i was fortunate enough to get to talk a little with terry after the recent NED NEAC show and MY WORD that bass sound,OH the bass sound is still top notch. i HAD to ask how he maintained after so many year. his answer was simple but effective. store the air low and keep the voice light. my chorus had just got 5th and it was my first barbershop ribon. getting to listen to and talk with with legends on a day so dear to me is priceless. a personalized signature proves it wasn't all a wonderful dream
I always ordered the records of the contests and I remember being in high school and wondering every year how in the world the Boston Common were NOT the champions! Don't get me wrong, I love the Grandma's Boys, but I still believe the Grandma's Boys should have had one more year in competition. Boston Common's "Alone Because I Love You" is still one of my all-time favorite competition performances, and it always will be. They should have won in '79. I can't possibly be alone in thinking that.
@JeffG111 Me too. The only silver lining to their being robbed for years is that we had another opportunity to hear them again on the Inter stage. Imagine for a moment, would it be different if they were only around the competition stage for 1-2 years like some others????
When i was in my quartet we used to do this medley note for note , it was our finest achievement , we had a Boston Common sound about us , and it really went down well, these fellers are just the best,..... a quality quartet , and unsurpassed in my view.
I was in Salt Lake City in July of 1980 when they won internationals. And also did a show with them in South Carolina. Dick Knapp? His name is Rich Knapp. Never heard him called Dick.
You are so right, I confused his name with a friend of mine named Dick Knapp. I was from the Boston area and performed shows with them on occasion during the 70's. I have their album "IN The Heart Of The City" which is my favorite.
These guys ARE the originals. I had the honor of being in my first chapter show with them in 1980 when I was in a high school quartet. Also their first return show in Mobile, AL, again in Easton, PA, and their very final one in Bowie, MD. I miss them as a quartet and being around them as just 4 guys hanging out. Very classy individuals who made every barbershopper feel as if he were just as good a singer as they are. On behalf of barbershoppers everywhere, thanks for ALL the lasting memories...
Without reservation or hyperbole, these men were the Beatles of Barbershop. Never to be duplicated or improved upon. I wish you all could have heard them in person just once to be awed by their talent. Not to mention each are some of the finest gentlemen you could ever meet.
This was their Old Songs Medley. It had an intro and tag by the late great Lou Perry, and in between were 4 or 8 bars each of at least a dozen 20s-30s songs. Ther was a delicious, totally unexpected key change going into Jolson's "My Mammy" that left Not A Dry Seat In The House! Unfortunately this video starts immediately after that.
@Nuance5 I was fortunate enough to be at their first combeback show in Mobile, AL (I was their driver) and their final performance in Bowie, MD. They never sang the full song after they came back, only the tag. Terry told me that himself. I was lucky to be able to see them twice in the 80's and they opened one show with it, closed the other with it. To this day that key change into Mammy gives me chills every time I hear it. My four favorite barbershoppers and my favorite quartet ever.
Glissando, though technically portamento is a more correct term (glissando refers to a stepped slide up, such as might be done on a piano by dragging a thumb or finger across several keys).
Not really. Swipe means something else, albeit similar. A swipe occurs when one or more singers sing different notes (with or without portamento) while one or more other singers are holding sustained notes, causing the resulting chord to change.
Example: at the end of many songs, you may hear, for instance, the Bass singing Low C, Lead Middle C, and Tenor E, while the Bari sings an A, and then the Bari drops the A to a G, resolving the chord. This is called a Baritone 6-to-5 Swipe.
They are without doubt the best there has ever been, and you know why....cos they flew in the face of barbershop and used their natural vibrato something which is frowned upon in barbershop.
The dominant seventh at 0:22 captures perfectly the tone and feel of classic barbershop in my opinion. Really love these guys.
Sylvanas590 1 month ago
i was fortunate enough to get to talk a little with terry after the recent NED NEAC show and MY WORD that bass sound,OH the bass sound is still top notch. i HAD to ask how he maintained after so many year. his answer was simple but effective. store the air low and keep the voice light. my chorus had just got 5th and it was my first barbershop ribon. getting to listen to and talk with with legends on a day so dear to me is priceless. a personalized signature proves it wasn't all a wonderful dream
jayliminator 4 months ago
Wishing you guys ultimate success with your nice video - More eyes should see this
PacinosTheRemix 6 months ago
I just posted the boston common singing their 1st. set at the 1980 International Championship on youtube.
Jamie Carbone
jcarboneda10r 11 months ago
i sing tenor and bass give me the other parts of harmony and lets work it out
MrOct1993 1 year ago
Be honest...how many times have you hit replay and sung each part about 100 times!!! I need a 12 step program to stop this tag addiction :)
thedoorsrfunny 1 year ago 2
wow, its so neat to see them sing. I have an audio recording of a barbershop competition and these guys on are on it. Thanks for posting.
ivanbrewski 1 year ago
If anyone has more live video of the Boston Common please post it!!!
nmoore1978 2 years ago
Anyone got sheet music for this?
Sylvanas590 2 years ago
Truly - the original rock stars of barbershop.
paddyoski 2 years ago
I always ordered the records of the contests and I remember being in high school and wondering every year how in the world the Boston Common were NOT the champions! Don't get me wrong, I love the Grandma's Boys, but I still believe the Grandma's Boys should have had one more year in competition. Boston Common's "Alone Because I Love You" is still one of my all-time favorite competition performances, and it always will be. They should have won in '79. I can't possibly be alone in thinking that.
