The Kirby Stone Four

This vocal quartet comprised Kirby Stone (b. 27 April 1918, New York, USA), Eddie Hall, Larry Foster and Mike Gardner. They had a hip brand of humour and a distinctive, upbeat, swinging style. Originally an instrumental quintet, the group became a vocal foursome before making a name for themselves in nightclubs and local television shows. They came to prominence in 1958 with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, which led to a contract with Columbia Records, and the release of MAN, I FLIPPEDŠWHEN I HEARD THE KIRBY STONE FOUR. It was a mixture of standards, such as S'Wonderful and It Could Happen To You, and special material written by Stone and Gardner. Their programme included Juke Box Dream, a vehicle for Foster's uncanny vocal impressions. In the same year they also had a Top 30 single with their extremely original conception of Baubles, Bangles And Beads, from the 1953 Broadway musical Kismet. The accompanying album reached the US Top 20.

Among their other album releases, GUYS AND DOLLS (LIKE TODAY) (1962) included a "liberetto-ture" (a combination of libretto and overture) by Kirby Stone and the group's frequent arranger and conductor, Dick Hyman, as an attempt to present the Abe Burrows/Jo Swerling/Frank Loesser masterpiece as a "show for the ear alone". Stone added some extra lyrics for his "guys", who were augmented by the "dolls" - a female vocal chorus - plus a 25 piece orchestra which included such luminaries as Alvino Rey, Shelly Manne and Al Klink. Subsequently, the Kirby Stone Four continued to flourish, and went forward, armed with this common credo: "A pox on all harmonica players, nightclub owners named Rocky, and juveniles who win contests by playing Lady Of Spain on white accordions."

Discography

The "Go" Sound / The Kirby Stone Touch

In 1959 The Kirby Stone Four developed a unique "feel free" vocal jazz sound, a blend of Jazz, Swing and The Big Beata happy sound that became a trend called the "Go" Sound. The group is kind of a cross between the Hi-Lo's and the Four Freshmen, and we get 2 LPs-worth (24 songs) of jazz-band accompanied, bright, fast-moving, 50s jazz-pop. Some of our favorites: "Coffee Time," "The Pussy Foot," "Don't Cry Joe," "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles," "Fake Out Baby," "Volare," "Hambone," "I Love Paris," "Lullaby of Birdland," "Red Shoes" and "Don't Stop," but they're all a kick!

Baubles, Bangles and Beads

Originally an instrumental quintet, the KS4 became a vocal foursome before making a name for themselves in nightclubs and local television shows. Kirby Stone Eddie Hall, Larry Foster and Mike Gardner had a hip brand of humor and a distinctive, upbeat, swinging style. They came to prominence in 1958 with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, which led to a Columbia Records contract, and the release of "Man, I Flipped When I Heard the Kirby Stone Four." 1958 was also the year they had a Top 30 single with their extremely original cover of "Baubles, Bangles And Beads," from the 1953 Broadway musical Kismet which was nominated for a GRAMMY. The attached album, on this CD, reached the US Top 20. There are 12 (accompanied) songs here, from what Kirby called a "happy show," all upbeat, somewhat irreverent, jazzy and fun: the title tune, "Bidin' My Time," "Lullaby of Broadway," "Fugue For Tinhorns," "In The Good Old Summertime," "Rain," "Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart," "Let's Do It," "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street," "Swinging Down The Lane," "Lady Love Me" and "Whispering." We don't think it's physically possible to listen to "Baubles" and feel down at the same time!

For More of The Primarily A Cappella On-Line Catalog

RSS - New Releases

Site Map | A Cappella News | RSS a cappella feeds

To find a specific song on any recording (or to find recordings by group name or CD title),
pick the search method and type the item you are searching for here: