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.
The Mountains O'Mourne
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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They don't sow potatoes nor barley nor wheat but there's gangs of them diggin' for gold in the street.
At least when I asked them that's what I was told so I just took a hand at this diggin' for gold,
But for all that I found there I might as well be where the Mountains O'Mourne sweep down to the sea.
I believe that when writing a wish you expressed as to how the fine ladies in London were dressed,
Well, if you'll believe me when asked to a ball, they don't wear no top to their dresses at all.
Oh, I've seen them meself and you could not in truth say that if they were bound for a ball or a bath,
There's beautiful girls here, oh, never you mind, with beautiful shapes nature never designed,
And lovely complexions, all roses and cream but let me remark with regard to the same
That if at those roses you venture to sip, the colors might all come away on your lip,
So, I'll wait for the wild rose that's waitin' for me in the place where the dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea.
The Kingston Trio's song "The Mountains O'Mourne" tells the story of a man named Mary who has left his home in Ireland to go to London where he works day and night. He tells Mary that the people in London don't farm vegetables or grains but instead, there are gangs of people digging for gold in the streets. He tried his hand at it and found nothing, which made him wish he was back in Ireland where he could see the beautiful Mountains O'Mourne sweep down to the sea. He then speaks about the fine ladies of London and how they dress. He says that when he attended a ball, he saw the fine ladies wearing no tops to their dresses. He thinks Mary would not approve of such revealing clothing and suggests that the women start wearing more modest fashions like the ones in Ireland. Lastly, he speaks of the beautiful girls in London with "lovely complexions, all roses and cream." However, he warns Mary that if he were to sip the roses, the colors might come off on his lip. Despite the beauty of these women, he is still waiting for the wild rose in Ireland, where the Mountains O'Mourne sweep down to the sea.
The lyrics of "The Mountains O'Mourne" convey a sense of longing for the beauty and simplicity of Ireland. The singer misses the Irish way of life where people grow their food, and the scenery is breathtaking. He is uncomfortable with the customs, clothes, and fashions of the wealthy people in London. The theme of wanting to return to one's homeland is prevalent, and the singer desires to escape the flashy and shallow world of London to return back to the natural and rugged beauty of Ireland.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Mary, this London's a wonderful sight with people here working by day and by night.
London is a great city with people always busy working both day and night.
They don't sow potatoes nor barley nor wheat but there's gangs of them diggin' for gold in the street.
There is no farming in London but many people spend their time searching for gold.
At least when I asked them that's what I was told so I just took a hand at this diggin' for gold,
I heard from others that there's gold in the streets, so I decided to join them in searching for it.
But for all that I found there I might as well be where the Mountains O'Mourne sweep down to the sea.
Despite all my searching, I found nothing of value, and it would have been the same if I were back in the mountains.
I believe that when writing a wish you expressed as to how the fine ladies in London were dressed,
You mentioned the beautiful dresses of London's high society in a letter to me.
Well, if you'll believe me when asked to a ball, they don't wear no top to their dresses at all.
Believe it or not, the women at London's balls wear dresses with no tops.
Oh, I've seen them meself and you could not in truth say that if they were bound for a ball or a bath,
I have seen it with my own eyes, and it's hard to tell if they are dressed for a ball or a bath.
Don't be startin' them fashions, now, Mary McCree, where the Mountains O'Mourne sweep down to the sea.
Don't try to start these fashion trends, Mary McCree, back where we come from in the mountains.
There's beautiful girls here, oh, never you mind, with beautiful shapes nature never designed,
There are stunningly beautiful women here in London, with bodies that could not have been naturally formed.
And lovely complexions, all roses and cream but let me remark with regard to the same
Their skin is lovely and flawless, but there's something to be said about the authenticity of it.
That if at those roses you venture to sip, the colors might all come away on your lip,
If you were to try and taste those roses, the color might come off on your lips.
So, I'll wait for the wild rose that's waitin' for me in the place where the dark Mourne sweeps down to the sea.
I'll wait for the genuine beauty of the wild rose back in the Mountains O'Mourne, where the scenery is breathtaking.
Contributed by Violet S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.