The Weavers

The Weavers were an extremely popular American folk music quartet of the 1940s through 1960s who not only had numerous hits of their own, but were important in being precursors of the great folk-music craze of the late 1950s that introduced such artists as the Kingston Trio, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul and Mary. Like their noted contemporary Burl Ives, they not only sang traditional American folk songs but also introduced songs from around the world. Their repertoire was broad, drawn from traditional black gospel music, children's songs, the blues, and other sources such as the labor movement. Along with their guitars, banjos, and other folk instruments, many of their studio-recorded performances also had lush orchestrations behind them, as was typical for much of their era. Although their commercial success was later eclipsed by such acts as the Kingston Trio and Peter, Paul and Mary, they nevertheless sold millions of records of their own and were acknowleged by all that followed as being the seminal force in the folk-music field.

The composition of the Weavers' four members (always three men and one woman) varied somewhat over the years, but the original group comprised Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Fred Hellerman, and Ronnie Gilbert. Many of the songs that the Weavers sang on recordings and at concerts are now considered standards in the folk repertoire, including The Sinking of the Reuben James, Hard, Ain't It Hard, On Top of Old Smokey, Follow the Drinking Gourd, Kisses Sweeter than Wine, The Wreck of the John B (also known as The John B. Sails and Sloop John B), The Rock Island Line, The Midnight Special, Pay Me My Money Down, and Darling Corey.

Originally based in New York City, the Weavers were formed in Greenwich Village in November 1948 by Seeger and Hayes, veterans of an earlier group called the Almanac Singers, who had performed sporadically in the early 1940s with various other artists, the most noted of whom were Cisco Houston and the great folk-song composer Woody Guthrie. The political orientation of the Almanac Singers had been notably leftist and labor-oriented and had suffering accordingly during the highly patriotic years of World War II. Finally deciding to disband, they were in a sense reincarnated as the Weavers, who also had a politically progressive philosophy and who, like the Almanac Singers, supported union activities and social justice.

Hit singles in chronological order

• Goodnight, Irene—Pop hit, #1; first reached charts on June 30, 1950; 25 weeks in top 100; from a version popularized by Lead Belly in the 1940s; recorded in New York City on May 26, 1950; released by Decca Records as catalog number 27077

• Tzena, Tzena, Tzena—Pop Hit, #2; reached charts in 1950; originally written in Hebrew by Issachar Miron and Jehiel Hagges; later arranged by Gordon Jenkins, whose orchestra backed the Weavers' version; released by Decca Records as catalog number 27077 on the other side of Goodnight, Irene

• On Top of Old Smokey—Country hit, #8; Pop hit #1 on Cash Box chart and #2 on Billboard chart; traditional Appalachian folksong rearranged by Pete Seeger; recorded on February 21, 1951; released by Decca Records as catalog number 27515; reached charts in June, 1951; two weeks in top 100 Country hits; sold over a million copies

• Kisses Sweeter than Wine—Pop Hit, #19; reached charts in 1951; written by the Weavers under the pseudonyms of Joel Newman and Paul Campbell; derived from a traditional Irish song as later adapted by Lead Belly; recorded in New York City on June 12, 1951; released by Decca Records as catalog number 27670

Albums in chronological order of original recording

• The Weavers at Carnegie Hall, Vanguard Records, 1988, recorded at Carnegie Hall, New York City, December 24, 1955
• The Weavers at Carnegie Hall, Vol. 2, Vanguard Records, 1963, recorded at Carnegie Hall, New York City, April 1, 1960
• Reunion at Carnegie Hall: 1963, Vanguard Records, 1987, recorded at Carnegie Hall, New York City, May 2-3, 1963
• The Weavers' Almanac, Vanguard Records, 1963, liner notes by Studs Terkel
• Together Again, Loom Productions, 1988, recorded at Carnegie Hall, New York City, November 28-29, 1980
• Greatest Hits, Vanguard Records, 1986
• Weavers Classics, Vanguard Records, 1987
• Best of the Decca Years, The Decca Records, 1996

• Best of the Vanguard Years
• Best of the Weavers
• Wasn't That a Time! box set
• The Reunion at Carnegie Hall, 1963, Pt. 2 (Live)
• The Weavers at Home - Vanguard VRS 9024 (1957-58)
• Travelling On with The Weavers VRS 9043 (1957-58)
• Reunion at Carnegie Hall No. 2 (Live)
• Rarities from the Vanguard Vault
• Kisses Sweeter Than Wine (compilation of 1950-51 live shows, edited by Fred Hellerman)

• Ultimate Collection

• Gospel
• Goodnight Irene: Weavers 1949-53 box set
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas
• The Weavers on Tour (Live) - Vanguard VRS 9013
• The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time! (video)

External links

• Folk music archives article on the Weavers
• Vocal Group Hall of Fame article on the Weavers
• "Good Night Irene"