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.
Desert Pete
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
'Cross a little cactus desert under a hot blisterin' sun
I was thirsty down to my toenails, stopped to rest me on a stump
But I tell ya I just couldn't believe it when I saw that water pump
I took it to be a mirage at first, it'll fool a thirsty man
Then I saw a note stuck in a bakin' powder can
This pump is old, the note began, but she works so give'er a try
I put a new sucker washer in 'er, you may find the leather dry
You've got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe
You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive
Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet
Leave the bottle full for others, thank you kindly, desert Pete
Yeah, you'll have to prime the pump, work that handle like there's a fire
Under that rock you'll find some water I left in a bitters jar
Now there's just enough to prime it with so dont'cha go drinkin' first
You just pour it in and pump like mad, buddy, you'll quench your thirst
You've got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe
You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive
Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet
Leave the bottle full for others, thank you kindly, desert Pete
Well I found that jar and I tell ya nothin' was ever prettier to my eye
And I was tempted strong to drink it, 'cause that pump looked mighty dry
But the note went on have faith my friend, there's water down below
You've got to give until you get—I'm the one who ought to know
So I poured in the jar and I started pumpin' and I heard a beautiful sound
Of water bubblin' and splashin' up outta that hole in the ground
I took off my shoes and I drunk my fill of that cool refreshing treat
I thank the Lord and thank the pump and I thank old desert Pete
You've got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe
You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive
Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet
Leave the bottle full for others, thank you kindly, desert Pete
Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet
Leave the bottle full for others, thank you kindly, desert Pete
The Kingston Trio’s song “Desert Pete” tells a story of a weary traveler crossing a desert, searching for water to quench his thirst. He stumbles upon an old water pump in the middle of the arid terrain and discovers a note in a baking powder can, instructing him to prime the pump before using it. At first, he is skeptical, but he decides to follow the instructions and prime the pump, despite his desperate need for water. Eventually, the pump starts working, and he's able to drink to his heart's content.
The song’s lyrics go beyond the story of the traveler and serve as a metaphor for life. “Desert Pete” encourages listeners to invest in themselves and their future, even if it means making sacrifices and giving before receiving. In this way, the song implores us to have faith and believe in the future, to give beyond what we think we can, and to embrace life’s challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
I was travelin' west a buckskin on my way to a cattle run
I was riding a horse on my way to guide cattle towards the west
'Cross a little cactus desert under a hot blisterin' sun
I crossed a small desert area with cacti in scorching heat
I was thirsty down to my toenails, stopped to rest me on a stump
I was extremely thirsty and stopped to rest on a tree stump
But I tell ya I just couldn't believe it when I saw that water pump
I was surprised to see a water pump in the middle of the desert
I took it to be a mirage at first, it'll fool a thirsty man
At first, I thought the water pump was just an illusion since thirst can cause hallucinations
Then I saw a note stuck in a bakin' powder can
I noticed a message placed inside a baking powder can
This pump is old, the note began, but she works so give'er a try
The note mentioned that the pump is old, but it still works so I should try using it
I put a new sucker washer in 'er, you may find the leather dry
The note also said that a new part was added to the pump and the leather may be dry
You've got to prime the pump, you must have faith and believe
Before using the pump, I need to prime it by adding water and believe that it will work
You've got to give of yourself 'fore you're worthy to receive
I need to give water to the pump first before it can give me water back
Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet
After using the pump, I should drink as much water as possible, wash my face, and cool my feet
Leave the bottle full for others, thank you kindly, desert Pete
I should leave the water bottle full for others to use and thank Desert Pete for leaving the pump and the note
Yeah, you'll have to prime the pump, work that handle like there's a fire
I need to keep pumping until the water comes out, as if there is a fire
Under that rock you'll find some water I left in a bitters jar
There is a jar of water hidden under a rock that Desert Pete left for me to prime the pump
Now there's just enough to prime it with so dont'cha go drinkin' first
