DECEMBER, 2018
HERITAGE MUSIC REVIEW
ELECTRONIC EDITION: Now free to email subscribers and supported by tasteful, music-oriented advertising with a unique news-format approach.
A monthly guide to early rock, blues, country, folk, and traditional jazz in the Seattle area and beyond.
Editor and Publisher: Doug Bright
E-mail: subscribe@heritagemusicreview.com
Web: www.heritagemusicreview.com
CONTENTS--DECEMBER, 2018
PART THREE: THE BROTHERS FOUR: ON THE MOVE IN A NEW MILLENNIUM
WHAT'S IN STORE: NEWS FROM THE MUSICAL MARKETPLACE
CHECKIN, OUT THE SOUNDS: december PERFORMANCE CALENDAR (next message)
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PART THREE: THE BROTHERS FOUR: ON THE MOVE IN A NEW MILLENNIUM
By Doug Bright
Summary of Parts 1-2
It all started in late 1956 in Seattle at the University of Washington, where Mike Kirkland, Dick Foley, John Paine, and Bob Flick met as Phi Gamma Delta fraternity brothers. "We used to sit around and sing folk songs at this fraternity house," Flick elaborated in this publication in 2003. "There would be twelve, fifteen guys joining in, and we were the ones who had the instruments."
"We worked up a few songs for Rush Week parties," Mike Kirkland explained to a Columbia Records interviewer in 1960, "and had such a good time we did more and got to sing at other parties around campus. Before we knew it, we were performing someplace or other every weekend."
One day in 1958 Mike Kirkland got a call from a young woman who identified herself as secretary to the manager of Seattle's Colony Club and invited the group down to the famed nightspot the following Saturday for an audition. When the four collegiate musicians arrived at the appointed place and time with instruments in hand, they found a surprised manager who had no knowledge of them or their audition and, in fact, didn't even have a secretary. Obviously, they concluded, the call had been a prank played on them by a rival fraternity. Nevertheless, they won the day. "Well, while you're here," club manager Jack Beard suggested, "do a couple of songs."
As a result, they were booked at the Colony Club for 26 weekends. The gig didn't pay well, but the performing experience it delivered was invaluable. By the spring of 1959, the Brothers Four had honed their show into a tight, entertaining mix of rich vocal harmony, solid accompaniment, and hilarious comedic patter. Brimming with well-earned confidence, they took advantage of the University's spring break to try their luck in San Francisco.
Their effort won them an engagement at the prestigious Hungry i, where the Kingston Trio had just recorded a top-selling concert
album.
Thanks to some fraternity pals who lived in the Bay Area, they were seen and heard by Mort Lewis, who was managing jazz legend
Dave Bruebeck's
career at the time. Keenly aware of the Brothers Four's market potential in the newly created folk boom, he urged them to send him a demo tape for submission to Brubeck's label, Columbia Records.
Columbia reacted to the demo with all the enthusiasm Mort Lewis expected, inviting the group to come to New York for a second round of auditions that resulted in their debut
album
and their first and biggest hit, "Greenfields".
By the end of 1960 they had released one more
album
and scored another hit with "The Green Leaves of Summer".
Thanks to these successes, the Brothers Four found themselves in high demand through the next four years for appearances on TV variety shows and concert stages throughout America and beyond. "The whole pace of activity picked up," Bob Flick recalled, "because we were a folksinging entertainment act in the right place at the right time."
Nevertheless, due to the impact of the Beatles on one hand and the emergence of folk-rock on the other, the year 1965 found folk groups in a challenging situation. The Brothers Four, for their part, met it with admirable creativity on their album
The Honey Wind Blows.
Their rendition of the title song capitalized on
Glenn Yarbrough's
recent hit, and their version of "House of The Rising Sun", though quite different, took similar advantage of the previous year's smash by another group of British invaders,
The Animals.
For the first time in the Brothers Four's recorded history, a tasteful string section was used to grace a beautifully harmonized treatment of "Somewhere” from WEST SIDE STORY. "Our boundaries are growing bigger," John Paine remarked in the album's liner notes. ----------------------------------------------------------------------
With the Brothers Four's next album, the delicate balance of folk and pop shifted decidedly in the pop direction. Its title song,
came from the 1959 musical THE FANTASTICKS and had, in fact, been recorded a while earlier by
The Kingston Trio.
Although the Brothers' folk-based arrangement was orchestrated with the degree of subtlety that graced the previous release, the album was anything but consistent. "Come Kiss Me, Love”, a richly harmonized ballad from the British Isles, was catapulted from the sublime to the ridiculous by an orchestral strategy that might best be described as Tijuana Brass with strings and a backbeat. "What Now, My Love”, with its insistent bolero drum track and dramatically Spanish string arrangement, was a definite stretch despite the group's characteristically rich harmony. "Gimme That Wine”, a folk-based novelty number led by Mike Kirkland, was transformed into unconvincing folk-rock by aggressive drumming and blues-flavored lead guitar. Even the Australian outlaw ballad "Wild Colonial Boy" acquired a superficial pop flavor from the use of brushed drums and unnecessarily bluesy guitar work.
