The Kingston Trio - Hard Ain't It Hard

[MikeBlitzMag]

Absolute utter perfection!

[bauditor]

It's easy to forgive their childish politics of the time. Regardless of your politics today - or their maturing out of whatever political statements they failed to communicate as performers at the time - this is just great music.

[wendellsharp]

@ dharmaseed: Pete was accused of being a communist by Joe McCarthy and the fabled HUAC in the mid-fifties. He was a union organizer and environmental activist and he refused to take part in naming others or otherwise cooperate with the House Un-american Activities Committee and was blacklisted for years. Finally, the Smothers Brothers had the balls to bring him back on TV in the mid sixties.

[dharmaseed]

Would someone please enlighten me as to why Pete Seeger and the Weavers were blacklisted? I've been listening to the Trio since I was five, and was not aware of this.

[dustrabbit]

These guys ruled. This is basically the energy of punk rock but with actual instrument proficiency and great singing. Rock on forever, Trio!

[greenhawk46]

too soon over-I was listening to a 4 cd set of the Kingston Trio-thought hey youtube, voila-great American folk musicians-who adapted folk songs from all over the world-I miss them- Jim

[Mandolin1944]

Great video -- I best remember these guys from the Saturday night Hootenanny Shows in the mid-1960's.

[JoeM25]

They were never on that show in protest of Pete Seeger and The Weavers being blackballed

[Mandolin1944]

I saw them on the show -- so they WERE on.

[JoeM25]

I'm not trying to bust your chops but they were never on that show.read about them .There are no videos on you tube showing them on HootenannyRediscover Music sells a DVD of Hootenanny with all 41 episodes(I think) and they're not listed. They prided themselves on taking that stand because of their respect for The Weavers.

[doccalley]

Actually that is not true the Kingston Trio was on the Hootenanny program at least once and maybe twice. I actually have a tape of one time that I shot from the program which I will try to upload if I can get it in the right fromat.

[JoeM25]

If you post that and it says from Hootenanny then I'll stand corrected.I've been a Trio fan for 50 years and I'm pretty sure they were never on.Like I said to Mandolin 1944 They took pride in their stand of boycotting the show which I remember PP&M ,The Limeliters and Chad Mitchell Trio among other big names all being on but I don't think the Trio was.Hey I'm just happy that someone besides me still listens to them

[6749er]

JoeM25 I agree

Been & fan forever too.

They started on the SF Peninsula

where I'm from.

Played their first paided gig in my hometown.

I was a kid but remember when they wen't up to North Beach & became a Hit

at the Hungry I before Tom Dooley was a Hit & when that Hoot TV show blacklisted Pete Seeger from the start that led to a boycott by The Kingston Trio, Dylan.Baez; PP & Mary among others 90 tracks in the 3-disc set, The Best of Hootenanny w/ nothing from them.

[JoeM25]

Thanks for backing me up. You read a lot of misinformation on this site by well intentioned people who after the years just get their facts a little mixed up. I know it was important for the Trio to boycott that show to show support for Pete Seeger and that's the only reason I bothered to set the record straight. I don't see doccalley's video of the trio on the show so I guess he doesn't have it, which is not a surprise because it doesn't exist. Long live The Kingston Trio!!!!

[6749er]

You got it buddy. The Trio was with Pete all the way & knowing how big they were in The Folk scene, if they had a Trio song to put on that 3 disc set there would be one for sure.

They had that Colligate look but they were Hip cats, another reason why other players out of The Peninsula Folk scene like young Jerry Garcia all dug The Trio who led the way.

Best to Joe & The Kingston Trio!

.

[JoeM25]

You hit the nail on the head. Even if they were never famous the Trio strikes me as 4 guys you would have enjoyed hanging around with. Do you know that Rediscover Music and Collector's Choice Music have 4 or 5 new CD's by them and a couple of DVD's.I WAITED 45 YEARS TO HEAR THIRSTY BOOTS.But it was worth it

[HenriMesquida]

Le début du boom de la musique folk.

[olhole]

I love those early Kingston Trio albums from the debut record up to Goin' Places. I guess that means I also think the Guard years were the best.

[Stonecountyhenry]

Until the Stewart years!!!

[Lizziezurn]

The Guard years were the best!

[3Pitous]

@Lizziezurn Both were great,weren't they?