The Kingston Trio is an American folk group that helped launch the folk rev… Read Full Bio ↴The Kingston Trio is an American folk group that helped launch the folk revival of the 1960s and continued to thrive despite the emergence of rock and roll.

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.

Scarlet Ribbons
The Kingston Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I peeked in to say goodnight
When I heard my child in prayer
And for me some scarlet ribbons
Scarlet ribbons for my hair

All the stores were closed and shuttered
All the streets were dark and bare
In our town, no scarlet ribbons

Not one ribbon for her hair

Through the night my heart was aching
And just before the dawn was breaking
I peeked in and on her bed
In gay profusion lying there
Lovely ribbons, scarlet ribbons
Scarlet ribbons for her hair

If I live to be a hundred
I will never know from where

Came those lovely scarlet ribbons
Scarlet ribbons for her hair

Overall Meaning

The Kingston Trio's song Scarlet Ribbons is a touching narrative about a parent's love for their child. The song begins with the singer peeking into their child's room and hearing them praying for some scarlet ribbons for their hair. However, all the stores in town are closed, and there are no red ribbons to be found. Throughout the night, the parent's heart aches at the thought of their child's disappointment. But just before dawn breaks, the parent checks on their child and finds a miraculous sight--beautiful scarlet ribbons, lying on their bed "in gay profusion." The parent is filled with wonder and gratitude, exclaiming that even if they live for a hundred years, they will never know where the ribbons came from.

This song is rich with themes of love, devotion, and gratitude. From the parent's love for their child to the gratitude they feel for the mysteriously provided ribbons, Scarlet Ribbons is a poignant tribute to the beauty of human connection. The song also touches on themes of faith and miracle, with the ribbons' strange appearance seeming almost miraculous to the parent. Overall, the song is a touching reminder of the beauty and strength of love.

Line by Line Meaning

I peeked in to say goodnight
I went to check on my child before bed

When I heard my child in prayer
When I overheard my child praying

And for me some scarlet ribbons
My child wished for scarlet ribbons for me

Scarlet ribbons for my hair
To put in my hair

All the stores were closed and shuttered
All the stores were already closed

All the streets were dark and bare
There were no people on the streets and it was dark

In our town, no scarlet ribbons
There were no scarlet ribbons in our town

Not one ribbon for her hair
My child did not have any ribbons for her hair

Through the night my heart was aching
I was very upset throughout the night

And just before the dawn was breaking
Right before the sun came up

I peeked in and on her bed
I checked on my child again