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The Kingston Trio

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Kingston Trio was an American folk and pop group that helped set off the folk revival of the late 1950s. The group began as a nightclub act in the San Francisco area, with Dave Guard, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds. Guard and Shane knew each other from the Punahou School in Honolulu, where they learned to play the ukulele. There they performed Tahitian, Hawaiian and calypso songs, and they admired Hawaiian slack key guitarists such as Gabby Pahinui.

Music and breakthrough

In 1958 their first album came out, The Kingston Trio, with Tom Dooley. It became a hit and as a single sold more than three million copies. The group then released many albums, including Here We Go Again! and The Kingston Trio at Large in 1959, and Sold Out, String Along and The Last Month of the Year in 1960. Four of its albums were in the top ten best-selling records at the same time in November and December 1959, a record that stood for more than fifty years.

Influence

The group played acoustic folk with guitar, banjo and tight harmonies. Its sales figures showed that such music could work commercially, which opened the way for singer-songwriters, folk rock and Americana. That explains why School of Rock mentions it in the story of the folk revival. The name still exists and is used by musicians who obtained the licence in 2017.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Tom Dooley and notice the harmony singing of the three men. Can you hear how the lyrics are told like a story, accompanied by little more than acoustic guitar and banjo?

Discography

Studio albums

See also

Categories: ArtistsFolk revival