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.
Haul Away
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
It's every man aloft my boys or we'll be driven under
'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
'Way haul away, we're bound for better weather
'Way haul away, well, haul away, Joe
'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
But now the breeze is from the East, we'll come about for Boston
'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
East wind bring us home
The ragged heavens open up, we sound the jubilation
'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
The setting sun's a beacon, boys, the sign of our salvation
'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
'Way, haul away, we're bound for better weather
'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
East wind bring us home
The Kingston Trio's song "Haul Away" depicts the life of sailors caught in the midst of a storm out in the open sea. The song's chorus, "Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe," is a refrain that sailors would sing as they rowed or hauled ropes on a ship. The first verse describes the difficult conditions the sailors are facing, as they are battered by the storm and waves crash over the bow of their ship. The second verse talks about the perseverance of the sailors through their labor, as they strive to stay afloat and reach their destination. Finally, the last verse describes the sailors' jubilation as they sail towards better weather, with the East wind finally bringing them home.
Line by Line Meaning
We're running down a stormy sea and rolling through the thunder
We are sailing through rough waters and strong storms.
'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
The crew is singing a work song to help them coordinate their efforts.
It's every man aloft my boys or we'll be driven under
Everyone needs to work together or else the ship will be in danger.
'Way haul away, we're bound for better weather
Despite the rough waters, the crew is optimistic that they will reach better conditions.
'Way haul away, well, haul away, Joe
The work song continues.
For seven days and seven nights, we've labored to exhaustion
The crew has been working hard for a long time without rest.
But now the breeze is from the East, we'll come about for Boston
There is finally a change in the wind that will allow the ship to change course towards its destination.
'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
The crew continues to sing their work song.
East wind bring us home
The wind is finally blowing in the direction they need to go to reach home.
The ragged heavens open up, we sound the jubilation
The clouds are clearing and the crew is celebrating.
The setting sun's a beacon, boys, the sign of our salvation
The sight of the setting sun is a sign of hope and a reminder that they will eventually reach their destination.
'Way haul away, we're bound for better weather
The crew sings again, still hopeful for better conditions.
'Way, haul away, well, haul away, Joe
The work song continues until the crew reaches home.
East wind bring us home
The repeated lyric serves as a reminder and a plea for favorable winds to take them home safely.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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