes for a mountain to erode and how many years people must endure before they can finally experience true freedom.
Ultimately, the answer to all of these questions is not given, as the answer is "blowin' in the wind." This phrase implies that the solution is intangible and cannot be easily grasped, highlighting the complex nature of the issues at hand.
Overall, "Blowin' in the Wind" is a protest song that is both timeless and universal. It serves as a call to action and a reminder that there is always more work to be done in the pursuit of justice and equality.
Line by Line Meaning
How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?
At what point does someone become an adult and earn respect from society through their experiences and choices?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail before she sleeps in the sand?
What needs to happen for peace and freedom to exist in the world, especially for those who are oppressed?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly before they're forever banned?
How much destruction and violence needs to happen in order for people to realize the harm it causes and put an end to it?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind
The answer to these questions is unknown and elusive, like the wind, and may require a change in perspective or societal norms to truly understand.
How many times must a man look up before he can see the sky?
At what point does someone become aware of their surroundings and begin to appreciate the beauty in the world?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry?
What needs to happen for empathy and compassion to exist in the world, especially for those who are suffering?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take 'till he knows that too many people have died?
How much tragedy and loss needs to happen for people to realize the value of human life and work towards preventing unnecessary death and suffering?
How many years must a mountain exist before it's washed to the sea?
What needs to happen for nature and the environment to thrive, and how do human actions affect this balance?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?
What needs to happen for equality and justice to exist in the world, especially for groups that have historically been oppressed?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn't see?
How much denial and avoidance needs to happen before people acknowledge and work to solve societal problems and injustices?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind
Once again, the answer to these questions is unknown and elusive, and may require a shift in perspective or societal norms to truly understand and address the issues at hand.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chijioke Okafor
How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind
How many times must a man look up before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind
How many years must a mountain exist before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head, pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind. The answer is blowin' in the wind
duvessa2003
My dad, who died young, also played this for us. My sister and I used to lie in bed singing along before going to sleep. Some of my fondest memories of him...
Solo Christo
Great rendition! I love these guys together. It brings back memories of my parents playing their records when we were growing up. Thanks!
elmerhobbit1130
Brings me back to my days growing up. All these songs are so familiar.
Cristina Lidstone
Love the song and the cover with The Kingston Trio
Amber Sterling
This is one of my favourite songs that my dad used to play. I wish that he were still alive to hear it with me. The funny thing is that when he knew he was going to die, he wanted his ashes blowing in the wind somewhere in New Mexico, but chose a gravesite in Santa Fe so that our family would have a site to see him.
Maj-Brith H
They were really good!!
Becky
Great cover. Lovely intro and outro <3
Banjo! :D
joripage1
They were the best. So good
Phillip Lohnes
Just saw the current version of the Trio. Still quite enjoyable.
anthony belcher
Great song