The Last Month of the Year | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 3, 1960 | |||
Recorded | June 1960 | |||
Studio | Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California | |||
Genre | Folk, Christmas | |||
Length | 27:28 | |||
Label | Capitol | |||
Producer | Voyle Gilmore | |||
The Kingston Trio chronology | ||||
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The Last Month of the Year is an album of Christmas music by the Kingston Trio, released in 1960 (see 1960 in music). It became the first Kingston Trio album release to fall below expected sales and Capitol withdrew the album from circulation shortly after its release. [1]
The Last Month of the Year is considered their most musically ambitious and also one of the Trio's least known. It was recorded in 1960 between shows at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
Nick Reynolds stated in an interview for the liner notes of The Guard Years: "It wasn't your standard Christmas album. That's why we called it The Last Month of the Year. It was a pretty complicated little album, some very intricate stuff. Dave (Guard) brought in a lot of the arrangements with stuff like bouzouki instrumentation; Buckwheat (David Wheat, the Trio's bassist) played some wonderful gut-string guitar. We really worked hard on that one, laying down a lot of the instrumental tracks before we did the vocals, working on harmonies over and over. David (Guard) was responsible for a lot of that album, but we all brought things in... Musically, it came off very well; it just didn't sell." [1]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Sales for the album fell far below expected sales and Capitol withdrew the album from circulation shortly after its release. [1]
In his Allmusic review, critic David A. Milberg called The Last Month of the Year "An essential part of any Christmas album collection, these are true Christmas folk songs, from spirituals to Old English rounds." [2]
Year | Chart | Position |
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1960 | Billboard Pop Albums | 11 |
The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds. It rose to international popularity fueled by unprecedented sales of LP records and helped alter the direction of popular music in the U.S.
Donald David Guard was an American folk singer, songwriter, arranger and recording artist. Along with Nick Reynolds and Bob Shane, he was one of the founding members of The Kingston Trio.
The Kingston Trio At Large is the American folk music group the Kingston Trio's fourth album, released in 1959. It was the Trio's first stereo studio album and one of the four they would simultaneously have on Billboard's Top 10 albums during that year. It spent fifteen weeks at #1. The single "M. T. A." b/w "All My Sorrows" spent eleven weeks on the singles charts and peaked at number 15. The Trio's second single that same year, "The Tijuana Jail" b/w "Oh Cindy", was recorded during The Kingston Trio At Large sessions. It peaked at number 12.
Stereo Concert is the Kingston Trio's second live album, released in 1959. It was never released in monaural—unusual for a record release in 1959.
...from the "Hungry i" is the Kingston Trio's first live album, released in 1959. It was recorded in 1958 at the San Francisco club hungry i shortly after the release of their debut album The Kingston Trio. It was awarded an RIAA gold album on October 24, 1960, and presented to the group in 1961.
The Kingston Trio is the Kingston Trio's debut album, released in 1958. It entered the album charts in late October 1958, where it resided for nearly four years, spending one week at #1 in early 1959. It was awarded an RIAA gold album on January 19, 1961.
Sold Out is an album by American folk music group the Kingston Trio, released in 1960. It was their third LP to reach #1, stayed there for twelve weeks, and received an RIAA gold certification the same year. "El Matador" b/w "Home From the Hill" was its lead-off single, though it just made the Top 40. Sold Out remained in the Top 40 for 54 weeks, longer than any other Trio album.
String Along is an album by the Kingston Trio, released in 1960. It was their fifth studio album in a row to reach number one on the Billboard charts and remained there for ten weeks. String Along received an RIAA gold certification in 1962, a year after Dave Guard had left the group. It was the last LP of the Trio to reach the number one spot. Two singles, "Bad Man's Blunder" b/w "The Escape of Old John Webb" and "Everglades" b/w "This Mornin', This Evenin', So Soon", were released. Both were the last singles of the "Guard years" Trio to chart, "Bad Man Blunder" the last to reach the Top 40.
Make Way is the ninth album by the American folk music group the Kingston Trio, released in 1961. It reached number two on the Billboard charts, despite there being no US singles released from the album..
Goin' Places is the tenth album by the American folk music group The Kingston Trio, released in 1961. It peaked at number three on the Billboard charts and spent 41 weeks in the Top 40. The lead-off single was "You're Gonna Miss Me" which failed to chart. Its B-side was "En El Agua". Goin' Places was the last album recorded with founder Dave Guard as a member.
The Kingston Trio: The Guard Years is a compilation of The Kingston Trio's recordings when Dave Guard was a member of the Trio along with Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds.
The Capitol Years is a compilation album of the American folk music group the Kingston Trio's recordings from their time with the Capitol Records label.
The Lost 1967 Album: Rarities Vol. 1 is an album by the American folk music group The Kingston Trio, recorded in 1967 and released in 2007.
Close-Up is the eleventh album by the American folk music group the Kingston Trio, released in 1961. It was the first release by the group after the departure of founding member Dave Guard. The Trio now consisted of Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and Guard's replacement John Stewart. Close-Up peaked at number three on the Billboard charts. The lead-off single was "Coming from the Mountains" backed with a non-LP track, "Nothing More to Look Forward To". Close-Up was nominated for a Grammy award in 1961 for Best Performance by a Vocal Group.
The Kingston Trio is an album by the American folk music group the Kingston Trio, released in 1964. Nick Bob John failed to reach the Top 40, peaking at number 53 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.
Stay Awhile is an album by the American folk music group the Kingston Trio, released in 1965. It was their second release on the Decca label. It continued their downward slide in the charts, reaching number 126 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. The single "Yes I Can Feel It" b/w "Stay Awhile" did not chart.
Once Upon a Time is a live album by the American folk music group the Kingston Trio, recorded in 1966 and released in 1969. It was originally released as a double-LP with a three-page booklet and reached number 163 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. The lead-off single was "One Too Many Mornings" b/w "Scotch and Soda".
Capitol Collectors Series is a compilation album of the American folk music group the Kingston Trio's recordings from their time with the Capitol Records label. It contains songs from both the Dave Guard and John Stewart trios. All the songs included were released as singles by the group with two having never appeared on any of their principal recordings.
Live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a live album by the American folk music group The Kingston Trio, recorded in 1961 and released in 2007.
Live at the Crazy Horse is a live album by the American folk music group the Kingston Trio, released in 1994. The group consisted of the line up of Bob Shane, George Grove, and Nick Reynolds. Reynolds had left the group in 1967 and returned in 1988.