Kingston Crossroads: Re: Time For A Second Look

Thank You, Jim, and thank you for clearing things up.

Admittedly, I've always believed that story Bob Shane told about his meeting The Beatles backstage
and telling them they should come to America.

Afterwards, in 1964, when Capitol Records fired The Kingston Trio and hired The Beatles, Bob would tell us KT fans:

"Me and My Big Mouth"

For the record (pardon the pun), there's another story (on "Google") floating around:

"When in England, Bob Shane made his way backstage at a Beatles concert. He found himself in the dressing room of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Supposedly, when Bob introduced himself, thinking they would never know who he was, John and Paul began to rattle off various Kingston Trio songs
in two-part harmony."

There is no mention about The Beatles opening for The Kingston Trio, but for John and Paul to receive Bob Shane the way they did,
speaks (or should I say "sings") volumes about them.

Thanks again for chiming in, Jim. I look forward to any new info you find about Bob Shane meeting The Beatles.
I'm assuming the "Google" post above is accurate, but the only person I trust is YOU !!!

(I don't say that lightly)

Previous Message

"I know about The Beatles opening for The Kingston Trio back in 1962.....The Beatles opened for our guys in England."

I think that this point needs to be rephrased at least and re-examined for veracity. Throughout 1962, the Beatles were the most popular band in the UK, and thorough records exist for their touring and performing schedules for that year. Here is an extensive and likely definitive record of their work in '62. Most of their UK performance were still at The Cavern, their hometown Liverpool club, and at a number of venues in Hamburg, West Germany.

https://www.dmbeatles.com/history.php?year=1962

(I seem to have forgotten how to make a proper link.)

To the best of my recollection, our "Beatles opened for the KT" folklore was initially derived from the fact that at some point between 1961 and 1964 both groups performed at Wembley Stadium. But the KT's peak popularity was between 1959 and 1961, and if they ever played Wembley with its 90,000 seats it would have to have been then. The Beatles themselves never made it to Wembley until 1965.

I suppose that it's possible that the KT played a club date in the UK at a venue that later staged the Beatles-on-the-rise, but it's going to take some digging to determine that.

Bob Shane was a charming guy who on occasion could effortlessly stretch the truth a bit, though to my knowledge never crossing the line into pure fabrication, so for now my money is on a scenario somewhat as I opined above - that the KT and the Beatles both played at the same venue at different points in their histories.

More to come, I think.