Backstage Weekend - Peter, Paul and Mary at The Hollywood Bowl -1963
(Peter, Paul and Mary - Mary Travers: 1936-2009)
Hearing the sad news this week of the death of Mary Travers, I was thinking about the great impact Peter, Paul and Mary had on the music scene from the early 1960s onward. Most people are so familiar with them now that it seems as though they've always been around - there never was a time without Peter, Paul and Mary. They've become so synonymous with American folk music and with pop music in general that it's hard to imagine a time when they were new and had just arrived and those songs so ingrained in our collective consciousness weren't quite familiar yet.
So it was interesting to listen to this concert, recorded live at the Hollywood Bowl on August 2, 1963 - and played here for the first time ever (it has not been available in any form anywhere). Hearing it with fresh ears and all the enthusiasm of a special event, even though it's from 45 years ago.
Maybe not so dim and distant.
Further evidence it's all timeless.
Thank you Mary.
I remember seeing them live for the first time in 1963. Bought my first guitar the next day. In those days there were some who criticized PP&M for "commercializing" folk music. There's some truth in that, but without their cover versions, the songs of Dylan, Lightfoot, Denver and others would have never reached a mass audience.
Often overlooked is PP&M's musical sophistication, evidenced by their complex vocal harmonies and especially in the boys' intricate finger-picked guitar arrangements.
Two acoustic guitars, an acoustic bass and three voices. No pickups, no effects pedals....just a few microphones and a 60s era PA system. They were the real deal. Still are. Always will be....
I echo Tusconlib -- Thank you for posting this marvelous show. This was one of the best vocal trios ever, and I mourn the loss of Mary's voice. I never saw them perform live, but they were an important part of my youthful awakening, to music, to politics, to showmanship, to the power of sheer talent.
And PS, as this is my first post, I also want to offer a blanket Thank You! to the Music Club for all of the excellent videos I've enjoyed these past months. You've introduced me to quite a few fine artists, and brought old favorites back in new ways. Thanks for all the work!
I'd forgotten how even when I was 5 years old Mary Travers singing "500 Miles" made me cry. Now it makes me sob. R.I.P.
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