Modern Screen (Jan-Dec 1960)

hoen, which means beautiful — "and it's just why we changed it," chuckles bby. Anyway, the Shanes prospered d when Bobby came along twenty-five ars ago, just like Dave — Art Shane, his I, ran the flourishing family firm. Athic Supply of Hawaii. Curiously, that •ned out to be Bob's trouble — or one of ;m at least. He was expected to carry in the business, but he just didn't fit : pattern. vlaybe he'd eaten too much poi as a kid jut somehow easy going Bob liked the ■laka idea of letting life ripple through a pleasantly, and no sweat. At Punahou was good in track, basketball, the glee b and school operettas, but his sad re•t card usually kicked up a rumble at ne. In preference to books, Bobby liked : sun and surf at Waikiki, the native .us, plunking a guitar and singing. And, en grown up a bit, he too frequently ed a cool can of beer. Long before Dave Nick turned pro Bobby Shane was play 5 singles around Honolulu night spots, 6 having himself a ball. Jot a while his folks didn't get too nervs. thinking he'd settle down, like his er brother. And that was another thing: b's brother liked business, worked hard i finally built up a booming electronics n of his own. The contrast hatched a emotional bug: Bobby sensed his pars' disappointment in him and tension unted. But it didn't blow off until later ?oth Bobby Shane's parents had gone Stanford and his brother to Menlo. ey hoped Bob would follow in their tsteps and shipped him off to Menlo -k prep, after Punahou. But it was tty obvious that Bobby's marks would •er rate Stanford. Each time he flew ne for Christmas or summers, the outk seemed grimmer and sometimes there re scenes. It let his folks down someat when he enrolled in Menlo College :t, but at least he took on Business Adlistration. A dim hope flickered that d wind up running the Athletic Supply >.r all. ■ut even studying business was a drag Bob. "I was a pretty bad boy all DUgh that school," he confesses. "Had ot of eight o'clock classes, but some9 I couldn't get up in time to make m. The most important thing that haped to me there was getting together singing with Dave and Nick," obby missed graduating by a few iits, kicked around San Francisco a le trying to latch on as a single in one the clubs with no luck and finally — ted — took out for home, Dad and the jpe — a prodigal's return. But," sighs Bob. "I lasted at the Ath: Supply just one week. It just wasn't me. I couldn't take it." That's when and Shane, Sr. had some stormy argutts and Bob blasted off. But he hugged uilt complex that lasted, underneath ly, until the Kingston Trio's success . ed him right. laughs from himself :>r a while, Bobby Shane sharpened style around Honolulu's night clubs, Pearl City Tavern, The Clouds and Yee Chai's, with a song and comedy ersonation act taking off on Belafonte, s Presley and the other greats. He e good money and he got laughs from -yone, but not really from himself. letimes, when people asked Bob how tabbed his own singing voice, he'd hk cynically, 'A whisky baritone"— that wasn't far from the truth. "I \ drinking too much, gambling and ing around," Bobby admits. "Clear :he track." hat switched him back on was a nagnostalgia for the swinging camaraderie he used to enjoy with Dave Guard back around Palo Alto. With a clever guy like Dave, you could really work up a team and go places, or maybe expand to a trio. Automatically, Bob Shane's thoughts flashed Stateside to this great little guy named Nick Reynolds he'd palled and played with at Menlo. Nick could do anything — harmony, guitar, bongos and congas. Only trouble was — Nick probably wouldn't buy. He had things too easy. He was in a rut. Back on Coronado Island, California, Nicholas Reynolds was in a rut, but nobody had called it to his attention. Although he'd been carted all over the world as a kid with his Navy captain dad, Coronado was always home port and it never occurred to Nick that his future lay anywhere else. Coronado's a cozy, sleepy resort, a ferry jump from San Diego's fleet base. Retired sea-dogs, like Nick's dad, crowd the place. The life's routine: sports, home life, cocktails when the sun dips under the yardarm. The best business is hotels. After snagging his Business Administration B.S. at Menlo, Nick had returned like a homing pigeon. He found a job in a hotel and took up where he'd left off after leaving Coronado High. Nick liked it there — why not? He knew everybody. He was close to his parents. His married sisters, Barbara and Jane, had homes next door to each other in Coronado and everybody in the family got along great. As for sports — he could beat all of the ones he loved right at home. Nick Reynolds was a whiz at most every sport. Small but mighty, he'd won tennis tournaments and skeet championships at Coronado, and the U. of Arizona, too. Later, while at San Diego State, he'd road raced his Crosley Fiat Special, until a pal got killed on the Torrey Pines run. To top all this, worries about future security never wrinkled Nick's brow. A great uncle had willed him a fortune, which he'd come into (and still will) by his thirties! But deep inside, Nick Reynolds still felt restless and unfulfilled. Was he just set to go down the drain in his cozy corner of the nation? What troubled Nick was an unexpressed talent. He was musical by nature. His mother and his sisters all sang. His Aunt Ruth had been with the Metropolitan Opera. Even Captain Steward Reynolds, USN, off duty, thrummed "a real swingin' guitar." Ferment of discontent Nick had the hotel business in mind when he tailed off his training at Menlo Business College. But, like Bob, his rosiest campus memories were those free riding harmonies at Stanford parties and spots with Dave and Bob. Something made him keep in touch with Dave, up North, and Bobby in the Islands. When he ran on to a good tune, he'd write them about it, and hear what they were working up. "I loved nothing better than the life I was leading," Nick sums it up today. "But I couldn't forget what Dave, Bob and I might be doing together." When he learned that Bobby Shane had suddenly flown back from Hawaii to join Dave, the sun didn't seem quite so bright over Coronado. That was the ferment of discontent that brewed the fabulous Kingston Trio. Ingredients: three variously gifted, attractive, high-type guys. But — for one reason or another — fizzing off flat on their own. They needed a swizzler to mix them up — and luckily one came along. His name was Frank Werber. Frank's the Trio's manager today. To the boys he's 'Black Bart' or 'The Whip.' "I run interference," grins smart, beatnik, bearded Frank. Actually, he runs the whole Kingston show and nursemaids the Kingstons wherever they go. It was Frank BY" LYLE ICE^Y'ON EXCEL The Nation's Top Disc Jockeys pose a series of questions to see if you know your record stars. 1. You certainly couldn't call this maestro' s music Rock Roll. Hoivever, his music is intoxicating and very square. He had a gal singing for him by the name of Alice Lou. 2m She's small, intense and sings a beautiful ballad. Her sponsor for a long time zcas Chevrolet. Capitol Records just signed Ibum her, and her fi on this label is called , Yes Indeed. 3. The Steve Allen Show gave this little lady her big break by ducing her singing to mi lions of viewers. She m Steve Lawrence on th tro Dearborn, Mich. shoie and soon thev were 5RPerk,J?; „. • j CJ,„ „■ , Station WTRL. married. 6he now records Bradenton, Fla. for ABC-Paramount. Her latest album is On Stage. 4. His name lias something to do with the beach. He made his name through Rock V Roll type recordings but has just announced that he has given up this style of singing. Only beautiful songs will he sing . from nozo on. M 5. His latest album is Heaviin Seymour. enly on the Columbia label. Station WKMH, He is one of the finest new singers to come along during the past few years. One of his first great hits was Chances Are. $. His hobby is the drum. He is acknowledged as one of f the best popular dancers ever seen. He makes his first nan jfr, dancing dramatic movie role *^ in the screen version of On The Beach. 7. He's a top singer with a warm appealing voice. His hobby is songwriting. One of his compositions is That Chick's Too 7 Fry. His latest albumwas just New York City, released by Lion Records. New York and it features his name and photo on the cover. Bill Wright, Station WIBG. Philadelphia. Pa. spun*; \\uiuo_l