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.
Corey Corey
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the mountains
That's where my Corey dwells
She makes the finest mash liquor
What she doesn't drink she sells
Well, the first time I seen darlin' Corey
She was weavin' through the woods
And a satchel full of goods
Please do drop down next Monday
Please bring me a jug or five
When the sun comes up on Tuesday
Don't figure to be alive
Don't care if you are livin'
Don't care if you are dead
If you're gonna drink my product
Then I'm gonna take your bread (Frail, pardner)
Well, the last time I seen darlin' Corey,
She was wand'rin' through the weeds
With a government man behind her
Gonna grab her for her deeds
Wake up, wake up,
Darlin' Corey
What makes you sleep so sound?
The revenue officer's are comin',
Gonna tear your still house down
The Kingston Trio's "Corey Corey" is a traditional American folk song about a moonshiner who lives in a pine log shack in the mountains. Corey, a woman, is known for her skill in making mash liquor and selling it to customers. The singer of the song reminisces about the time he first saw Corey weaving through the woods with a kerosene lantern and a satchel full of goods. The song takes a foreboding turn as Corey warns her customers not to drink her moonshine on Tuesday morning unless they want to risk dying. She is ruthless when it comes to protecting her trade, telling her customers that she doesn't care if they are dead or alive, as long as they pay for her product.
The song ends on a dark note as the singer sees Corey being chased by government officers who intend to arrest her for her illegal moonshining. The lyrics mention how the officers will tear down her still house. Overall, the song provides a glimpse into the dangerous and illegal world of moonshining in rural America, and the risks involved in producing and consuming illicit alcohol.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a pine log shack
There exists a small wooden cabin made of pine logs.
In the mountains
The cabin is located in the mountains, far from usual civilization.
That's where my Corey dwells
Corey, who the singer knows, lives in that cabin in the mountains.
She makes the finest mash liquor
Corey is skilled at creating a quality alcoholic brew by mixing ingredients.
What she doesn't drink she sells
Corey both consumes and sells the liquor she produces for profit.
Well, the first time I seen darlin' Corey
The singer recalls the moment they first met Corey, a woman they call 'darlin'.
She was weavin' through the woods
Corey was moving through the trees, possibly collecting ingredients or supplies.
With a kerosene lantern on her shoulder
Corey carried a large lantern that used kerosene fuel to light her way in the dark woods.
And a satchel full of goods
Corey also had a bag with her, likely containing tools or supplies she used for her business.
Please do drop down next Monday
The singer requests that Corey visit them on the upcoming Monday.
Please bring me a jug or five
The singer asks that Corey bring multiple jugs of her liquor.
When the sun comes up on Tuesday
The singer predicts that by the next morning, they may be dead.
Don't figure to be alive
The singer expects that they may die soon after drinking Corey's potent liquor.
Don't care if you are livin'
Corey does not care if her customers are alive or dead as long as they pay for the liquor.
Don't care if you are dead
Corey is focused only on profiting from her liquor and does not take her customers' safety seriously.
If you're gonna drink my product
Corey is warning her customers that if they choose to drink her liquor, they do so at their own risk.
Then I'm gonna take your bread (Frail, pardner)
Corey will take all the money her customers have, vulnerable as they may be.
Well, the last time I seen darlin' Corey,
The singer recalls the last time they saw Corey.
She was wand'rin' through the weeds
Corey was aimlessly wandering through a field of tall plants.
With a government man behind her
Corey is being pursued by a law enforcement officer.
Gonna grab her for her deeds
The officer is attempting to catch Corey for operating a bootlegging business and breaking the law.
Wake up, wake up,
The singer is attempting to wake up Corey from her sleep.
Darlin' Corey
The singer is addressing Corey in a friendly manner.
What makes you sleep so sound?
The singer is inquiring why Corey is sleeping so deeply, even with their pursuers nearby.
The revenue officer's are comin',
The singer warns Corey that the government officials are closing in on her.
Gonna tear your still house down
The officers intend to destroy Corey's liquor-producing equipment and shut down her business.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidpickford8333
One of the best kingston trio songs ever. They don't have too many quite like this. Little Maggie is close
@nolanbowen8800
Give a listen to Coal Tattoo, Jane Jane Jane, and many others.
@scotnick59
AGREED/
@marknewton6984
They Call the Wind Mariah!
@ghazman6141
RIP Bob. Thank you so much for all the entertainment you brought. The KT was one of the best bands the world has ever seen! You will be missed.
@scotnick59
Absolutely you will!
@marknewton6984
Hear hear!!
@gregwain
I grew up listening to this and all their records and learned to play it all on my guitar because my dad knew great music!! Still love it!!
@johnwints5888
Thanks Bob, Dave and NicK for introducing us, city slickers to folk music in 1959. I have never looked back!
@richardmcree6992
Saw them twice. Magnificent shows!!