The Big 3 (folk group)
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1962 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
| Products | Folk music albums and singles |
The Big 3 was a folk trio from the United States, composed of vocalist Cass Elliot (1941–1974), singer-songwriter and banjo player Tim Rose (1940–2002), and singer-guitarist Jim Hendricks (born 1940).
Career
The formation began in 1962 when Tim Rose and John Brown encountered Cass Elliot in Georgetown, Washington, DC. After collaborating on several songs, they toured under the name The Triumvirate. Upon arriving in Omaha, Nebraska, James Hendricks joined the group, and they relocated to New York City, adopting the name The Big Three. John Brown did not continue with them. In New York, the trio performed at various coffeehouses and folk venues such as The Bitter End, which helped them secure national television spots on programs including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), Hootenanny (1963), and The Danny Kaye Show (1963). Altogether, they appeared on television twenty-six times. During this period, Elliot married Hendricks to assist him in avoiding military conscription; sources indicate the marriage was likely never consummated. The group produced two albums and two singles before internal disagreements caused their dissolution. Following the split, Rose embarked on a solo path, while Elliot and Hendricks established The Mugwumps. Subsequently, Elliot became part of the renowned pop ensemble The Mamas and the Papas and later pursued a solo career.
Albums
- The Big 3 (FM Records, 1963)
- Rider – 2:30
- (It Makes) A Long Time Man Feel Bad – 3:28
- Nora's Dove (Dink's Song) – 1:56
- Young Girls Lament – 4:13
- Sing Hallelujah – 2:06
- Come Along – 1:52
- Dark As a Dungeon – 3:10
- The Banjo Song – 1:55
- Winken, Blinken and Nod – 3:27
- Ho Honey Oh – 1:29
- Live at the Recording Studio (FM Records, 1964)
- I May Be Right – 2:24
- Anna Fia (Feher) – 2:44
- Tony and Delia – 2:30
- Grandfather's Clock – 1:50
- Silkie – 3:20
- Ringo – 2:13
- Down in the Valley – 2:08
- Wild Women – 3:01
- All The Pretty Little Horses – 2:40
- Glory, Glory – 2:14
- Come Away Melinda – 3:10
Compilations
In 1995, Sequel combined both original albums into a single CD release entitled The Big 3 Featuring Mama Cass. Additionally, two other compilations bear this title: an eleven-track version issued by Roulette in 1967 with a reissue in 1979, and an eighteen-track edition released by Collectables in 2000.
The compilation Essential Folk Masters (Classic Music International, 2011), credited to "Mama Cass & The Big Tree," includes the identical eighteen tracks as the Collectables version but arranged differently. This reflects the group's brief period performing under the name Mama Cass and the Big 3 prior to forming The Mugwumps.
Singles
- 1963: "The Banjo Song" ("Oh! Susanna") / "Winken, Blinken and Nod" (FM Records)
- 1963: "Come Away Melinda" / "Rider" (FM Records)
In support of its compilation The Big 3 Featuring Mama Cass, Roulette released "Nora's Dove (Dink's Song)" / "Grandfather's Clock" as a single in 1968.