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.
Ginny Glen
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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They consider me a roguish lad, especially for my size
And with you, and with you, and with you, Genny Glenn
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
Now, Genny would come a-callin' while there was still some light
I'd put my arm around her and then I'd bar the door
There'd be laughin' and some squealin' like you never heard before
And with you, and with you, and with you, Genny Glenn
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
Well, a lot of girls would-a liked me and they're pretty, heaven knows
But there's something about my Genny that keeps me on my toes
She'd tickle me and squeeze me till I could hardly moan
Then she'd light out a-runnin' and I'd chase her half way home
And with you, and with you, and with you, Genny Glenn
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
Well, she wouldn't come to see me for about a week or more
She'd do it just to tease me 'cause she knew it made me sore
Then I'd do whiskey drinkin' till the jug was getting dry
I'd go lookin' for my Genny with a mean look in my eye
And with you, and with you, and with you, Genny Glenn
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
The Kingston Trio's "Ginny Glen" is a fun and lighthearted song about a young man's courtship of a girl named Ginny Glen. The young man boasts about his reputation as a roguish lad, and how he has courted many girls before Ginny. However, he claims that there is something about Ginny that keeps him on his toes, and he enjoys spending time with her. He sings about how he would take her down to Glasgow Town and dance her home again. The chorus repeats with each stanza, emphasizing the young man's desire to spend time with Ginny.
The song paints a picture of a typical courtship in Scottish culture, with lots of laughter and fun. The young man seems to be infatuated with Ginny, and despite her teasing him by not seeing him for a week or more, the young man still wants to spend time with her. Overall, the song is a sweet and light-hearted ode to young love.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm not gonna brag but I been courtin' all my life
I have been actively pursuing romantic relationships for as long as I can remember, but I do not wish to boast about it.
They consider me a roguish lad, especially for my size
Despite my small stature, people view me as a mischievous young man.
And with you, and with you, and with you, Genny Glenn
I choose you, Genny Glenn, as my partner now and always, and promise to be faithful to you.
I'll take you down to Glasgow Town and dance you home again
I will escort you to Glasgow Town and dance with you for the evening, and then see you safely home again.
Now, Genny would come a-callin' while there was still some light
Genny would often visit me during the daylight hours.
I'd sit her down with a pull or two, she'd stay most all the night
I would offer her drinks and we would talk and laugh together until late at night.
I'd put my arm around her and then I'd bar the door
Once we were alone, I would hold her close and lock the door to ensure our privacy.
There'd be laughin' and some squealin' like you never heard before
We would have a great time together, laughing and playing around in a manner that was perhaps louder and more exuberant than people had heard before.
Well, a lot of girls would-a liked me and they're pretty, heaven knows
Many girls have shown interest in me, and some of them are quite attractive.
But there's something about my Genny that keeps me on my toes
However, there is something special about Genny that makes her stand out from the other girls, and keeps me on my toes in our relationship.
She'd tickle me and squeeze me till I could hardly moan
Genny has an affectionate and playful nature, and she enjoys tickling and hugging me to the point where I am nearly speechless.
Then she'd light out a-runnin' and I'd chase her half way home
After tickling me, Genny would often run away, and I would chase after her for a while before returning home.
Well, she wouldn't come to see me for about a week or more
There were times when Genny would not visit me for extended periods of time, often a week or more.
She'd do it just to tease me 'cause she knew it made me sore
Genny enjoyed teasing me by not visiting, knowing that it would make me upset and longing for her company even more.
Then I'd do whiskey drinkin' till the jug was getting dry
In response to Genny's absence, I would sometimes turn to alcohol and drink heavily until the whiskey jug was nearly empty.
I'd go lookin' for my Genny with a mean look in my eye
When I was drunk and upset, I would go out looking for Genny with a determined and angry expression on my face.
Writer(s): Nick Reynolds, Bob Shane, John Stewart
Contributed by Elizabeth V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.