If the folk purists in the Brothers Four's fan base were beginning to worry that their heroes had "sold out," the group's next album,
The Beatles Songbook,
confirmed their worst fears. Tasteful as Peter Matz's orchestral arrangements were, this release virtually re-branded the group, at least on record, as an easy-listening quartet. "We kept recording," Bob Flick recalled, "but it was harder and harder for folk music or acoustic music to find a place on the air. The Beatles and Stones just sucked all the space up. Everything seismically adjusted, so everybody examined what you could do to stay on the charts or in the public eye. "If I Fell" was a single for us. It did fairly well, but I don't believe we ever performed any of those songs in a show: that was strictly a recording project. Fortunately for us, our in-person shows kept us going."
The Brothers Four's 1967 album
A New World's Recor
was another shrewd attempt to reconcile their folk roots with the demands of the marketplace. Though many of the tracks sported the prominent trumpet lines, soft-rock beat, and complex chord structures of the Burt Bacharach sound, it included the venerable old ballad "Shenandoah" and drew on contemporary folk songcraft with Phil Ochs' contemplative "Changes", which Ian and Sylvia had recently
recorded,
and Ewan MacColl's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, which became a huge hit for Roberta Flak early in the following decade.
It proved to be the last album to be recorded by the original Brothers Four. In 1969, following the tragic death of his young son, Mike Kirkland left the group. "We were pretty busy on the road," Bob Flick explained, "but things just took a different focus for Mike and his wife, and he decided to spend his time healing the family. Mark Pearson came in with us when Mike left."
Pearson's entrance was hailed with the 1969 album
Let's Get Together:
The Brothers Four Sing The Great Songs of Today.
It was certainly an auspicious title, but behind it were bland cover versions of a hit parade that ranged from The Beatles' "Revolution” to Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight", a Bee Gees medley, and Dion's "Abraham, Martin and John". An easy-listening update of the topical classic "Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream” served as a mere nod to the Brothers Four's folk roots. Although the line-up had changed, the group's recording strategy clearly had not. As for the strategy's success, all that needs to be said is that this album turned out to be the Brothers Four's final Columbia release.
By 1971 Mark Pearson had left the group to pursue a solo career, and he was replaced by guitarist/banjoist Bob Haworth. A native of Spokane, Haworth had formed his first folk group, The Kinsmen, in Medford, Oregon during his high school years in the mid-Sixties. Through a brief stint with a Portland pop-rock band he met Seattle record producer Jerry Dennon, who later put him in touch with the Brothers Four. "I passed the audition and joined the group," he told this publication in 2003. "The group also auditioned John Denver for the part, and he turned it down."
In 1972 Bob Flick, who had long played bass with the group, left to go solo as Mark Pearson had done. His replacement was electric bassist Tom Coe.
Flick's return in 1975 was heralded with a surprising 1976 album called
The Brothers Four Now.
Issued on the Great Northwest label, a subsidiary of Jerry Dennon's First American record group, its content was a virtual Seventies hit parade encompassing Barry Manilow's "Mandy", Roberta Flak's "Killing Me Softly””, and Tony Orlando's "Tie A Yellow Ribbon". Yet for whatever reasons, whether budgetary or artistic, there were no drums, brass, or string sections. Consequently, this record had more in common with the Brothers Four's original folk sound than anything they had recorded since 1964, casting its pop content in a new light with astonishing success.
The change brought with it a renewed vocal vitality that contrasted refreshingly with the blandness of prior efforts. The album was followed up with two more releases for First American: another program of contemporary songs called FOREVER YOUNG and a two-record set of re-recorded hits called
Greenfields and Other Gold.
In 1985, after about a dozen albums and plenty of touring with the Brothers Four, Bob Haworth was asked by Kingston Trio co-founder Bob Shane to fill in for the ailing Roger Gambill. "I was only intending to fill in until Roger recovered," he explained nearly twenty years later on the Kingston Trio website, "but he died and I was stuck with the gig."
The Brothers Four's loss of Haworth was alleviated by the return of Mark Pearson. It was this line-up that was featured in a 1987 live album called THE BROTHERS FOUR SILVER ANNIVERSARY CONCERT, which integrated contemporary material into the mix of folk standards and spotlighted "The Green Leaves of Summer".
