Modern Folk Quartet
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L-R : Faryar, Diltz, Douglas, Yester
The Modern Folk Quartet recorded two albums of commercially-minded folk revival music in the early 1960s, with an emphasis on group harmonies, and have subsequently re-formed more than once and made further recordings.
The four original members were Cyrus Faryar, Henry Diltz, Chip Douglas, and Stan White. They formed the quartet in Honolulu, when Faryar returned from the mainland after a period singing with Dave Guard's Whiskeyhill Singers. The newly-named Modern Folk Quartet - its name taken as a conscious parallel with the Modern Jazz Quartet - then moved to Los Angeles and became regulars at The Troubadour club. However, White then became ill, and was replaced by local singer Jerry Yester.
Managed by Herb Cohen (later manager of Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley and others) the quartet recorded their first album in 1963, produced by Jim Dickson (later manager of the Byrds), and a second album in 1964. It included early songs by Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, John Stewart and Chet Powers (aka Dino Valente). Over the next two years they continued to perform but did little recording. A final session with Phil Spector yielded "This Could Be the Night" (cowritten by Spector and Harry Nilsson), which was used as the theme to the rock concert film The Big TNT Show.
The MFQ disbanded in 1966, and the various members went on to develop their own careers. They re-formed between 1975 and 1978, and again in the 1980s, becoming the Modern Folk Quintet when Yester's brother Jim, formerly of The Association, joined in 1988. After a 12-year break they reformed again in 2003 for a tour of Japan, where they have remained popular.
