Absolutely right !!! 100%
Actually, "You're Gonna Miss Me" did sound like a hit. Extremely well arranged by Dave Guard...
and definitely starts off the KT's "Goin' Places" album with a BANG !!!
{pun not intended but it works and I haven't been outside in 2 weeks}
BTW Joe....
Everything you said about Decca + Frank Werber + Voyle Gilmore is spot on.
And their "live" recording of "Hanna Lee" on the KT's "Twice Upon A Time" CD,
beats the hell out of that studio recording for "Stay Awhile".
To be honest, I'm not a fan of Frank Werber - except good on him for discovering The Kingston Trio,
and I still think John Stewart was a good choice for replacing Dave Guard.
(more about that later)
Brucester
I can't argue with that. But don't forget that the "Goin' Places" single was also a pretty good song, "You're Gonna Miss Me." I'll bet the Capitol executives thought it sounded more like a Trio hit than "Very Good Year."
The decision to go with Decca was a big mistake, and it smacks of Werber's arrogance. He negotiated a large sum ($1 million?) to produce the Decca albums. What qualified Werber to stand in Voyle Gilmore's shoes? Nothing, and the Decca albums show it.
I'll give an example. "Hanna Lee" was a decent Decca album cut but nothing more. A live version from Werber's stash was released a few years ago, and it was pure magic. I'll bet Gilmore would have captured that magic in the studio; Werber missed it by a mile.
To tell you the truth, I would have loved The Kingston Trio to stay with Capitol Records.
In my opinion, Decca can't hold a candle to Capitol. (sound of recordings + LP cover art, etc...)
But having said that ----
I don't know if I could ever forgive the powers that be at Capitol Records,
for not releasing "It Was A Very Good Year" as a single (in 1961)....
from The Kingston Trio's "Goin' Places" album.
Sure, Dave Guard was leaving - I get that.
But on the other hand....Bob Shane was staying !!!
I can't help but think "It Was A Very Good Year" would have seen some chart action,
and at the same time, showcase The Kingston Trio --- without Dave Guard !!!
Brucester
I think it was. One of the CDs of previously unreleased stuff has the studio version, and it was really good. Maybe a potential hit? Because of the change of labels, I'm not sure that Capitol even released a single from "Back in Town." I guess it would be embarrassing to have a hit single by a group that had already left the label. If the Trio had stayed with Capitol, I'll bet things would have been different.
Good question, Joe.
Your guess is as good as mine - but talking about "singles"....
wasn't our Kingston's studio version of "Let's Get Together" being considered ???
Both Trio versions sound incomplete. I wonder if Capitol was thinking about Four Strong Winds as a single but changed its mind when the Brothers Four released it on September 17, 1963. The B4 also performed it on "Hootenanny" on October 26, 1963. (Yeah, I know, I have too much time on my hands).
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