Please Mr. Kennedy

Annotation

The Goldcoast Singers took a satirical approach to the draft, expressing their reluctance to head out to war in the song "Please Mr. Kennedy" (World Pacific Records # WP-1806). The duo met in 1959 while at college in Fresno, California, and formed the group soon after while studying in Monterey, probably around 1960-1961. George Cromarty, seen on the left of the album cover, and Ed Rush, seen on the right, were occasionally joined by the female vocalist Melinda Stevens. While in San Francisco in March 1962, the San Francisco State Folk Festival (held at the state college) invited the duo to play to an audience of 1000, which they recorded and released on this LP. Produced by Richard Book, well-known on the West Coast jazz scene.1 Billboard reviewed the album on 3 November 1962, giving it four stars, and saying that "the two men that make up this pop-folk group have an iconoclastic bent, and their material is funny as well as irreverent. Each of the tunes is something of a story and almost all have a touch of humor. The album was recorded in concert at San Francisco State College".2 In the spoken-word introduction, the duo explained how they were required to attend the draft board for their physical examination, where they came across a group looking "cold and miserable" but singing a song that "expressed the sentiments of everybody". And so the duo started to sing the song, which pleaded with President Kennedy not to send them off to war. It made no reference specifically to Vietnam, but actually focused on the fight with the Soviet Union, and included some Cold War imagery: "the shelter is ready...in case old Khrushchev decides to attack" - a reference to the Russian leader, and the threat of nuclear war. It also referred to two future presidents, both of whom would later be heavily involved in developing Vietnam War policy - the then vice president Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon, the defeated 1960 presidential candidate. In the very last verse, the duo pleaded with JFK's wife Jackie to reason with the president.Richard Nixon & Watergate SongsSee several songs with a similar title, that pleaded with the president: Mickey Woods – Please Mr. Kennedy (1961: Tamla Records # 54052) King Soloman – Please Mr. President (1966: Kent Records # K 45x446) The Boss Five – Please Mr. President (1966: Impact Records # 1003) Chuck Blake – Please, Mr. Johnson (1966: Sing-O-Tek # 4177) Dewey Jones – Please Mr. Johnson (1967: Diamond Records Inc # D-219) The Put On Company – Please Mr. Johnson (1968: Jest Records # J-101) West – Please! Mr. President (197?: August Records # 333)Sources1Horntip: Here They Are! — The Goldcoast Singers (1962)↩2Billboard, 3 November 1962↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Draft Songs

The Goldcoast Singers took a satirical approach to the draft, expressing their reluctance to head out to war in the song "Please Mr. Kennedy" (World Pacific Records # WP-1806). The duo met in 1959 while at college in Fresno, California, and formed the group soon after while studying in Monterey, probably around 1960-1961. George Cromarty, seen on the left of the album cover, and Ed Rush, seen on the right, were occasionally joined by the female vocalist Melinda Stevens. While in San Francisco in March 1962, the San Francisco State Folk Festival (held at the state college) invited the duo to play to an audience of 1000, which they recorded and released on this LP. Produced by Richard Book, well-known on the West Coast jazz scene.1 Billboard reviewed the album on 3 November 1962, giving it four stars, and saying that "the two men that make up this pop-folk group have an iconoclastic bent, and their material is funny as well as irreverent. Each of the tunes is something of a story and almost all have a touch of humor. The album was recorded in concert at San Francisco State College".2 In the spoken-word introduction, the duo explained how they were required to attend the draft board for their physical examination, where they came across a group looking "cold and miserable" but singing a song that "expressed the sentiments of everybody". And so the duo started to sing the song, which pleaded with President Kennedy not to send them off to war. It made no reference specifically to Vietnam, but actually focused on the fight with the Soviet Union, and included some Cold War imagery: "the shelter is ready...in case old Khrushchev decides to attack" - a reference to the Russian leader, and the threat of nuclear war. It also referred to two future presidents, both of whom would later be heavily involved in developing Vietnam War policy - the then vice president Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon, the defeated 1960 presidential candidate. In the very last verse, the duo pleaded with JFK's wife Jackie to reason with the president.There are several songs with a similar title, that pleaded with the president: Mickey Woods - Please Mr. Kennedy (1961: Tamla Records # 54052) King Soloman - Please Mr. President (1966: Kent Records # K 45x446) The Boss Five - Please Mr. President (1966: Impact Records # 1003) Chuck Blake - Please, Mr. Johnson (1966: Sing-O-Tek # 4177) Dewey Jones - Please Mr. Johnson (1967: Diamond Records Inc # D-219) The Put On Company - Please Mr. Johnson (1968: Jest Records # J-101) West - Please! Mr. President (197?: August Records # 333) Sources1Horntip: Here They Are! — The Goldcoast Singers (1962)↩2Billboard, 3 November 1962↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: This January George and I experienced I rather severe trauma / We had to go down to the draft board to take our army physicals.../ It started out at 6.30 in the morning...it was really hell... / There was a group of four rock 'n' roll singers standing out...at the draft board / Standing out there in their underwear looking rather cold and miserable and happy, singing a song that kind of expressed the sentiments of everybody / And this was the song...we heard at the draft board Please Mr. Kennedy, I don't want to go / I don't want to play no Russian roulette / I don't to go, I'm too young to die yet / Well I ain't gonna smoke that last cigarette / Please Mr. Kennedy, well well I don't want to go / Whoa whoa, bang bang / Please Mr. Kennedy / Don't want to go, whoa whoa, well, well / The shelter is ready, my bag I'm gonna pack / In case old Khrushchev decides to attack / There's a good chance of that if you send Lyndon Johnson back... / Too young to vote / So what do I get? / Shot out of the sky by the Russian jet / Well there might be hope for Richard Nixon yet... / Reason with him, Jackie

About the artist

Formed Monterey, California, USA.

Themes

Draft · JFK · LBJ · Nixon · Khrushchev · Atomic

In collections

Draft Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]