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.
Dorie
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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Dorie, Dorie, Dorie by the firelight,
Come and dance with me.
Blazing in the night, the fire grows.
Come and shout and sing,
Make the mountains ring while our hearts beat high.
Come and sing and shout.
[Chorus]
Burn me with desire.
Set my heart a-fire.
Throw your cares away.
When the dance is through,
I'll be holding you 'til the break of day.
Dorie, Dorie, Dorie. [Repeat]
By the firelight, come and dance with me.
Blazing in the night, the fire grows.
By the firelight, find romance with me.
You are mine tonight, the fire grows, grows, grows, grows, grows, hey!
The lyrics to The Kingston Trio's song Dorie convey a sense of joy and excitement as the singer invites Dorie to come and dance with him by the firelight. The chorus repeats the name "Dorie" and reinforces the passionate and fiery nature of the night, as the flames grow higher and the mountain echoes with shouts and songs. The singer's desire for Dorie is also highlighted in the second verse, where he asks her to "burn me with desire" and set his heart "a-fire". The lyrics convey a sense of abandon and surrender to the moment, with the promise of holding each other till the break of day.
Overall, the song's message is one of living in the present and fully embracing the joy and passion that life has to offer, especially when shared with someone special. The firelight serves as a metaphor for the heat of desire and the intensity of the moment, highlighting both the singer's desire for Dorie and the urgency to live in the present and make the most of the time they have together.
Line by Line Meaning
Dorie, Dorie, Dorie by the firelight,
Inviting Dorie to come dance by the firelight
Come and dance with me.
Asking Dorie to dance with the singer
Blazing in the night, the fire grows.
The fire grows stronger as the night goes on
Come and shout and sing,
Encouraging Dorie to shout and sing
Make the mountains ring while our hearts beat high.
Singing and shouting loudly enough to make the mountains echo, feeling alive in the moment
Come and sing and shout.
Encouraging Dorie again to sing and shout
Laugh and turn about while the flames reach the sky.
Laugh and dance around while the fire grows higher
Burn me with desire.
Asking Dorie to ignite the singer with passion
Set my heart a-fire.
Asking Dorie to make the singer's heart burst with emotion
Throw your cares away.
Asking Dorie to let go of her worries and just enjoy the moment
When the dance is through,
Referring to after the dancing is finished
I'll be holding you 'til the break of day.
The singer will hold Dorie until the sun rises
Dorie, Dorie, Dorie.
Repeating Dorie's name
By the firelight, come and dance with me.
Repeating the invitation to dance by the firelight
Blazing in the night, the fire grows.
Repeating that the fire continues to get stronger
By the firelight, find romance with me.
Also inviting Dorie to find romance with the singer
You are mine tonight, the fire grows, grows, grows, grows, grows, hey!
Telling Dorie that she belongs to the singer tonight and the fire continues to blaze and intensify
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB SHANE, DAVE GUARD, NICK REYNOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind