Thanks for your comments, Jim.
And yes, I remember that quote by John Stewart, referring to the Kingston Trio:
"All I did was keep a good thing going."
And I've got another quote for you.
When John Stewart asked Dave Guard what he learned after leaving the Kingston Trio to pursue other projects,
Dave told him straight out:
"Never give up your power base."
Couldn't agree more, Peter. For me, the Guard Trio had the larger impact, a real step forward into commercial popularity for folkish music from the Weavers, as great as the latter group was.
I liked pretty much all of the releases of the KT 1958-67, but I'd add this. When I first heard California Bloodlines in the summer of 1969, I thought immediately that Stewart had found his real niche, and the next 40 years bore this out, IMO. I'll guess that you'd remember as I do that while John never disparaged his KT years at the Trio Fantasy Camp, on more than one occasion he said from the stage about those years - "All I did was keep a good thing going."
If you want to know what the Kingston Trio lost when Dave Guard quit, and this is in no way a slug against John Stewart, who did a fine job as Dave's replacement, all you gotta do is watch "The Kingston Trio & Friends Reunion" (1981).
Pay close attention to Dave Guard.
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