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.
Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chorus:
Last night I had the strangest dream I never dreamed before. I dreamed the world had all agreed to put an end to war.
I dreamed I saw a mighty room and the room was filled with men
And the papers they were signing said they'd never fight again
And when the papers were all signed and a million copies made,
And the people in the streets below were dancing 'round and 'round
And guns and swords and uniforms were scattered on the ground.
(Chorus)
The Kingston Trio's "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" is a powerful anti-war song that speaks to the heart of humanity's greatest desires for peace, love, and unity. The song begins with the singer describing a dream that he had, one in which the world had come together and agreed to put an end to all forms of violence and war. He describes seeing a room filled with men, all signing a document that would mark the end of all conflicts. After the signing, the people in the streets below began to dance with joy, and all the weapons of war were cast aside.
This song beautifully captures the essence of the human spirit, which longs for a world without violence and war. It speaks to the need for people to join together in a common cause and work towards creating a peaceful and just society. The lyrics conjure up images of hope and optimism, and remind us that if we work together, we can achieve anything we set our minds to.
Line by Line Meaning
Last night I had the strangest dream I never dreamed before.
I had a surreal dream that was completely out of my imagination.
I dreamed the world had all agreed to put an end to war.
I saw a world where everybody agreed to stop being at war.
I dreamed I saw a mighty room and the room was filled with men
I saw a giant hall filled with men.
And the papers they were signing said they'd never fight again
These men were signing huge documents which declared that they will never fight again.
And when the papers were all signed and a million copies made,
As soon as they finished signing, millions of copies of the document were distributed.
They all joined hands and bowed their heads and grateful prayers were raised
Then, they all held hands, bowed their heads and prayed thankfully.
And the people in the streets below were dancing 'round and 'round
Down the streets, people were dancing and rejoicing.
And guns and swords and uniforms were scattered on the ground.
Weapons and uniforms were thrown away as they were no longer of use.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Ed McCurdy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rey knudson
I have always loved The Kingston Trio! Since my childhood. A Great Song ! A wonderful dream.Will it ever come true ? For the sake of the world, I sure hope so !!
BIG AL ONE
I remember when music had a tight time limit. The greatest sounding music ever made is under 3 minutes. This hits hard and fast.
Kevin Sargeant
A powerful song with wonderful harmonies.
Kevin Somerville Weir
I learnt this song in 1971 when I was in the army. It became a kind of prayer for us. I've always loved it.
Chris Whitworth
One of many versions of a song we all need!
drbombay91765
Great and powerful vocals. The song resonates these days.
John Benn
WOW WOW WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From a mad keen 75yo Aussie fan.
Wonderful musical trio.
All three have superb voices.
KLGREM2
Have loved the Kingston Trio ever since I first saw them back in 1959.
rey knudson
I STILL LOVE THIS GREAT SONG! THANKS FOR SHARING! R.K. 3/15/2021.
Tim Close
I never heard this version before. The 1st time I heard it was on Simon & Garfunkel's "Wednesday Morning 3:00AM" and then i was fortunate to see a video of John Denver perform it on the stairs of the Capital. Always liked the sentiment of the
song.