The Chad Mitchell Trio - Four Strong Winds/The Mitchell Trio with John Denver - For Bobbie

[@edward886]

The original Chad Mitchell Trio was a favorite of mine back in the day. Several of my friends shared that interest. We saw them perform numerous times and were never disappointed. On one occasion at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, we were all standing by the stage entrance hoping to see them. A limo pulled up and out came Paul Prestipino. He took his instruments out and was fumbling with them all, so I brazenly walked up and took two and followed him into the Academy. Most likely he thought I was part of the Academy staff. My friends looked in amazement as I passed them smiling. I followed Paul into the dressing room where the members of the Trio we already gathered. I shared what I had done and they had a good laugh, They did not ask me to leave. They couldn't have been nice to this interloper.. I stayed and visited with them until they got the call to perform. It was an amazing experience and only deepened my appreciation for the group. I'll always remember that night.

[@maricarol85]

That is so cool! What a great memory to have. 😊👍

[@michael1949eldredge]

Great to find this! I was in the audience for this show …twice! I was employed at a natural history museum near Charlotte, and I sent out calendar, program, and exhibit information to the media. I was sent courtesy tickets for the shows by WTVI, Charlotte’s PBS station, who was hosting and filming the event for broadcast. The first night as a rehearsal for both the Trio and the audience. The rehearsal was being filmed to provided ‘backup’ footage if need be. The main event was filmed the second night, which I was able to attend as well! What a treat! I had been a fan of the original Chad Mitchell Trio and later the Mitchell Trio with John Denver back in the sixties. They were part of my encouragement to become a singer songwriter, starting with scout camp campfires in the early sixties. Seeing the original group back together after twenty five years was huge, as well as seeing John Denver, who I had seen in concert during my college years … also an influence. I was given a video of the broadcasted Mighty Day program by WTVI. Pretty cool to be in the audience for rehearsal and broadcast taping of Mighty Day!!!

[@maricarol85]

Nice!

[@eleanorelizabethcarter4366]

The Chad Mitchell will always be Chad, Mike and Joe!!! The blend of these three will never again be heard.

[@williamleas7492]

You can sure tell John’s voice and the strength of that voice had progressed to top of the line professionalism! The others have great voices as well but John’s had reached to solo recording artist level which is hard to achieve without allot of electronic manipulation! I’ve heard that voice personally and it’s an amazing experience!

[@conniecolvis-hn4sp]

Perfect harmony!

[@stefanlofgren]

The CMT- Prolly the best of all the folk trio groups of the 60’s. Such a volume of achievements and creativity. The lilting harmonies and satirical lyrics. Pioneering and timeless. I grew up with these fellers and their vinyl records in the 70’s and still sing their songs every day today. What joy!

[@harrygr218]

so sad to know those days are gone

[@kwiskamp]

Humbleness is such an underrated quality.

[@celedoniaaguirre2302]

I love it so awesome

[@Kinkle_Z]

This is so weird. My boyfriend, John McGann (dead from AIDS but played by Tom Hanks in Philadelphia) was hired by John Denver when he went solo which took us to Chicago where we hung out at the Earl of Old Town and met Steve Goodman (who sang the song he had written when we picked him up at the train station called "City of New Orleans) and mailman John Prine, etc. Jack played guitar for Chad Mitchell in Chicago. We went to Aspen and back. Then, after Chad, Jack and I returned to NYC and at the 1971 Philly Folk Fest, I was sitting next to Denver on a queen bed in the motel after party when he sang "Leavin' on a Jet Plane." I had no idea at that point that he had been with the Chad Mitchell Trio sans Chad. What a crazy loop! Anyway, I've always felt a little like Forrest Gump in that I brushed up with so much of the glitterati in those very important historical musical moments back then. Lucky me!

[@lkronquist]

That is indeed quite a story! I met those guys backstage briefly (including Denver) after a performance in Tacoma, not long after Chad had left the group in the mid-1960's. I have been a huge fan of all of the people you mention in your story, except for Jack, sorry. He was backing Chad on guitar when he was performing solo? Now I really need to see that Tom Hanks film! I'm one of the few who hasn't. I did see Forrest Gump.

[@lkronquist]

I'm a little confused about the Tom Hanks role in Philadelphia. The character he played was a lawyer, so how could you say that your guitar-player boyfriend who got AIDS was played by Hanks? Just curious.

[@samphelps4311]

​@@lkronquistm

[@BonnieHaynes-gg4nk]

I am sorry about your boyfriend

[@Edward92546]

It is so cool to read all these comments about the Chad Mitchell Trio, with both Chad and John. Their satiric songs were great fun, but when they got serious, it was beautiful. Thanks for sharing your memories.

[@robinaguinaldo4507]

Incredible harmony.

[@bufb]

fabulous Ian Tyson song.

[@janhammer39]

Thanks Mary Lynn for visiting The Hammer Works,

[@JustForFun-mt9og]

I'd forgotten how beautiful John Denver's voice was/is.

[@delholford987]

Roger Durrett produced and Tom Klipp directed. Bill Flueret did the audio. It was recorded during a live performance at Charlotte’s Spirit Square. I edited a 2 hour version in 1988 at Park Road Productions and then moved to WTVI PBS Charlotte and edited a 90 minute version in 1991. That went to PBS for fundraising and got a great response in NYC and Alaska. I have a VHS copy of the entire 2 hour edit somewhere but having just moved it would take a while to find.

[@neilmansfield8329]

Marianne Faithfull’s recording of her friend a Neil Young’s song is better

[@gj3044]

That would be a treasure for sure!

[@terrichristenson432]

Would dearly love to have some footage of Chad singing, with the guys or solo. It seems to be Very hard to come across, am hoping someone has some. Mr Holford, what is the 2 hr edit that you spoke of?

[@SBSMusicChannel]

I would also love to see a copy of any of their live recordings. It’s hard to come by online. I’ve seen a few of their hootenanny performances on a Hootenanny dvd boxset I’ve purchased, but still haven’t seen as much as I’ve wanted to!

[@sherrywrst2058]

We miss you John.

[@johne6081]

This may be my favorite rendition of this Canadian classic, although there are several others I like. I am always glad to hear "looking good" in place of the grammatically grating "going good," which flawed the original lyrics.

[@bobelliott2748]

"going good" is what is said in Alberta. It is a local idiom. How about "going to working for"? Grammar nazi.

[@Steveirwin4477]

John Denver is essentially the doppelganger of Steve Irwin

[@ericpugh921]

This is awesome. However, I’m not sure it mentions the ORIGINAL trio - because my dad was one of those first original members, the great Mike Pugh!

[@SBSMusicChannel]

Would you happen to know anything about recordings of any of their live performances? I’ve been hyper-fixating on their music and hunting the internet for any recordings of theirs in their earlier iterations.

[@nancysuttonmurray2188]

Fave songs for my two children..Four Strong Winds for Wendy..and Song for Bobbie..who's birthday is March 8th..today. Heaven couldn't wait.Tho I cannot imagine the why of losing them..I will never forget the joy of being their Mom. Little pieces of me trying so hard to uncover their identities and their Godly assignments..Just a thought.

[@DarkmoonRising69]

Thanks for posting this gem bravo

[@DavidKozinski]

What a treasure to listen to. Miss you.

[@mcfrdmn]

Fantastic video clip !

[@janhammer39]

+Michael Friedman Thanks Michael for checking out the site.

[@yongkim7421]

John.... I'm Korean and I knew you 6 years ago. when I knew you, It was too late to see you. If I was born before 21th century ....

[@nashvilletennessee3194]

John died in 1997 in a plane crash!

[@reginastella7455]

jan,adorei,muito especial !!!!nostalgia beijos a todos amiga rs

[@gloriaertel5964]

WOW!

[@andrewtucker1828]

Nice shirt denver

[@knockedoutloaded279]

were they popular in USA..?

[@murryjcohen]

yes

[@greglhoticom]

Wow, Jan, that was great! Such fine voices...all. Which begs the question, "Who was Bobbie?"

[@janhammer39]

+Greg Steckler Good question Greg. I don't know but I'll see if I can find out.

[@_indihannah_]

I believe it was his daughter

[@tomstein1557]

From Songfacts: "In his biography of Denver - published two years after his untimely death - John Collis said he wrote it about a girl he met while playing at the Lumber Mill, and that they dated for about a year".

[@aggabus]

32 yr

[@terrichristenson432]

Came to listen to Chad !!! Was very dissapointed.