Barry McGuire | |
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 McGuire performing live in 1979 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | October 15, 1935 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1960–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | barrymcguire |
Barry McGuire (born October 15, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter [1] primarily known for his 1965 hit "Eve of Destruction". He was later a singer and songwriter of contemporary Christian music.
McGuire was born in Oklahoma City; [1] his family moved to California when he was two years old. After working as a commercial fisherman and a journeyman pipe fitter, McGuire began singing in a bar. In 1961 he released his first single, "The Tree", which was not a hit.
McGuire formed a duo with Barry Kane (d.2013) called Barry & Barry. They performed original folk songs at The Ice House, a small folk club in Pasadena, California, before moving to The Troubadour in Hollywood in the spring of 1962. There they joined the folk group The New Christy Minstrels and McGuire sang lead vocals on the novelty single "Three Wheels on My Wagon". [1]
McGuire and Kane continued to perform their duo act as well as playing with The New Christy Minstrels. With Horizon Records, they cut their first and only album as Barry & Barry titled Here And Now, which contained songs such as "Gold Wedding Ring", "Land Of Odin", "Another Man" (released as a single), "Summer's Over", "You Know My Name", "Bull 'Gine Run", and "Far Side of the Hill". It also included "If I Had a Hammer", three months after the release of the song by folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary.
In 1963 McGuire, with Randy Sparks (founder of The New Christy Minstrels), co-wrote and sang lead vocal on the band's first and biggest hit single: "Green, Green". McGuire left the Christys in January 1965 after recording the album Cowboys and Indians, although on the 1965 album Chim Chim Cher-ee he sang on the title cut.
As a solo folk rock singer in the 1960s, McGuire was best known for his hit "Eve of Destruction" [2] and for "Sins of a Family", both written by P.F. Sloan. McGuire's other chart successes were "Child of Our Times" and "Cloudy Summer Afternoon (Raindrops)" (written by Travis Edmonson of the 1960s folk-duo Bud & Travis). "Eve of Destruction" sold more than one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. [3] The album Eve of Destruction peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard 200 album chart during the week ending September 25, 1965. That same week the single went to No. 1 on both the Cashbox and Billboard Hot 100 chart and knocked "Help!" by The Beatles from the top of the chart. According to McGuire, "Eve of Destruction" was recorded in one take on a Thursday morning from words scrawled on a crumpled piece of paper and he received a call from the record company at 7am the following Monday telling him to turn on the radio, his song was playing. The recording included an "ahhh" where McGuire could not read the words. [4] "Eve of Destruction" was McGuire's only Top 40 entry.
McGuire's second album, This Precious Time, was released in February 1966 on Dunhill Records. [1] The album included a version of "California Dreamin'" with The Mamas & the Papas singing backing vocals. [2] McGuire is mentioned several times in The Mamas & the Papas' hit song "Creeque Alley". [1] The Temptations referenced McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" in their song "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)". Frank Zappa included McGuire's name on the sleeve of his Freak Out! album (1966) as one of his musical influences.
McGuire appeared in the 1967 movie The President's Analyst with James Coburn as the character "Old Wrangler", [5] the leader of a band which consisted of the Los Angeles group Clear Light, who were between lead vocalists; and in Werewolves on Wheels in 1971. In 1968 he starred for a year in the Broadway musical Hair .
McGuire became a born-again Christian in 1971 after meeting evangelist Arthur Blessitt in October 1970. [6] In 1973, he joined the Myrrh label and released the album Seeds. This album contained backing vocals by the family trio that would become known as the 2nd Chapter of Acts. In 1974, McGuire released his second Jesus music album, Lighten Up, which included a remake of "Eve of Destruction". He toured with 2nd Chapter of Acts and "A Band Called David", and in 1975 this collaborative effort resulted in the double live album To the Bride.
