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.
Mary Was Pretty
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But Nancy was charmin' and had poise and grace. I'll always remember my dear Nancy's face and her warm embrace.
But Barbara was lively, how she use to tease. As light and refreshing as a Spring breeze. Barbara gave me these.
But then there was Joan, she thought me too tame. She just didn't care for playing the game. But I gave Joannie my name.
The Kingston Trio's song "Mary Was Pretty" is a reflective and nostalgic piece that discusses past loves and the memories they bring. The first verse begins with the singer reminiscing about a girl named Mary who was both pretty and kind. He admits that he still can't get her off his mind, indicating that this girl had a significant impact on him emotionally.
The second verse shifts to another love interest named Nancy, who had a different charm than Mary. Nancy was elegant and graceful, and the singer fondly remembers her warm embrace. The third verse introduces Barbara, a lively girl who knew how to tease and was as refreshing as a Spring breeze. Despite being different from Mary and Nancy, Barbara left an impression on the singer.
The final verse features the girl named Joan, who thought the singer was too tame and wasn't interested in playing games. However, despite this, the singer gave Joannie his name, indicating that he was still willing to pursue love and put himself out there despite past disappointments. Overall, the song highlights the different qualities and traits that make people attractive and memorable, even if they are not always compatible with one another.
Line by Line Meaning
Mary was pretty.
Mary's physical appearance was attractive.
Mary was kind.
Aside from being pretty, Mary was also kind towards the singer.
I still can't get Mary off of my mind.
The singer still thinks about Mary, even after some time has passed.
Mary's on my mind.
The memory of Mary still lingers in the artist's thoughts.
But Nancy was charmin' and had poise and grace.
Nancy had a graceful and charming demeanor that impressed the artist.
I'll always remember my dear Nancy's face and her warm embrace.
The singer has fond memories of Nancy's kind nature and physical embrace.
But Barbara was lively, how she use to tease.
Barbara had a lively personality and would often tease the singer in a playful manner.
As light and refreshing as a Spring breeze.
Barbara's energy and presence was refreshing, like the breeze of springtime.
Barbara gave me these.
Barbara gave the artist something, but it is not specified what it is in the song.
But then there was Joan, she thought me too tame.
Joan believed the artist was too boring or predictable.
She just didn't care for playing the game.
Joan wasn't interested in playing games or participating in any romantic pursuits with the singer.
But I gave Joannie my name.
Despite Joan's lack of interest, the artist still offered her his name (likely as a proposal of serious commitment).
Contributed by London H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.