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.
Try to Remember
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When life was slow and oh so mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain so yellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a young and a callow fellow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow, oh-oh
Try to remember when life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow
Try to remember when life was so tender
That dreams were kept beside your pillow
Try to remember when life was so tender
That love was an ember about to billow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow, oh-oh
Deep in December it's nice to remember
Although you know the snow will follow
Deep in December it's nice to remember
Without a hurt, the heart is hollow
Deep in December it's nice to remember
The fire of September that made you mellow
Deep in December our hearts should remember
Then follow, follow, oh-oh
Follow, oh-oh.
The Kingston Trio's song "Try to Remember" speaks of nostalgia and reminiscence. The lyrics take us back to a kind of September that was slow and peaceful, where the grass was green and the grain was yellow. It was a time when the singer was young and inexperienced, and that September is remembered with fondness. We are asked to remember the gentleness of life and how innocent we were when we were young.
The song then goes on to mention how life was so tender at that time, that no one wept except for the willow tree. Dreams were kept close to the pillow, and love was a small ember that was about to billow. These memories are poignant and sweet, and they speak to the universal feeling of lost innocence. The song's strength comes from the simplicity of the melodies and the honesty of the lyrics. It speaks to the part of us that wishes we could go back to a simpler time.
In the final verse, the song mentions how, no matter the difficulty of the present times (depicted through references to the snow in December), it's still important to remember the warmth and joy of September's fire. It’s important to remember the past with fondness and allow it to shape our present and future. The song ends with the repeated refrain of “follow, follow”, urging us to take the good memories of the past and allow them to guide us forward in the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Try to remember the kind of September
Think back to a time when you felt carefree and happy.
When life was slow and oh so mellow
When everything felt calm and easy-going.
When grass was green and grain so yellow
When nature was vibrant and full of life.
When you were a young and a callow fellow
When you were inexperienced and naive.
Try to remember and if you remember
If you can recall those times,
Then follow, follow, oh-oh
Then try to recreate that feeling or state of mind.
Try to remember when life was so tender
Think back to a time when life felt fragile and precious.
That no one wept except the willow
When sadness was rare and isolated like the tree.
That dreams were kept beside your pillow
When you still held onto your hopes and aspirations for the future.
That love was an ember about to billow
When you felt the sparks of romance and passion igniting.
Deep in December it's nice to remember
Even in the coldest, darkest months, it's good to reflect on happier times.
Although you know the snow will follow
Despite the knowledge that hardships and struggles are inevitable.
Without a hurt, the heart is hollow
Without experiencing pain or loss, life can feel empty and meaningless.
The fire of September that made you mellow
The warmth and joy of that earlier time that helped shape you into the person you are now.
Deep in December our hearts should remember
Especially during the holiday season, it's important to keep those memories close.
Then follow, follow, oh-oh
And strive to find that same mellow, carefree feeling once again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Actual Music, S.L.
Written by: HARVEY SCHMIDT, TOM JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind