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.
Jackson
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've been talkin' 'bout Jackson ever since the fire went out.
I'm goin' to Jackson. Gonna mess around.
I'm goin' to Jackson. You know I'm pleasure bound.
Well, you go on, sweet daddy, go ahead and wreck your health.
Play your hand like a lover man and make a big fool of yourself.
Go on to Jackson. Comb your hair.
When I breeze into that city, people gonna scrape and bow.
All them women gonna beg me teach 'em what they don't know how.
I'm goin' down to Jackson. Turn loose my coat.
I'm goin' to Jackson. "Goodbye," that's all she wrote.
When they laugh at you in Jackson, I'll be dancin' on the pony keg.
Then I'll lead you 'round town like a scolded hound,
With your tail tucked between your legs.
So, go on down to Jackson. You big talkin' man.
I'll be waitin' in Jackson behind my Japan fan.
The song Jackson by The Kingston Trio is a classic country song which tells a story of two lovers who got hitched in hot passion and then parted ways with bitterness. The lyrics depict the couple's history and their intentions to go separate ways to Jackson, a city in West Tennessee. The first verse starts by portraying their enthusiastic but impulsive wedding in great passion, telling the listener that they had been talking about Jackson since they lost their passion. The singer then sings about their intentions to go to Jackson separately and spend their time leisurely “messing around” and “teaching what they don’t know-how,” respectively.
The second verse is sung from the perspective of the woman. She urges her lover to go ahead and indulge himself but also tells him that he will make a fool out of himself. She then somewhat mockingly tells him to comb his hair and say his goodbye before heading to Jackson. The next few lines indicate the woman’s confidence in herself, that she is going to be a hit in Jackson and everyone will be waiting for her to 'teach' them. Finally, in the last lines, the woman warns her partner that she will be waiting for him in Jackson with her fan, and while he gets laughed at in Jackson, she will be “dancing on the pony keg.”
Line by Line Meaning
We got married in a fever. Hotter than a pepper sprout.
We got married impulsively and with intense passion.
We've been talkin' 'bout Jackson ever since the fire went out.
We have been discussing the idea of leaving or changing our current situation ever since the passion in our relationship began to fade.
I'm goin' to Jackson. Gonna mess around.
I am leaving to explore new experiences and potentially cheat on my partner.
I'm goin' to Jackson. You know I'm pleasure bound.
I am going to Jackson with the intention of seeking pleasure, even if it means hurting my partner.
Well, you go on, sweet daddy, go ahead and wreck your health.
You can continue on with your reckless behavior and it will eventually catch up to you.
Play your hand like a lover man and make a big fool of yourself.
Continue to act like a player and you will ultimately embarrass yourself.
Go on to Jackson. Comb your hair.
Leave and try to make yourself presentable and attractive to others.
Gotta snowball Jackson. See if I care.
I will try to turn the people of Jackson against you and it won't bother me if I succeed.
When I breeze into that city, people gonna scrape and bow.
When I arrive in Jackson, people will fawn over me and treat me with excessive respect.
All them women gonna beg me teach 'em what they don't know how.
Women will be drawn to me and beg for my attention and expertise in certain areas.
I'm goin' down to Jackson. Turn loose my coat.
I am going to Jackson with a sense of bravado, ready to take on whatever comes my way.
I'm goin' to Jackson. "Goodbye," that's all she wrote.
I am leaving my current situation, with no intention of returning or reconciling.
When they laugh at you in Jackson, I'll be dancin' on the pony keg.
If you are humiliated in Jackson, I will revel in your shame and celebrate my own success.
Then I'll lead you 'round town like a scolded hound, with your tail tucked between your legs.
I will humiliate and dominate you when we return home, making you feel like a beaten dog.
So, go on down to Jackson. You big talkin' man.
Go ahead and try to prove yourself in Jackson, even though you are all talk and no action.
I'll be waitin' in Jackson behind my Japan fan.
I will be waiting for you in Jackson, but I will keep my true intentions hidden behind a mask of false pretenses.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOHN BARRY, LESLIE BRICUSSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
fanchbrezoneg
nobody says the Kingston Trio was the first performer of this song, like many others.
auke524
The original version is by one of the song's co-writers, Billy Ed Wheeler, Kapp Records,1963.
JR Y
This version and the Flatt and Scruggs version also came out in 1963. Not sure which was released first but I always thought this was the original version
SavoyBG
The Kingston Trio version was recorded 4 months before the Wheeler version.
Richard Smith
NOT the original. The original is by the writer Billy Ed Wheeler. Billy is known for the (Outhouse song) "Ode to The Little Brown Shack Out Back).
Joey Ace
Johnny Cash first discovered this song on this album in 1963.
ref : CASH - The Authorized Biography - Steve Turner p 92
Bo Brummel
I think Raj means this is the original Kingston Trio version, people
Steven Martin
DOESN'T IT SOUND LIKE THEY SAY. "I'LL BE DANCING ON THE PONY'S TAIL? AT THE 1:30 MARK