In 1990 founding member Dick Foley finally left the group. With guitarist/mandolinist Terry Lauber replacing him, the Brothers Four established a line-up that continued until 2004, proudly releasing a concert album called
The tokyo Tapes
in 1997. Drawn from two 1996 concerts, it encompassed a medley from the musical MAN OF LA MANCHA, a bluegrass medley that included Earl Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", compelling originals like Mark Pearson's "Heart of The Heartland", and of course, plenty of classics from the folk revival era in general and the Brothers Four repertoire in particular.
In Japan, where they had performed nearly every year since 1962, the Brothers' fan base was particularly strong. "When we first went to Japan," Bob Flick recalled, "we'd been used to doing college concerts, and we'd had some record success over there. The first couple of concerts we did were amazing because there was no such thing as participatory music there in Japan at that time. We got up and bounced around. The audience just sat there! They were fascinated and they watched carefully and applauded politely, but at the end of the show we thought maybe we'd made some huge mistake, but the response was just huge at the end of the show! It turns out that we were doing something that had not really been done before there. Now when we go back, everybody sings along, and it's just like a concert at the University of Wisconsin.”
―――――――――――――――――— (Note: This article will be continued in the next issue of HERITAGE MUSIC REVIEW. Most of the albums described here are available on CD through The Brothers Four's website, www.brothersfour.com.)----------------------------------------------------------------------WHAT'S IN STORE: NEWS FROM THE MUSICAL Marketplace Find Newest Presley Biography At Phinney Books In the foreword to his recent book BEING ELVIS: A Lonely Life, British author Ray Connolly writes of the King, "As a boy, he'd dreamed that success would free him and his family from poverty, but then he discovered that fame on his level imprisoned as well as released. He wasn't the first rock and roll singer, but he was the first rock superstar, a status which meant that not only was there no one from whose experience he could learn, but also there was no one with whom he could share the burden of being himself, of being Elvis." Your copy of the hardcover edition is waiting for you at Phinney Books in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood.Phinney Books 7405 Greenwood Avenue North Phone: 206/297-2665 Web: www.phinneybooks.com ---------------------------------------- Learn To Play Irish Music At Dusty Strings Dusty Strings Acoustic Music Shop in Seattle's Fremont district, long known for its array of fine stringed instruments, instructional workshops, and folk concerts, offers players at all skill levels a way to learn Irish tunes and techniques from instructor Susan "Tudy" McLain. The class meets at 6:30 PM on alternate Thursdays, and when the instruction ends, students can practice what they've learned at a real pub session up the street at Shawn O'Donnell's. For more information, call the store or contact Tudy McLain: greensleevesharp@aol.com.Dusty Strings Acoustic Music Shop 3406 Fremont Avenue North Phone: 206/634-1662.Web: www.dustystrings.com---------------------------------------- Find Classic Bluegrass Albums On Bop Street Bop Street Records, the place to go for collectable vinyl in Seattle's Ballard district, recently acquired a large collection of vintage bluegrass albums, including 33 by the Stanley Brothers. Other artists include Bill Monroe, Jimmy Martin, the Louvin Brothers, and the Delmore Brothers. "They were owned by a guy who was 91, totally loved bluegrass," says proprietor Dave Vorhies.Bop Street Records 2220 Northwest Market Street Phone: (206) 297-2232. Web: www.bopstreetrecords.com.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1971 Martin D-41 At Emerald City Guitars Emerald City Guitars in Seattle's Pioneer Square, well known for its fascinating selection of new and vintage acoustic and electric guitars, amps, and accessories, has just acquired a 1971 Martin D-41 acoustic in very good condition with original hard shell case. "This guitar is in fantastic condition for its age with only light play ware," the website proclaims. "The neck feels great and plays beautifully. Lovely tone with a piano-like quality."Emerald City Guitars 83 South Washington Street Phone: 206/382-0231. Web: www.emeraldcityguitars.com.---------------------------------------- ON THE NEWSSTAND: HERITAGE MUSIC REVIEW The print edition of HERITAGE MUSIC REVIEW is available by mail for $15 per year and on sale at the following Seattle newsstands and music venues:DOWNTOWN: First and Pike News: First Avenue and Pike Street, Pike Place Market.FREMONT: Dusty Strings Acoustic Music Shop: 3406 Fremont Avenue North.UNIVERSITY DISTRICT:Bulldog News 4208 University Way NortheastGREENWOOD: Phinney Books: 7405 Greenwood Avenue NorthPIONEER SQUARE: Emerald City Guitars: 83 South Washington Street.QUEEN ANNE HILL:Queen Anne Book Company: 1811 Queen Anne Avenue NorthCAPITOL HILL: Elliott Bay Book Company: 1521 10th Avenue. For a free sample copy of the print edition, just reply to this message or, if this issue was forwarded to you, send your mailing address to subscribe@heritagemusicreview.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Forwarding of this Electronic Edition is strongly encouraged. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe, simply send your request to editor Doug Bright: subscribe@heritagemusicreview.com.----------------------------------------