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.
Buddy Better Get On Down The Line
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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Buddy, better get on down the line,
Here comes ninety-seven,
Making up some time
Buddy, this is ninety-seven at your back
Got a ton of coal poured down the stack
Here comes ninety-seven, runnin' down the track
Baby, now don't get in my way
When I'm in town, you call me sugar, honey
When I'm gone, just run around and play
Buddy, better get on down the line
Buddy, better get on down the line,
Here comes ninety-seven,
Comin' in on time
Met a lot of weather early today
Makin' up an hour and a quarter delay
Here comes ninety-seven, roarin' all the way
Roll on, pretty baby, roll on
You know you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You mess around too long and now I'm leavin'
Bye-bye, adios, farewell, so long
Buddy, better get on down the line
Buddy, better get on down the line,
Here comes ninety-seven,
Making up some time
Buddy, this is ninety-seven at your back
Got a ton of coal poured down the stack
Here comes ninety-seven, runnin' down the track
Buddy, better get on down the line
Buddy, better get on down the line,
Here comes ninety-seven,
Making up some time
Buddy, this is ninety-seven at your back
Got a ton of coal poured down the stack
Here comes ninety-seven, runnin' down the track
The Kingston Trio's song "Buddy Better Get On Down The Line" is a fast-paced, upbeat tune with vivid imagery about a train that's on its way. The song's opening line, "Buddy, better get on down the line," serves as a warning to someone that they need to move quickly, as a train (No. 97) is coming through, picking up speed after being slowed down by bad weather earlier in the day. The lyrics paint a picture of a train that's powerful and fast, with "a ton of coal poured down the stack."
The second half of the lyrics shifts to a different topic, with the singer addressing a lover who has played games and not been serious in the relationship. He warns her that he's leaving town and tells her to "just run around and play," showing that he has lost interest in her. Overall, the song's lyrics are lively and paint a clear picture of a powerful locomotive and a man who is ready to move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Buddy, better get on down the line
Buddy, you should hurry and leave
Buddy, better get on down the line,
Here comes ninety-seven,
Making up some time
Buddy, train number 97 is behind you and catching up fast
Buddy, this is ninety-seven at your back
Got a ton of coal poured down the stack
Here comes ninety-seven, runnin' down the track
Train number 97 is a coal-powered train and speeding towards you
Hey, hey, pretty baby, hey, hey
Baby, now don't get in my way
When I'm in town, you call me sugar, honey
When I'm gone, just run around and play
Hey there, woman. Please don't hold me back. You only treat me kindly when I'm here, but when I'm gone you do whatever you want
Met a lot of weather early today
Makin' up an hour and a quarter delay
Here comes ninety-seven, roarin' all the way
Although the train experienced bad weather which caused a delay, it is now making up for lost time and approaching at a high speed
Roll on, pretty baby, roll on
You know you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You mess around too long and now I'm leavin'
Bye-bye, adios, farewell, so long
You can keep playing around with me, but eventually I will leave and you will regret it
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: DAVE GUARD, JANE BOWERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind