Whiskeyhill Singers
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Founder | Dave Guard |
| Defunct | 1961 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco Peninsula , United States |
| Products | Folk music recordings, soundtrack contributions |
The Whiskeyhill Singers were an American group active during the folk revival era, established in early 1961 by Dave Guard following his departure from The Kingston Trio. Guard formed this ensemble with the intention of revisiting the Trio’s original folk influences. The group existed for approximately six months and produced a single album titled Dave Guard & The Whiskeyhill Singers. Additionally, they recorded multiple pieces for the soundtrack of the film How the West Was Won, with four tracks featured in the movie.
History
After gaining momentum through performances in venues across the San Francisco peninsula such as the hungry i and The Purple Onion, The Kingston Trio achieved nationwide acclaim. By 1961, Guard perceived that the Trio’s musical approach had become formulaic, overly commercialized, and had drifted away from genuine folk traditions. He also faced disputes related to publishing royalties and leadership struggles with fellow Punahou School alumnus Bob Shane. These challenges motivated Guard to exit the group and establish the Whiskeyhill Singers alongside his high school acquaintance Cyrus Faryar and Trio bassist and musicologist David "Buck" Wheat.
To broaden their musical palette, Faryar proposed incorporating female vocalist Judy Henske, whose voice would contrast with the all-male harmonies typical of the Trio. This addition enabled the Whiskeyhill Singers to craft a distinctive sound that set them apart from their predecessor.
While aspiring to emulate folk legends such as Pete Seeger and The Weavers, their music still reflected significant influence from Guard’s and Wheat’s tenure with The Kingston Trio. This similarity attracted criticism that their style was more reminiscent of the Trio than truly original.
Upon disbanding, Guard disclosed that The Whiskeyhill Singers had accumulated a financial loss amounting to $10,000.
How the West Was Won
Initially, MGM’s production team for How the West Was Won approached The Kingston Trio to perform folk selections for the film’s soundtrack. However, after discovering Dave Guard was assembling a new band, they opted to engage the Whiskeyhill Singers instead. The group contributed several folk tunes including "Raise A Ruckus Tonight," which featured The Ken Darby Singers accompanying Debbie Reynolds. Judy Henske took lead vocals on "Careless Love" and performed solo on "A Railroader's Bride I'll Be". Cyrus Faryar delivered a solo rendition of "Wanderin'", while Guard sang "Poor Wayfarin' Stranger". The soundtrack earned a 1962 Academy Award nomination for Best Motion Picture Soundtrack. Although the Whiskeyhill Singers initially recorded the film’s main title theme, producers ultimately replaced it with a choral arrangement over the closing credits after early recordings by the small ensemble failed to meet expectations.
Dave Guard
Dave Guard played a pivotal role in shaping 1950s-60s folk music, recognized for pioneering eclectic folk and neo-folk styles that contributed significantly to the emergence of what would later be known as "world music".
Buckwheat
David "Buck" Wheat, born in 1922 in San Antonio, Texas, was an accomplished jazz guitarist and bassist with experience in prominent big dance bands. In 1957, he participated in recordings with the Chet Baker Trio, including tracks such as "My Funny Valentine". He is primarily renowned for his role as bass accompanist to The Kingston Trio.
Cyrus Faryar
Cyrus Faryar, who graduated from Punahou School in 1953 alongside Guard, established an innovative "beat" style coffeehouse named Greensleeves in Honolulu by 1957. Inspired by the beat generation spots in San Francisco, Greensleeves evolved into a gathering place for poets and musicians alike.
Guard invited Faryar to join the Whiskeyhill Singers following Guard’s departure from The Kingston Trio. After shutting down Greensleeves, Faryar moved to San Diego and accepted the invitation, having previously collaborated with Guard during their school years in both drama and music.
Liz Seneff
Liz Seneff, also known as Elizabeth Seneff-Corrigan, became a member of The Whiskeyhill Singers in July 1962, succeeding Judy Henske. Her involvement was short-lived as Dave Guard relocated to Sydney, Australia, in October 1962 to conclude the group’s activities.
Initial influences
Growing up in Honolulu, then a U.S. territory with limited broadcast options, Guard and his schoolmate Bob Shane were exposed primarily to two AM radio stations that featured mainly Hawaiian music and popular "Hit Parade" songs from the late 1940s and early 1950s. Television did not arrive until after both had left for college on the mainland.
With only one record store available in Honolulu, new pop releases reached the islands weeks later via shipments from California. This sparse media landscape, combined with traditional Hawaiian sounds—characterized by harmonies, falsettos, guitars, ukuleles, and slack key finger-picking—shaped Guard’s and Shane’s instrumental approach and influenced the arrangements used by both The Kingston Trio and later the Whiskeyhill Singers. Their collaboration began musically with Bob Murphy during a 1951 high school production of Oklahoma, which played a role in forming The Kingston Trio.
At Punahou School, Guard and Shane were deeply immersed in classical Hawaiian music, including compositions by Queen Liliuokalani. Ukulele lessons were mandatory; Shane mastered tenor and baritone ukuleles. They also absorbed diverse musical elements through broadcasts in Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, and Portuguese languages, enriching their stylistic palette.
Their sound fused Hawaiian and Polynesian harmonies with folk traditions inspired by artists such as Burl Ives and Pete Seeger. Calypso rhythms popularized by Harry Belafonte and communal sing-along styles from Mitch Miller’s ensemble further contributed to their musical development. Additionally, Pacific Island songs from the early 1950s like "Isa Lei" and "Molokai Nui Ahina" served as important sources of inspiration.
Guard and Shane’s mainstream influences included Mitch Miller’s group along with Vaughn Monroe and Dean Martin. The energetic guitar strumming patterns and banjo techniques became signature elements of their sound—clearly audible in recordings by both The Kingston Trio and the Whiskeyhill Singers—highlighted by slack key guitar passages such as those found in "Salomila."
After The Kingston Trio
Upon departing The Kingston Trio alongside Buck Wheat to create the Whiskeyhill Singers, Guard aimed for complete artistic control over a repertoire that leaned more toward authentic folk music. The inclusion of Judy Henske’s unique vocal style introduced a modern dimension but potentially distanced some listeners. Despite Guard’s intention to merge traditional folk with the fervor of ’60s activism, internal disagreements contributed to the group’s brief existence.
The conclusion
Following the group's dissolution, Faryar and Henske embarked on individual career paths while maintaining their friendship. Both artists performed in San Diego before Faryar eventually withdrew from the public eye to live quietly on Hawaii’s Big Island.
Dave Guard
Guard was uncertain about rejoining the Trio. During his time away, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds brought John Stewart into the group, a formation that remained active until 1967. Subsequently, Shane created the New Kingston Trio without Guard’s involvement.
Relocating to Australia, Guard developed an instructional guitar method called "Colour Guitar," which saw modest commercial reception. He also hosted the television program Dave's Place in 1965 before returning to the United States in 1968. Guard passed away from lymphatic cancer in 1991.
Buckwheat
David "Buck" Wheat collaborated with the duo Bud & Travis as an arranger and recording artist. He died at age 63 in Los Angeles in 1985.
Cyrus Faryar
Faryar gained recognition as a singer-songwriter through his work with the Modern Folk Quartet and his solo albums Islands and Cyrus, both released on Elektra Records. After supporting various ensembles, he eventually resettled permanently in Hawaii.
Judy Henske
Henske pursued a career as both a solo artist and collaborator, producing multiple recordings over time. She died in 2022 at the age of 85.
Liz Seneff
Seneff issued a solo album titled Now Listen to Liz along with a single on the Gateway label in 1963. Later, she became part of the semi-psychedelic band The Split Level, contributing to their 1968 album Divided We Stand. Her focus remained primarily on live shows and promotional activities until her death from breast cancer in 1993.
Discography
- Dave Guard and the Whiskeyhill Singers (1962) Capitol
- Whiskeyhill Singers 2nd Album (unreleased) (1962)
- "Ride on Railroad Bill" (single) (1962) Capitol
- "Plane Wreck at Los Gatos" (single) (1962) Capitol
- Dave Guard and the Whiskeyhill Singers (2001) Collectors Choice
- How the West Was Won: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (MGM) Academy Award: Best Soundtrack (1963)
References
Notes