JeffG111 2 years ago
@JeffG111 Me too. The only silver lining to their being robbed for years is that we had another opportunity to hear them again on the Inter stage. Imagine for a moment, would it be different if they were only around the competition stage for 1-2 years like some others????
thedoorsrfunny 1 year ago
When i was in my quartet we used to do this medley note for note , it was our finest achievement , we had a Boston Common sound about us , and it really went down well, these fellers are just the best,..... a quality quartet , and unsurpassed in my view.
hugoforth 2 years ago
Awsome... this group got me hooked on Barbershopping!
sudschick 2 years ago
Then, some day, you'll be a legend too, right? Enjoy the harmony!!
BarbershopHarmony 2 years ago
@sudschick Me too!
Sote9108 1 year ago
Beautiful
montezumasrevenge 3 years ago
Wow! The Boston Common! Awesome!
vanceperry 3 years ago
I was in Salt Lake City in July of 1980 when they won internationals. And also did a show with them in South Carolina. Dick Knapp? His name is Rich Knapp. Never heard him called Dick.
beachbum47 3 years ago
You are so right, I confused his name with a friend of mine named Dick Knapp. I was from the Boston area and performed shows with them on occasion during the 70's. I have their album "IN The Heart Of The City" which is my favorite.
Thanks for the correction.
ilistenalot 3 years ago
The original Boston Common of the 70's featured Dick Knapp (lead) Terry Clark (bass) Larry Tully (bari) and Kent Martin (tenor)
and the best quartet ever. Are any of these guys from the original?
ilistenalot 3 years ago
These guys ARE the originals. I had the honor of being in my first chapter show with them in 1980 when I was in a high school quartet. Also their first return show in Mobile, AL, again in Easton, PA, and their very final one in Bowie, MD. I miss them as a quartet and being around them as just 4 guys hanging out. Very classy individuals who made every barbershopper feel as if he were just as good a singer as they are. On behalf of barbershoppers everywhere, thanks for ALL the lasting memories...
airdale15 3 years ago
I saw The Boston Common on the Big Apple Chorus's annual show a few years ago. They were absolutely amazing. I will always remember the day. Cheers.
bshopshine 4 years ago
Without reservation or hyperbole, these men were the Beatles of Barbershop. Never to be duplicated or improved upon. I wish you all could have heard them in person just once to be awed by their talent. Not to mention each are some of the finest gentlemen you could ever meet.
zenmctunamelt 4 years ago
I love these guys they are really the best ever to sing barbershop!!! What a group, what a style!
qualitybending 4 years ago
BC rulz...
that7thchordguy 4 years ago
On my list of one of the top 5 barbershop quartets of all time.
chordially 4 years ago
I enjoy the newer age barbershop quartets but its also very nice to hear the classic older style quartets and these guys are very good at it,nice job
chumbley1 4 years ago 2
They are without doubt the finest BSQT I've watched and heard. Smooth like honey and awesome diction
qtrhorsetrainer 4 years ago
and the name of the song?
bhsbass 4 years ago
That's the tag from their traditional show opener....The Old Songs Medley.
airdale15 3 years ago
This was their Old Songs Medley. It had an intro and tag by the late great Lou Perry, and in between were 4 or 8 bars each of at least a dozen 20s-30s songs. Ther was a delicious, totally unexpected key change going into Jolson's "My Mammy" that left Not A Dry Seat In The House! Unfortunately this video starts immediately after that.
Nuance5 3 years ago
@Nuance5 I was fortunate enough to be at their first combeback show in Mobile, AL (I was their driver) and their final performance in Bowie, MD. They never sang the full song after they came back, only the tag. Terry told me that himself. I was lucky to be able to see them twice in the 80's and they opened one show with it, closed the other with it. To this day that key change into Mammy gives me chills every time I hear it. My four favorite barbershoppers and my favorite quartet ever.
airdale15 1 year ago
That was fun, I liked the ending, the slow slide (is there a real term for that) into the last chord.
moncrey 4 years ago
I think the term is Glisando or #glist#
chordially 4 years ago
Glissando, though technically portamento is a more correct term (glissando refers to a stepped slide up, such as might be done on a piano by dragging a thumb or finger across several keys).
COMALiteJ 4 years ago
typically, in barbershop, it's known as a swipe.
bschwartzberg 4 years ago
Not really. Swipe means something else, albeit similar. A swipe occurs when one or more singers sing different notes (with or without portamento) while one or more other singers are holding sustained notes, causing the resulting chord to change.
Example: at the end of many songs, you may hear, for instance, the Bass singing Low C, Lead Middle C, and Tenor E, while the Bari sings an A, and then the Bari drops the A to a G, resolving the chord. This is called a Baritone 6-to-5 Swipe.
COMALiteJ 4 years ago
The Best ever. got to love them. Somebody find MORE BC to put out here!
LeighAnnNC 4 years ago
They are without doubt the best there has ever been, and you know why....cos they flew in the face of barbershop and used their natural vibrato something which is frowned upon in barbershop.
hugoforth 4 years ago
Yeah Realtime, Vocal Spectrum, they got skill but nobody can blend like this. this is the definition of barbershop right here. love them so much
Tinney14 4 years ago
somebody please find some more Boston Common video. They will always be the best.
RH2golf 4 years ago
Classic Sound!! You gotta love it!!
steviedubbs 4 years ago
one of my favorite quartets ever.
frqt 5 years ago
This is the only Boston Common barbershop video on YouTube?!
ferret1972 5 years ago
I have some MP3s without video, but I think there are other videos around.
BarbershopHarmony 5 years ago
2004
BarbershopHarmony 5 years ago