Trident formed on the back of the Kingston Trio’s huge success. Their manager Frank Werber, on this evidence, obviously saw the market demanding something more than the squeaky-clean Trio folk. We Five’s You Were On My Mind was the breakthrough. Their other four tracks are among the strongest, helped in no small measure by Bev Bivens’ distinctive tones.
There, in part, is the rub for the rest of the acts, as there’s little to distinguish one from another, though each gives their best. The interesting Blackburn & Snow pop up with some alternate/ demo versions of their material, including Stranger In A Strange Land, and there are some strong songs from The Tricycle, formed by one of We Five after the latter’s short-lived career. Also ear-catching is Randy Steirling, whose voice on Green Monday is a curious mix of Donovan and James Blunt, making for one of the stronger tracks.
Almost 20 acts vie for attention, and their crossovers and inter-relations are detailed in compiler Alex Paleo’s detailed sleevenotes, in which a plethora of different names doesn’t help distinguish one lot from another. Nevertheless, this is a deep trawl through one company’s response to folk-rock, though you will have to search hard for undiscovered nuggets.