In 1976, McGuire left Myrrh and joined former Myrrh executive Billy Ray Hearn's new label, Sparrow Records. He recorded seven albums on Sparrow, the best known of which is Cosmic Cowboy, released in 1978. The title track was No. 1 on CCM Magazine's music chart for 35 weeks. That year McGuire also released a children's album, Bullfrogs and Butterflies , part of the Agapeland series, for Sparrow's subsidiary label, Birdwing. In 1978, McGuire toured England, Scotland, and Wales with the Jimmy Owens' musical The Witness, in which he played the part of the apostle Peter. He also played this part on the studio recording of The Witness.
In 1985 McGuire was featured in the contemporary musical recording "The Scroll", performing the character of Jesus. The musical was composed by Canadian singer/songwriter Bruce Stacey and was recorded in England with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. It also featured other contemporary Christian artists of the day. "The Scroll" was released on Light Records and was featured at three world exhibitions as a major multi-media presentation.
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In the 1980s, after his final album Pilgrim, McGuire left the music industry and settled for a time in New Zealand with his wife, Mari. He wrote music, performed and hosted the videos for several years for Gospel Light Publishing's Vacation Bible School Programs. McGuire returned to the United States in the 1990s and teamed up with Terry Talbot, recording as Talbot McGuire. [7] The duo released four albums between 1996 and 2000. In 1990 McGuire published the novel In the Midst of Wolves, co-written with Logan White, which told the story of "a group of bikers who came to know God". McGuire worked with The New Mamas and the Papas in 1997–1998. In 2000 he toured with Christian musician John Michael Talbot. In 2006, McGuire undertook engagements which included songs and talks on a mixture of topics by McGuire and his wife. The McGuires resided in Fresno, California, but also spent part of every year in New Zealand.
On March 12, 2008, McGuire appeared on the Australian music comedy/game show Spicks and Specks , performing an updated version of "Eve of Destruction" with new lines such as, "You're old enough to kill / you just started voting" and "... can live for ten years in space". A reference to "Red China" was also removed. In 2009, McGuire released "Eve 2012" in which the text was modified to reflect contemporary problems, mostly environmental, rather than the problems of the 1960s.
In 2008, McGuire joined a former member of the Byrds, John York, for a live tour called "Trippin' the '60s", which McGuire described as "taking the songs and the truth that was in those songs from the 1960s and bringing them into the present moment... It's not a cover pack, it's us singing songs that we sung with a lot of our friends that aren't around anymore to sing them." [8]
In 2013, McGuire appeared in the documentary film 'The Byrd Who Flew Alone', produced by Four Suns Productions. The film was about Gene Clark, one of the original Byrds, who was a friend of McGuire's for many years. [9]
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | CA | NO | NL | UK | DE | BE | |||
| 1965 | "Eve of Destruction" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 15 | Eve of Destruction |
| "Child of Our Times" | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | This Precious Time | |
| 1966 | "Cloudy Summer Afternoon" | 62 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | The World's Last Private Citizen |
The Mamas & the Papas was a folk-rock vocal group which recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, with a brief reunion in 1971. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. Formed in New York City, the group consisted of Americans John Phillips, Cass Elliot and Michelle Phillips and Canadian Denny Doherty. Their sound was based on vocal harmonies arranged by John Phillips – the songwriter and leader of the group – who adapted folk to the new beat style of the early 1960s.
Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It typically combines elements of folk and rock music together, it arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers such as Bob Dylan and the Byrds—several of whose members had earlier played in folk ensembles—attempted to blend the sounds of rock with their pre-existing folk repertoire, adopting the use of electric instrumentation and drums in a way previously discouraged in the U.S. folk community. The term "folk rock" was initially used in the U.S. music press in June 1965 to describe the Byrds' music.
"Eve of Destruction" is a protest song written by P. F. Sloan in mid-1965. Several artists have recorded it, but the most popular recording was by Barry McGuire, on which Sloan played guitar.
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released as the first track of the acoustic side of his March 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The song's popularity led to Dylan recording it live many times, and it has been included in multiple compilation albums. It has been translated into other languages and has been used or referenced in television shows, films, and books.
"California Dreamin'" is a song written by John and Michelle Phillips in 1963 and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas & the Papas, who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in December 1965. The lyrics express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City. It is recorded in the key of C-sharp minor.