The jar has just enough water to prime the pump, so I should not drink it all at once
You just pour it in and pump like mad, buddy, you'll quench your thirst
I need to pour the jar of water in the pump and then pump it quickly to get fresh water to drink
Well I found that jar and I tell ya nothin' was ever prettier to my eye
I found the jar of water and it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen
And I was tempted strong to drink it, 'cause that pump looked mighty dry
I was tempted to drink the water from the jar since the pump looked dry
But the note went on have faith my friend, there's water down below
The note reminded me to have faith that there is more water underground
You've got to give until you get—I'm the one who ought to know
The note explained that I need to give water to the pump before it can give me water back, and Desert Pete is the one who knows this best
So I poured in the jar and I started pumpin' and I heard a beautiful sound
I poured the water in the pump and started pumping, and I heard a lovely sound of water coming up
Of water bubblin' and splashin' up outta that hole in the ground
Water was bubbling and splashing out of the ground where the pump was located
I took off my shoes and I drunk my fill of that cool refreshing treat
I removed my shoes and drank as much of the delicious and refreshing water as I could
I thank the Lord and thank the pump and I thank old desert Pete
I thanked God, the pump, and Desert Pete for helping me find water in the desert
Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face, cool your feet
After using the pump, I should drink as much water as possible, wash my face, and cool my feet
Leave the bottle full for others, thank you kindly, desert Pete
I should leave the water bottle full for others to use and thank Desert Pete for leaving the pump and the note
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY EDD WHEELER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@operaguy1
@@demef758
Her voice is unmistakable. I heard it. I just now found this:
Bev Bivens, Mid 1960s: We Five
With the encouragement of her mother, Bivens had developed her singing voice as a child. Around 1963–4, she began performing with Mike Stewart (1945–2002) and Jerry Burgan (1945-2021), who had formed a folk duo at high school and branched out into electronic music with guitarist Bob Jones (died 2013), whom they met at the University of San Francisco. She had been recommended to Mike Stewart by Terry Kirkman, later of The Association, who was then the boyfriend of her sister Barbara.[4]
In 1963, she and Glen Campbell, who also played banjo, had performed background vocals on Desert Pete, a recording by the Kingston Trio,
of which Stewart's brother John (1939–2008) was a member. With the addition of Pete Fullerton, the new group, initially called the Ridgerunners and, for a while, the Mike Stewart Quintet, became known as We Five.[5] They recorded their first album, the highly eclectic You Were on My Mind, for A&M records in 1965 after Herb Alpert, founder of A&M, heard them at the "hungry i", a folk/night club on Jackson Street in the North Beach area of San Francisco.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beverly_Bivens
@tonymercer7759
I was reading from Proverbs 11 this morning . Verses 24 -25 reminded me of this song which i had heard many years ago. The message from Proverbs and "Desert Pete" is a reminder that we are more blessed by God to give than to receive...........
@sandyadair4118
I was reading my devotion and I saw where it mentioned this song. I must admit I've never heard this song before. I truly enjoyed it and I thank God,Jesus and the Holy Spirit for their love and guidance in my life.
@mwadams1
"Leave the bottle full for others." It'd be nice if more people would take that to heart.
@dustyblack5048
this is the last song my granddad taught me to play before he died. he played guitar, me on the banjo. remembering the harmony we had in the chorus still brings tears to my eyes.
@shii5795
My dad used to sing this song to me when I was little. Now he's old and frail and he doesn't sing anymore.
@Telephonebill51
@@shii5795 You should sing it to him. I'm sure it'd spark memories...
@barbarahuber9392
No Evil brought me here....
@guitardzan5641
I was a silly young man. By middle age I came to realize it....I heard this song as I was driving across Texas. It was on one of those old AM radio stations that would fade in and out at night. I had to listen carefully...Somehow, the lyrics struck a chord in me and I would recall them at odd times in the following years.
I don't have any of the answers to the biggest questions, but I have discovered that when I am in trouble is when I need to most be of help to someone else.
Somehow, the Universe will balance things and I will find what I need. It always works that way for me.
Bullshit? Maybe....Try it...You got to have faith. You got to prime the pump, And leave something for the next guy.
@edenraye4828
We sing this EVERY single year at our big family reunions (the whole family sings and 90% play multiple instruments) and I love it so much
@winniehunt8617
wow...how wonderful! God bless you...