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.
Just Once Around The Clock
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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You'll find me making no demand or claim upon you.
Kiss me and forget. Kiss me and forget.
Kiss me while you may.
Tomorrow is another day, so, while you're glowing with the sweet, warm flame upon you
Let it burn away. Let its light be short and gay.
Just once around the clock and then goodbye, dear. Love likes to fly by night so let it fly, dear.
Just once around the clock as happy strangers who seek the joys of life without its dangers.
Just once around the clock, let beauty lead you and when it's over, darling, God speed you.
Just as we met with the coming of the moonlight, we'll part with the rising of the sun.
Nothing to regret tomorrow, nothing to regret.
There will be no regrets tomorrow, nothing to be remorseful about.
You'll find me making no demand or claim upon you.
I won't ask for anything or make any demands from you.
Kiss me and forget. Kiss me and forget.
Kiss me and let all worries and thoughts be forgotten.
Kiss me while you may.
Seize the opportunity to kiss me now.
Tomorrow is another day, so, while you're glowing with the sweet, warm flame upon you
Tomorrow is a fresh start, so enjoy the moment while you are feeling happy and warm.
Let it burn away. Let its light be short and gay.
Let this momentary happiness burn and fade away quickly.
Just once around the clock and then goodbye, dear. Love likes to fly by night so let it fly, dear.
Let's have one night of love and then say goodbye. Love is fleeting, like the night, so let it go.
Love likes to fly by night so let it fly, dear and when it's over bid me goodbye, dear.
Love is transient and unpredictable, so let it go and say goodbye when it's done.
Just once around the clock as happy strangers who seek the joys of life without its dangers.
Let's experience one night together as strangers, seeking the joys of life without worrying about the risks.
Just once around the clock, let beauty lead you and when it's over, darling, God speed you.
Only once, let yourself be guided by beauty throughout the night, and when it's over, farewell and good luck.
Just as we met with the coming of the moonlight, we'll part with the rising of the sun.
Just like our meeting under the moonlight, we will separate when the sun rises.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN, II, OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN, SIGMUND ROMBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Frank S
Unreleased cut (for good reason); Dave liked the song, but producer Voyle Gilmore thought it was a poor choice. Bob & Nick agreed. Dave became angry and stormed out of the recording session and later returned. The song was not included on the Trio's "Sold Out" album. Source - "Greenback Dollar: The Incredible Rise Of The Kingston Trio" by William J. Bush (2013), pp. 212-213.