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During the early to mid 60s, folk was king of the music
world in the USA. In the Northeast corner of New Jersey four
school chums, calling themselves the Yeomen, rode this wave of
folk music through their high school years from 1962 '65.
We join our four young heros in the spring of 1966 on stage at
Emerson High School in Emerson, N.J. The event is a "competitive
Hootenany".The Yeomen, not in the competition, are entertaining
the audience while the judging takes place. As it turns out,
this was to be their last performance together. Six of the nine
tunes on this disc are from that night. Cuts 7 & 8 are songs
written by their high school chorus teacher, Dick Thompson. The
final tune was recorded in New Milford High's Gymnasium and won
for the Yeomen a Goya guitar and a mention on the Goya Company's
promotional banner. This was near the beginning of the Yeomen's
"career" and their near miss with "fame &
fortune". In the words of Dave Kaprilick, A&R director
for Columbia Records in 1963, "You guys are just too much
like the artists we already have signed". Alas, a day late
and many dollars short!
Archived by Oregrown Music/Heartstone
Records 2002
3305 NW Grant; Corvallis,OR; 97330; (541) 752-4250
www.oregrownmusic.com
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