Peter Paul and mary

[Tenacious E]

As someone born in 1974, i only heard their music here and there growing up. At one point i really liked their music. I still appreciate their voices, but I only recently realized they were just a cover band and they would be nothing without bob dylan. Csb.

 

[bcherod]

That’s not entirely true.

I actually went to a concert of theirs in Tokyo. They were also singer-songwriters.

Back in the day, everyone played everyone else’s song, they played in each other’s bands. They played together, etc.

 

[lucas80]

That’s not entirely true.

I actually went to a concert of theirs in Tokyo. They were also singer-songwriters.

Back in the day, everyone played everyone else’s song, they played in each other’s bands. They played together, etc.

So, they were swingers?

 

[DirtyJohns97]

As someone born in 1974, i only heard their music here and there growing up. At one point i really liked their music. I still appreciate their voices, but I only recently realized they were just a cover band and they would be nothing without bob dylan. Csb.

I was also born in 1974 and the only song I know attributed to them is Puff the
Magic Dragon, which is awful

 

[noleclone2]

Born in 72 and my Dad loved both Peter Paul and Mary and Gordon Lightfoot. I liked them all too.

 

[sultanofsuede]

I was also born in 1974 and the only song I know attributed to them is Puff the
Magic Dragon, which is awful

Also a cover, no? (Not sure)
I really love hippie, rebel music from that era. But there are some musicians from that time that make my stomach turn. Peter, Paul, and Mary are high on the list of barf music for me.

 

[Fan In Black]

my no pic Mom used to sing Puff The Magic Dragon to me and I loved that song. A little boy having a pet dragon seemed so boss.

 

[HawkMD]

I was also born in 1974 and the only song I know attributed to them is Puff the
Magic Dragon, which is awful

 

[DirtyJohns97]

Born in 72 and my Dad loved both Peter Paul and Mary and Gordon Lightfoot. I liked them all too.

Did your dad ever talk to you about how he defeated homosexuality to marry your mom?

 

[sultanofsuede]

Did your dad ever talk to you about how he defeated homosexuality to marry your mom?

That’s funny. To me. I hope you are being glib. I do respect the vibe that those bands were shooting for. I just grew up too late. My parents did too, but they respected that music. It just wasn’t on rotation at our house in the late 70’s.

 

[noleclone2]

Did your dad ever talk to you about how he defeated homosexuality to marry your mom?

You are trying way too hard this thread.

 

[DirtyJohns97]

You are trying way too hard this thread.

Or not enough

 

[Tenacious E]

That’s not entirely true.

I actually went to a concert of theirs in Tokyo. They were also singer-songwriters.

Back in the day, everyone played everyone else’s song, they played in each other’s bands. They played together, etc.

Okay, they wrote some but virtually every song of their’s which is good was written and performed first by someone else.

 

[stillh8unlv]

Did your dad ever talk to you about how he defeated homosexuality to marry your mom?

Are you calling Gordon Lightfoot gay?

 

[Rifler]

Peter, Paul, & Mary were a cover band long before Dylan hit the scene,.. Mr. Zimmerman just made their repertoire slightly more relevant..

 

[Titanhawk2]

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" - John Denver

 

[Tenacious E]

"Leaving on a Jet Plane" - John Denver

Well, my point wasn't that they only covered Dylan songs, only that lots of them were Dylan songs. Leaving on a jet plane is another great song which is not theirs which they covered very well.

 

[h-hawk]

Paul of the group wrote this for Peter of the group when he got married. It has been a staple of marriages since then.

 

[franklinman]

They performed back in the day at Woodstock with many other bands. Now, that was a great experience, but wouldn' t do it again.

 

[bcherod]

Actually the performances of Dylan’s songs propelled one of his albums up the charts.

Times were different then. Musicians collaborated a lot more during that time.

 

[bcherod]

They performed back in the day at Woodstock with many other bands. Now, that was a great experience, but wouldn' t do it again.

I’ll never forget the music. “Soul Sacrifice “ remains one of my favorites. I wish one of my favorite local bands would play that, instead of “Oye como va”.

 

[Rifler]

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Peter, Paul and Mary were pretty much built to cover songs though they did write some of their own music. These weren’t friends that got together, there were auditions for this kind of group. I’m not sure if they even knew each other prior to being put together.

What’s funny in a thread like this is the same people disparaging PP&M for covering Dylan’s tunes - and making them imminently listenable - will also dismiss Dylan for his voice. Sometimes there are people just looking for things to bitch about. They also covered Pete Seeger songs like The Hammer Song and Where Have All the Flowers Gone. I was born in ‘57 with a brother and sister who were in high school in the ‘60’s so this is the music I grew up on.

 

[bcherod]

Peter, Paul and Mary were pretty much built to cover songs though they did write some of their own music. These weren’t friends that got together, there were auditions for this kind of group. I’m not sure if they even knew each other prior to being put together.

What’s funny in a thread like this is the same people disparaging PP&M for covering Dylan’s tunes - and making them imminently listenable - will also dismiss Dylan for his voice. Sometimes there are people just looking for things to bitch about. They also covered Pete Seeger songs like The Hammer Song and Where Have All the Flowers Gone. I was born in ‘57 with a brother and sister who were in high school in the ‘60’s so this is the music I grew up on.

I was born in 1951. It’s the music we listened to, and jammed to.

 

[Tenacious E]

Actually the performances of Dylan’s songs propelled one of his albums up the charts.

Times were different then. Musicians collaborated a lot more during that time.

Chicken and the egg I suppose, but Free Wheelin' has some of the greatest songs in the history of the world. I think he was fine without PP&M covering Blowing in the Wind.

