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.
Nothing More to Look Forward to
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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Nothing more to look forward to. Why were you so sweet? Nothing more to be living for. No longer can we meet, can we meet.
Never again to lie so close I can see myself in her eyes. Never again to kiss good night and the sun starting to rise.
[Chorus]
Never again to lie so still you can hear the roots of the trees. Never again to lie so still with the girl whose man I should be.
[Chorus]
No longer can we meet, can we meet. [Repeat]
The Kingston Trio's song "Nothing More to Look Forward to" is a poignant reflection on the end of a love affair. The lyrics describe the final moments of intimacy shared by a couple who are parting ways, with each verse painting a picture of a different intimate moment that will never be experienced again. The chorus mourns the loss of these moments, expressing a sense of finality and resignation to the fact that the relationship has come to an end.
The first verse describes the feeling of lying close to someone you love, being so close that you can see your reflection in their eyes. This is a moment of vulnerability and deep connection that is now lost. The second verse describes a different kind of intimacy - the quiet stillness of lying in bed and listening to the sounds of the forest outside. This is a moment of peace and contentment that can no longer be shared.
The chorus repeats the refrain "Nothing more to look forward to" several times, emphasizing the finality of the situation. There is no hope of reconciliation or reunion - the relationship has come to an end, and there is nothing left to look forward to.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet emotions that come with the end of a love affair - the sense of loss and sadness, but also the memories of the intimate moments that were shared.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing more to look forward to.
There is no longer anything to anticipate or hope for.
Why were you so sweet?
Reflecting on the past and wondering why the person was kind and loving.
Nothing more to be living for.
Without the person, there is no longer a reason to continue living.
No longer can we meet, can we meet.
Sadly acknowledging that it is no longer possible to see or be with the person again.
Never again to lie so close I can see myself in her eyes.
Being unable to experience the intimacy and closeness of seeing oneself in the other person's eyes.
Never again to kiss good night and the sun starting to rise.
The feeling of loss from never being able to share those intimate moments with the person again.
Never again to lie so still you can hear the roots of the trees.
Regretting the loss of being with the person in such a peaceful, serene setting.
Never again to lie so still with the girl whose man I should be.
Suffering with the realization that they should have been the person's partner but lost the opportunity.
No longer can we meet, can we meet. [Repeat]
Reiterating the fact that the opportunity to be with the person has been irrevocably lost and can never be regained.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD ADLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind