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.
Easy To Arrange
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you really on the rebound? Don't you know what you have done? Did you try and reach for something new?
Did you do it 'cause you loved him or did you do it out of spite? Is it really what you want for you?
Chorus:
Was it my fault that you turned around and grabbed the next one down or something that I said that made you change?
If it was then please forgive me 'cause I didn't know you cared after all it was so easy to arrange.
I thought we had it straight between us. We were out for a good time. Guess my mouth ain't always hooked up to my mind.
If it was I'd try to talk to you, tell you what to do. I'd surely like to try most any time.
(Chorus)
Just hold on and remember if you need you've got a friend, someone to share your secrets not your lies.
The time we had together was a crazy one at best and if we never fell in love at least we tried.
(Chorus)
The Kingston Trio's song Easy To Arrange is a ballad that expresses a feeling of regret caused by a relationship ending abruptly. The song was written by David Wiffen, a Canadian singer and songwriter who is well known for his contribution to the folk music genre. The lyrics convey a message of remorse and self-reflection where the singer questions whether the other person "grabbed the next one down" due to spite or genuine feelings.
The first verse begins with a series of interrelated questions directed at the other person, and it's evident that a sense of confusion surrounds the events that unfolded. The singer wants to know if the other person was confused, seeking something new, or trying to hurt them. In the chorus, the singer asks whether they were at fault for the other person's actions and apologizes if they said anything that contributed to the outcome. The regretful tone is heightened by the repeated line, "It was so easy to arrange," which highlights how effortless it was for the relationship to dissolve.
The second verse reveals that the singer thought the relationship was going well and that they were enjoying each other's company. However, he recognizes that his words didn't always convey what he intended, which may have caused misunderstandings. The final verse is a message of support and friendship to the other person. The singer acknowledges that their time together was memorable, and they will always have a connection, but it's clear that things will never be the same.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you really on the rebound?
Are you still recovering from your previous relationship?
Don't you know what you have done?
Are you aware of your actions and their impact?
Did you try and reach for something new?
Did you attempt to move on to someone else?
Did you do it 'cause you loved him or did you do it out of spite?
Did you pursue a new relationship out of love or revenge?
Is it really what you want for you?
Is this new relationship truly what you desire?
Was it my fault that you turned around and grabbed the next one down or something that I said that made you change?
Did I cause you to seek a new relationship or was it something I said?
If it was then please forgive me 'cause I didn't know you cared after all it was so easy to arrange.
If I caused your actions, please forgive me because I didn't realize the depth of your feelings and the ease of your actions.
I thought we had it straight between us.
I believed we had a mutual understanding of our relationship.
We were out for a good time.
We were enjoying ourselves.
Guess my mouth ain't always hooked up to my mind.
Sometimes I speak without thinking.
If it was I'd try to talk to you, tell you what to do.
If I caused your actions, I would offer guidance and support.
I'd surely like to try most any time.
I would be willing to try to make things right at any time.
Just hold on and remember if you need you've got a friend, someone to share your secrets not your lies.
Remember that I am here for you as a friend and you can confide in me truthfully.
The time we had together was a crazy one at best and if we never fell in love at least we tried.
Our time together was tumultuous, but at least we had the experience of trying to love.
If it was then please forgive me 'cause I didn't know you cared after all it was so easy to arrange.
Repeats previous line.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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