Be transported back in time in this nostalgic backstage glimpse at an iconic folk trio.
Music has been evolving for as long as there has been music. In fact, it’s difficult to remember or imagine a time when a cheeky song lyric might be met with as much scorn as the gyration of Elvis’ hips. It was in this climate that The Chad Mitchell Trio became social icons and masters of their craft. But dedication to a craft takes a toll, especially when your bandmates aren’t your friends. The Chad Mitchell trio got its humble start during a time of political and social change on the picturesque Gonzaga University Campus. We Never Knew Just What it Was is a creative, non-fiction work chronicling the rocky rise, climax and fall of this talented vocal group, along with a few check-ins throughout the subsequent decades. With the help of Mike Kobluk and Chad Mitchell, this telling novel covers some of the group’s pivotal moments, all leading up to a highly unlikely, but ultimately legendary, reunion performance.
Mike Murphey details the Trio’s seemingly insurmountable problems, public opinions, private revelations, and musical triumphs in this thorough and painstakingly honest look at a group that shaped the music scene in the 1960s. Their rise to fame was not meteoric, and the narrative in this book reflects that pace. However, when the dynamic John Denver makes his appearance, the rhythm of the story really picks up. From their earliest moments, the group demonstrated strong musical intuition in rehearsals and perfect synergy onstage, but their behind-the-scenes differences eventually pulled the fan-favorite ensemble apart, making for some tense and awkward moments, along with years of regret. Murphey’s novel fills in the gaps of what transpired in those pivotal years, but is also like a where-are-they-now look that lovers of folk music are sure to appreciate. Folkies the world over will be transported back in time in this nostalgic backstage glimpse at an iconic folk trio.
