Biography
The Modern Folk Quartet earned greater recognition for later accomplishments and loose ties to prominent music-business figures than for the records they issued. In the early 1960s the group specialized in commercially oriented folk arrangements that highlighted collective vocal harmonies. Their style sat close to the Kingston Trio yet edged slightly beyond the most conventional acts such as Chad Mitchell. Each member eventually left a lasting imprint on music or media far removed from the folk revival itself. Jerry Yester produced sessions for the Association and Tim Buckley, replaced Zal Yanovsky for a short time in the Lovin' Spoonful, and created an underappreciated psychedelic pop album with then-wife Judy Henske on Frank Zappa’s Straight label. Cyrus Faryar cut singer-songwriter material for Elektra in the early 1970s, contributed to studio dates for Linda Ronstadt and Fred Neil, and supplied astrological narration on Zodiac’s Cosmic Sounds (1967), among the most thoroughly psychedelic concept albums ever released. Henry Diltz established himself as a leading rock photographer, while Chip Douglas worked extensively as a bassist and producer, most prominently on several Monkees albums.
Assembled in one room, the four would doubtless share compelling anecdotes, yet their pair of Warner Bros. albums remained largely conventional, polished folk efforts devoid of original material. They ventured further than most comparable ensembles by interpreting songs credited to Chester Powers (also known as Dino Valente), covering Bob Dylan’s “Farewell” and Phil Ochs’s “The Bells,” and employing richer instrumental textures. Jim Dickson, later the early manager of the Byrds, produced their debut LP. Once the Byrds achieved success, the Modern Folk Quartet shifted toward electric folk-rock, drawing the interest of Phil Spector, who likewise sought to update his own sound. The group tracked the Spector-produced, Harry Nilsson-penned “This Could Be the Night,” which served as the theme for the concert film The Big TNT Show. The track remained unreleased after Spector largely stepped away from the industry in 1966, although it later appeared on the Back to Mono box set. The Modern Folk Quartet disbanded soon afterward.
Assembled in one room, the four would doubtless share compelling anecdotes, yet their pair of Warner Bros. albums remained largely conventional, polished folk efforts devoid of original material. They ventured further than most comparable ensembles by interpreting songs credited to Chester Powers (also known as Dino Valente), covering Bob Dylan’s “Farewell” and Phil Ochs’s “The Bells,” and employing richer instrumental textures. Jim Dickson, later the early manager of the Byrds, produced their debut LP. Once the Byrds achieved success, the Modern Folk Quartet shifted toward electric folk-rock, drawing the interest of Phil Spector, who likewise sought to update his own sound. The group tracked the Spector-produced, Harry Nilsson-penned “This Could Be the Night,” which served as the theme for the concert film The Big TNT Show. The track remained unreleased after Spector largely stepped away from the industry in 1966, although it later appeared on the Back to Mono box set. The Modern Folk Quartet disbanded soon afterward.
Albums