The Kingston Trio
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THE BROTHERS FOUR: Merry Christmas (Expanded Edition) Deemed by Brothers Four leader Bob Flick himself as one of his favorite recordings released by the long-lived folk group, 1966’s Merry Christmas brought together a truly extraordinary collection of talent. Besides the Brothers themselves—arguably one of the top five SELLING POINTS: groups of the folk era—the album featured vocal arrangements by the legendary Milt Okun, who had worked with such giants as Harry • 1966’s Merry Christmas Is One of the Belafonte, the Chad Mitchell Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary. Favorite Recordings Not Just of the Orchestrations were provided by Peter Matz, fresh from his work Brothers Four’s Fans, but of the Group Itself with Barbra Streisand, and behind the board at Columbia Records’ hallowed 30th Street Studio was renowned engineer Frank Laico. • Vocal Arrangements by Milt Okun And weaving it all together was the great producer Teo Macero, best known (Peter, Paul and Mary, Chad Mitchell Trio) for his work with Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck and Tony Bennett! Little wonder, then, that Merry Christmas is acknowledged as a pop-folk classic, here • Orchestrations by Peter Matz reissued in an Expanded Edition including the Brothers’ 1961 single (Barbra Streisand) “Christmas Bells” b/w “What Child Is This” plus two unreleased tracks, “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” and a completely different take on “God Rest Ye • Produced by Teo Macero (Miles Davis, Merry, Gentlemen.” With notes by folk guru Tom Pickles featuring quotes Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett) and from all four Brothers, added photos and a beautiful remastering job by Maria Engineered by Frank Laico Triana at Sony’s Battery Studios in New York, this Real Gone release of Merry Christmas will make your holiday merry indeed. • Expanded Edition Includes Both Sides of Their 1961 Single and Two Unreleased Songs: Tracks 1. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen 11. I’ll Be Home for Christmas • Liner Notes by Tom Pickles Feature 2. Mary’s Little Boy Child 12. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Quotes from All Four Group Members 3. The Night Is Christmas Eve It Came Upon a Midnight Clear 4. Away in a Manger Angels We Have Heard on High • Added Photos 5. Christmas Is a-Comin’ • Remastered by Maria Triana at Battery 6. O Holy Night Bonus Tracks: Studios in NYC 7. The Little Drummer Boy 13. Christmas Bells 8. ’Twas the Night Before Christmas 14. What Child Is This 9. Silent Night 15. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen STREET DATE: November 4, 2014 10. The Borning Day 16. Go Tell It on the Mountain LABEL: Real Gone Music GENRE: Holiday FORMAT: CD ORDER USING 848064003083 SELLING POINTS: THE KINGSTON TRIO • The Last Month of the Year Is One of the the last month of the year Most Beautiful and Haunting Christmas Albums Ever Made by a Major Artist You know you’re a successful act in the music business when you’re disappointed that an album “only” hits #11 on the charts! • One of the Most Ambitious and Beloved But that’s how big the Kingston Trio were in 1960; all of their Titles in the Kingston Trio Album Catalog previous albums had hit #1, and they accounted for 20% of Capitol Records’ profits that year even at a time when the label’s • Hit #11 on the 1960 Charts roster included such superstars as Frank Sinatra and Nat “King” Cole. The reason for this “disappointing” showing? The Last • New Liner Notes by Tom Pickles Month of the Year was, contrary to the typical Christmas release, arguably the most ambitious album the Trio had • Added Photos released to date and maybe even the most ambitious album of their career. Dave Guard, Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane wove together a rich tapestry of European legends and scripture, lullabies, and spirituals from the American deep South and gave them the unique Kingston Trio stamp, complete with unusual instrumentation STREET DATE: November 4, 2014 (like the bouzouki pictured on the back cover) and, in Nick Reynolds’ words, “really tricky harmonies, really tricky arrangements.” Plus, there were no popular Christmas favorites to be found; instead, some LABEL: Real Gone Music of the material was downright dark, such as the opening track, “Bye Bye Thou Tiny Little Child,” which GENRE: Holiday refers to King Herod’s massacre of the innocents. But make no mistake—The Last Month of the Year FORMAT: CD captures all the joy of the Christmas season, and remains truer to the holiday’s real origins than just about any album of a similar ilk made by a major recording artist. It’s a true Christmas classic, here with added photos and great liner notes by folk music expert Tom Pickles. Yours from Real Gone Music! Songs: 1. Bye, Bye Thou Tiny Little Child 8. Somerset Gloucestershire Wassail 2. The White Snows of Winter 9. Mary Mild 3. We Wish You a Merry Christmas 10. A Round About Christmas 4. All Through the Night 11. Sing We Noel 5. Goodnight My Baby 12. The Last Month of the Year 6. Go Where I Send Thee (What Month Was Jesus Born In) 7. Follow Now, Oh Shepherds ORDER USING 848064003120.