Philip Gary "Flip" Sloan, known professionally as P. F. Sloan, was an American singer and songwriter. During the mid-1960s, he wrote, performed, and produced many Billboard Top 20 hits for artists such as Barry McGuire, the Searchers, Jan and Dean, Herman's Hermits, Johnny Rivers, the Grass Roots, the Turtles, and the Mamas and the Papas.
The 2nd Chapter of Acts was a Jesus music and early contemporary Christian music group composed of sisters Annie Herring and Nelly Greisen and brother Matthew Ward. They began performing in 1972 and enjoyed their period of greatest success during the 1970s. The group disbanded in 1988.
Trinidad López III, known as Trini Lopez, was an American singer and guitarist. His first album included a cover version of Pete Seeger's "If I Had a Hammer", which earned a Golden Disc for him. His other hits included "Lemon Tree", "I'm Comin' Home, Cindy" and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl". He designed two guitars for the Gibson Guitar Corporation, which are now collectors' items. A documentary on his life and career, My Name Is Lopez, was released in April 2022.
The New Christy Minstrels are an American large-ensemble folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1961. The group has recorded more than 20 albums and scored several hits, including "Green, Green", "Saturday Night", "Today", "Denver" and "This Land Is Your Land". The group's 1962 debut album, Presenting the New Christy Minstrels, won a Grammy Award and remained on the Billboard 200 albums chart for two years.
Mr. Tambourine Man is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Byrds and was released on June 21, 1965, by Columbia Records. The album is characterized by the Byrds' signature sound of Jim McGuinn's 12-string Rickenbacker guitar and the band's complex harmony singing. The material on the album mostly consists of cover versions of folk songs, primarily composed by Bob Dylan, and originals written or co-written by singer Gene Clark. Along with the Dylan-penned single of the same name, Mr. Tambourine Man established the band as an internationally successful act and is widely regarded by critics as representing the first effective American challenge to the chart dominance of the Beatles and other British Invasion bands during the mid-1960s.
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"Creeque Alley" is an autobiographical hit single written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas in late 1966, narrating the story of how the group was formed, and its early years. The third song on the album Deliver, it peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard pop singles chart the week of Memorial Day 1967, becoming their last Top 10 hit. It made number 9 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 4 on the Australian and number 1 on the Canadian charts.
Steve Barri is an American songwriter and record producer.
Lloyd Arrington Sparks, known professionally as Randy Sparks, was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and founder of The New Christy Minstrels and The Back Porch Majority.
Presenting the New Christy Minstrels, also known as Exciting New Folk Chorus, is the debut studio album by the acoustic American folk music group the New Christy Minstrels. It was recorded in mid-April 1962 and released by Columbia Records in October 1962.
The Back Porch Majority was an American folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1963. It was intended to be a rehearsal space for The New Christy Minstrels, another group Sparks had established in 1961, but it ended up becoming successful on its own. The group released six albums, appeared on several TV shows and was chosen to provide entertainment at the White House in 1965.
Edward Hoh was an American rock drummer who was active in the 1960s. Although primarily a studio session and touring drummer, Hoh exhibited a degree of originality and showmanship that set him apart and several of his contributions have been singled out for acknowledgment by music critics.
Eve of Destruction is the debut studio album released by American folk music singer-songwriter Barry McGuire, released in 1965. The album features McGuire's signature song "Eve of Destruction", written by P.F. Sloan, who also wrote many other songs on the album. It also features McGuire's cover versions of songs by several artists, including Bob Dylan. Eve of Destruction peaked at No. 37 on the Billboard 200 album chart and spent a total of 21 weeks on the chart.
"Today" is a 1964 folk song that was a hit for The New Christy Minstrels. Written by the group's founder, Randy Sparks, it was introduced in the American comedy-Western film Advance to the Rear (1964) and released on the album titled Today.
"Green, Green" is a hit single released by American folk music group The New Christy Minstrels on June 4, 1963. It was composed and written by group members Barry McGuire and Randy Sparks and became the group's first hit. Since then, it has been covered by many singers and artists from all over the world, but especially in Japan.
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