 

[bcherod]

Chicken and the egg I suppose, but Free Wheelin' has some of the greatest songs in the history of the world. I think he was fine without PP&M covering Blowing in the Wind.

You weren’t born. You just don’t understand what was going on at the time. Dylan jammed frequently with a bunch of people. He wasn’t sitting in his garage alone, doing it all by himself.

Are you a musician? Singer-songwriter?

Read about the Wilburys. Totally a collaborative effort.

 

[Tenacious E]

Peter, Paul and Mary were pretty much built to cover songs though they did write some of their own music. These weren’t friends that got together, there were auditions for this kind of group. I’m not sure if they even knew each other prior to being put together.

What’s funny in a thread like this is the same people disparaging PP&M for covering Dylan’s tunes - and making them imminently listenable - will also dismiss Dylan for his voice. Sometimes there are people just looking for things to bitch about. They also covered Pete Seeger songs like The Hammer Song and Where Have All the Flowers Gone. I was born in ‘57 with a brother and sister who were in high school in the ‘60’s so this is the music I grew up on.

Um, okay. I made it clear I enjoyed their voices. I only pointed out I later learned they were a cover band. I didn't grow up listening to the music as it originally aired, and I was a teenager in the 80s when I first heard some of their stuff at a friend house for the first time. I had no idea, at that time, who was who and who wrote what songs, and I didn't care. I never bitched about Dylan's voice, and I never bitched that PP&M was a cover band. The only thing I would take back in the OP was that they would be nothing without Dylan. They would have been something, but not what they were.

 

[Tenacious E]

You weren’t born. You just don’t understand what was going on at the time. Dylan jammed frequently with a bunch of people. He wasn’t sitting in his garage alone, doing it all by himself.

Are you a musician? Singer-songwriter?

Read about the Wilburys. Totally a collaborative effort.

The Wilburys' music overall sucked, relative to the talent comprising the group.

 

[bcherod]

The Wilburys' music overall sucked, relative to the talent comprising the group.

No it didn’t.

 

[franklinman]

I’ll never forget the music. “Soul Sacrifice “ remains one of my favorites. I wish one of my favorite local bands would play that, instead of “Oye como va”.

1969, I finished my tour in 68 and the mood of the counrty was protest, and then protest more. The music was perfect at that time to end the conflict, and of couse, the country was divided.

 

[Tenacious E]

No it didn’t.

Opinions vary, but the operative phrase in my post was "relative to the talent comprising the group." Geniuses, all of them. They have a couple of good to great songs, and then a bunch that are not, in my opinion, compared to their talent. But that is just my opinion. @Jimmy McGill would fight me because of it.

 

[franklinman]

I’ll never forget the music. “Soul Sacrifice “ remains one of my favorites. I wish one of my favorite local bands would play that, instead of “Oye como va”.

One of favorites , Crosby, Stills and Nash.

 

[bcherod]

Our military dads had fits that we were listening to and playing Joan Baez.

But then our mothers had fits that we were listening to the Beatles.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

Actually the performances of Dylan’s songs propelled one of his albums up the charts.

Times were different then. Musicians collaborated a lot more during that time.

Everybody did covers. The suits owned the songs and they would pass them around to other groups looking to turn a song into a hit…sometimes multiple times. Blue Suede Shoes was a Carl Perkins hit song covered by Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, and - of course - Elvis.

 

[bcherod]

Everybody did covers. The suits owned the songs and they would pass them around to other groups looking to turn a song into a hit…sometimes multiple times. Blue Suede Shoes was a Carl Perkins hit song covered by Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, and - of course - Elvis.

Totally true.

 

[Nole Lou]

My father was a Peter Paul and Mary superfan. I don't care how old you are, I've almost certainly listened to more Peter Paul and Mary than anyone on this thread combined. It's funny, because he's an arch conservative, but he loved that hippie folk music, but PPM was his absolute favorite. It was on in the house hours and hours every week.

Multiple things can be true...

- They were without a doubt somewhat of a construct folk outfit, and not particularly authentic in the through line of Guthrie/Seeger/Dylan. Always considered a bit suspect by the folk dweebs who got mad at Dylan for plugging in. They were a somewhat artificial creation, emblemized by there is no "Paul", Noah Stooky adopted that moniker for the catchy band name

- Their talent and effectiveness as a trio is undeniable. From their voices to their arrangements to their stage camaraderie to their selection of what to play, they made a phenomenal amount of really, really good music.

- Their voices and harmonies and arrangements made them massively more commercial and more widespread appeal than most more "authentic" folk artists, not unlike the Kingston Trio in the 50s. These bands brought the folk ethos, including folk protest songs, to a much wider audience than the "authentic" acts.

- There was absolutely nothing in that era that frowned on "covers", in fact it was almost frowned on NOT to. And if anything, it was even more traditional in Folk music to play the compositions of others. Dylan's first album only had two of his own compositions. His ensuing work focusing mostly on his own compositions was a departure from the norm, and one of the reasons he often bristled at being pigeon holed into the folk niche.

- That said, some of their own compositions, some hits and some not, are great songs. It's not like they didn't have the ability to write and arrange their own music

- They were exceedingly, relentlessly commercial, for decades and decades, in a way that just isn't really in form with traditional folk artists

- Peter Yarrow was a pedophile, was pardoned by Jimmy Carter, and pretty much just had it swept under the rug over the course of years and years of PBS specials, childrens albums, etc.

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

- Peter Yarrow was a pedophile, was pardoned by Jimmy Carter, and pretty much just had it swept under the rug over the course of years and years of PBS specials, childrens albums, etc.

This^^.