by Robert Wilkinson
We begin our musical Sunday with Folk City! February 3 was the birthday of one of the world’s favorite folk singers in the 1970s who just recently passed away. She had a few gigantic hits, and we have some great videos. And February 1 was the birthday of the legendary Bob Shane, one of the founders of the Kingston Trio, the folk group which changed pop music forever!
We’ll begin celebrating the great singer-songwriter Melanie Safka-Schekeryk (February 3, 1947-January 23, 2024). Besides being a free spirit who still performed right up to the end, along the way she followed Meher Baba for a while, and according to Wikipedia had a life-changing experience in 2006 with Ammachi, the "hugging saint" from India, which inspired Melanie to write "Motherhood of Love." (I had the privilege of being hugged by Amma five times between 1997-2006. Her eyes look like deepest space. Yes, it will change your life.)
We begin our birthday celebration with Melanie’s powerful tribute to what she experienced when she played Woodstock! Here she’s backed by Edwin and his Singers, live in 1970 on Dutch tv, takin’ us to church with "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"
Last year I had the tune set to videos of Woodstock but that clip is gone. Instead, here’s what looks to be the original low budget video for the song. "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"
Here’s her Woodstock performance! “Mister Tambourine Man” and “Tuning My Guitar” and “Birthday of the Sun”
From back in the day, a live television performance of “Brand New Key”
This is an interesting clip, part documentary, part performance. About 2 minutes in, we are treated to her appearance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival performing "Look What They've Done to my Song." And in a nod to this incredible voice, here's a video of Melanie performing her greatest hit at the 2010 IOW Festival, "Lay Down (Candles In the Rain)"
From The Ed Sullivan Show in 1970, Melanie performing “Peace Will Come”
From 1971 on Ed Sullivan, Melanie cranks out another of her hits, this one originally written by a couple of guys you’ll know! “Ruby Tuesday”
From 1973, live in Santa Monica, she performs “Peace Will Come” and “Beautiful People”
From 1976 on The Mike Douglas Show, Melanie groovin’ easy with “The Nickel Song”
Also from 1976, her performance at the tribute to Phil Ochs of “Chords of Fame”
We’ll close this brief tribute with a clip from July 1978, where she’s back on The Mike Douglas Show performing “Knock on Wood” and “Look What They’ve Done” with Tony Bennett (the music begins about 3 minutes into the show).
Our first encore is an hour and 33 live show from the Netherlands in 2022 with her son Beau on guitar. Have fun with the playful spirit of Melanie Live in the Netherlands 2022
For the second encore, of course! Back to the first clip of her live performance on Dutch tv with the Edwin Hawkins Singers, cranking out the powerful "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)"
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Our second act celebrates the life and work of the legendary Bob Shane (Born Robert Castle Schoen; February 1, 1934- January 26, 2020), who at the time he checked out 2 years ago the last surviving founding member of the most successful folk group in history, the Kingston Trio. They had FIVE #1 albums in two years, and TEN in the Top 3 in a four year period from 1958-1962! From Wikipedia,
The success of the Kingston Trio in its heyday had repercussions far beyond its voluminous album sales (including four albums simultaneously in the Top 10 in 1959), its host of imitators, and the relatively short-lived pop-folk boom it created. For the Kingston Trio's success took acoustic folk-based music out of the niche market it had occupied prior to the Trio's arrival and moved it into the mainstream of American popular music, opening the door for major record labels to record and market both more traditional folk musicians and singer-songwriters as well.The Kingston Trio's influence on the development of American popular music has been considerable. According to music critic Bruce Eder writing for Allmusic.com:
In the history of popular music, there are a relative handful of performers who have redefined the content of the music at critical points in history—people whose music left the landscape, and definition of popular music, altered completely. The Kingston Trio were one such group, transforming folk music into a hot commodity and creating a demand—where none had existed before—for young men (sometimes with women) strumming acoustic guitars and banjos and singing folk songs and folk-like novelty songs in harmony. On a purely commercial level, from 1957 until 1963, the Kingston Trio were the most vital and popular folk group in the world, and folk music was sufficiently popular as to make that a significant statement. Equally important, the original trio—Dave Guard, Nick Reynolds, and Bob Shane—in tandem with other, similar early acts such as the Limeliters, spearheaded a boom in the popularity of folk music that suddenly made the latter important to millions of listeners who previously had ignored it.Dave Guard left in 1961, and was replaced by John Stewart; this lineup became the classic 60s Kingston Trio. While they had their detractors among folk purists, they also were immensely popular for their gentle humor, their easy style, and their wide appeal. For your enjoyment, a few of the best of the Kingston Trio!
Live on The Milton Berle Show in 1958, the monster hit that took them to the top! “Tom Dooley”
A great live video performance of one of the biggest! “The M.T.A.”
This is supposed to be video of their performance at the 1959 Newport Folk Festival! “Shady Grove” and “Lonesome Traveler”
From 1959, the original recording of “Tijuana Jail”
A treat! Live on The Jack Benny Show in 1965, a 15 minute clip featuring a rousing performance of “Tijuana Jail” followed by a Jack Benny gag in "The Tijuana Jail" with an appearance by Mel Blanc.
From 1958, written by an unknown piano player which made it to Dave Guard, “Scotch and Soda”
Recorded in 1967, here’s a live performance from The Final Concert of “Scotch and Soda”
Here’s one they made popular! “Greenback Dollar”
This was yet another big one, long before the Beach Boys made it a hit! “Sloop John B”
From 1965, a great live performance of the Fred Geis classic “I’m Going Home”
Live and in color, obviously sometime in the mid to late 60s, the Trio crank out “Worried Man”
Here’s their entire 35 minute 1959 album Stereo Concert
We’ll close with what is said to be the last performance of the second lineup of the KT! “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”
For our first encore, a full hour and 15 reunion show from 1981 at Magic Mountain, CA, of the original 3! The Kingston Trio and Friends – Reunion
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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