Link: http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdZw2m_bNhQ
But here's a sorta list of a few of my favorites along with why I might include each song as a fave.
Brothers Four:
"Greenfields" - a very well-written song by Terry Gilkyson, Richard Dehr and Frank Miller (The Easy Riders) and the one that has kept the group alive for over 50 years. I still perform it in my solo shows.
"Blue Water Line" - a cautionary tale about preserving our history. I've tried to find out if it has any basis in fact, but apparently not. I can't find any references to a Blue Water Line in my internet searches.
"The Sloth" by Flanders and Swan. John Paine played the part of the Sloth coming out to the front of the stage pantomiming with a goofy face as Bob Flick was the voice of the Sloth on mic behind him. Audiences loved that bit.
"Forest Lawn" - I love anything by Tom Lehrer. He is one of the most clever song-writers ever. We also used to do one by him called "Pollution" which was a fun one to sing.
"Try To Remember" - from "The Fantastiks". Music by Harvey Schmidt, lyrics by Tom Jones (not the "What's New Pussycat" guy). A beautifully-written song and still fun to sing.
Kingston Trio:
"Ah Woe Ah Me" - a great calypso song that's fun to sing and never fails to get a laugh. Still a staple in my solo repertoire.
"MTA" - So much about this song qualifies it for the list. It was a big hit for the Trio in 1959 and it has a very fascinating history. The melody of the song dates back to the 1800's as "The Ship That Never Returned", then revitalized as "The Wreck of the Old 97" in the early 1900's. The "MTA" version of the song solidified the Trio's relationship with Boston, translating into multiple appearances for the group there. A couple of my favorites were singing the "National Anthem" and "MTA" at the 4th play-off game between the Red Sox and the Yankees in 2004, a game that ultimately led the Sox to win the World Series that year, and then there was our performance of "MTA" with Mitt Romney as our guest singer at the Charlie Card inauguration ceremony at Scully Square later that same year.
"To Morrow" - kind of a tongue-twister song. Always gets a laugh. Bob Gibson is credited as the writer, but it was actually written by Lew Sully as a "patter song" and published in 1898. The first recording was by Dan W. Quinn in 1902. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdZw2m_bNhQ
"Maria" - from "Paint Your Wagon", music by Frederick Loewe, lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. A classic KT hit that gets applause as soon as I start to sing it.
"Greenback Dollar" - a hard-driving song by Hoyt Axton. I always thought it should be covered by some rock group.
So there ya go with some of my favorites. Ask me again tomorrow - I might have a whole different answer.
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