As for The Kingston Trio, their vocal arrangements were formulated, as Nick used to say, "on the natch", i.e. "naturally". There was a simple formula with Shane primarily on melody, Nick usually a third above and Dave filling in below - sometimes with some very odd parts. But it made the KT sound and it was unique to them.
Vocal qualities factor into that defining element for each group too. As personnel changed the sound of the groups morphed. When I was with The Brothers Four I sang the parts that Milt had written for the group and never really tried to emulate Mike Kirkland in any way. But when I joined the Trio, with only three vocal parts, my voice was a little more exposed. I studied the original recordings and did my best to try and sound like Nick. I had many people tell me that I had nailed it, which was a huge compliment.
The current Kingston Trio line-up sounds nothing at all like the original group. Nobody could replace Bob Shane - his voice is one-of-a-kind. But I guess most audience members aren't that discerning, and it's the repertoire that keeps the Trio working today.
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