Mary Travers
Sings the Songs
of John Denver
May Both Their Spirits Now
Fly on the Wings of Love
The musical heritage of John Denver's music has been intertwined with that of Mary Travers and her group Peter, Paul and Mary beginning in the late 1960's with PP&M's 1st and only #1 hit, "Leaving on a Jet Plane." Of course, John wrote that song and he retitled it, at Mary's urging. It was originally "Babe I Hate to Go."
But you may not know that many tunes that John either wrote, or have been traditionally associated with him, have also been recorded by Mary Travers. For your enjoyment, this page features 8 of those songs. So, sit back, relax and enjoy "Mary Travers sings the songs of John Denver."
This sheet music shows that "Follow Me" was recorded by both artists. Mary's single reached #56 on the Hot100 by July 26, 1971 and as high as #3 on the Easy Listening chart that same summer.
A Special Note for Downloading or Saving the Music Files
If you presently use Windows Media Player as your default method of listening to mp3's, each of the songs on this page should automatically open and begin playing when you LEFT CLICK on the links.
If a player does not open or you would like to save any of the songs on your own computer, I've pro-
vided a page with instructions to help. Simply LEFT CLICK on this Blue Box and this info page will open.
By October, 1970, as Mary said in Rolling Stone, PP&M needed a "time out." Each of the trio went on to solo careers. By the end of March, 1971, Warner Bros. released the first solo album from the trio's ranks, simply called Mary. The album was produced by Milt Okun.
The song selections deliberately bridged from the old to the new: The lead-off track was a re-recording of "The Song Is Love," and there was also a solo version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," (Given that Roberta Flack's hit version was still a year away, one can only feel astonishment that, for the second time, nobody at Warner recognized the song's potential.)
But the major bridging factor on the album was John Denver, who played guitar and contributed three songs, "Rhymes & Reasons," "Follow Me" and "Circus" (co-written by Michael Johnson and Laurie Kuehn). In fact, a fourth song "I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado," also came from Denver, having been written by a friend of Denver's and the friend's wife -- Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who later would co-write "Take Me Home, Country Roads." A fifth song, "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free," was also included on John's first solo album Rhymes and Reasons.
Denver's version of "I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado" also was released in March 1971, on his third, breakthrough album, Poems, Prayers & Promises. Mary also contained Travers's versions of "Song For The Asking," by Paul Simon, and "Indian Sunset," by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
The LP peaked on the charts at #71 in the course of a 29-week run. "Follow Me," released as a single, hit #56 on the Hot 100 for the week ending July 24, also reaching #3 on the Easy Listening chart. The follow-up single, "The Song Is Love," charted only on the Easy Listening list, getting to #29.
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"Well I think I'll try the circus
Or go back to Mexico
It's time to make mistakes again
It's time to change the show
It's time and time and time again
To find another way
It's time to gather forces
And get out of yesterday"
Mary recorded 'For Baby' to honor her daughter, Ericka
"I’ll be there when you’re feelin’ down
To kiss away the tears if you cry
I’ll share with you all the happiness I’ve found
A reflection of the love in your eyes
And I’ll sing you the songs of the rainbow
A whisper of the joy that is mine
And leaves will bow down when you walk by
And morning bells will chime"
"I guess he'd rather be in Colorado
He'd rather spend his time out where the sky looks like a pearl after a rain
Once again I see him walkin Once again I hear him talking to the stars he makes
and asking them for bus fare
I guess he'd rather be in Colorado
He'd rather play his banjo in the morning when the moon is scarcely gone
In the dawn the subways comin in the dawn I hear him hummin'
Some old song he wrote of love in Boulder Canyon"
"And you wonder where we’re going
Where’s the rhyme and where’s the reason
And it’s you cannot accept
It is here we must begin
To seek the wisdom of the children
And the graceful way of flowers in the wind
For the children and the flowers
Are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness
Could clear a cloudy day
And the song that I am singing
Is a prayer to non believers
Come and stand beside us
We can find a better way"
"And I wish I knew how
It would feel to be free
I wish that I could break
All the chains holding me
I wish I could say
All the things that I'd like to say
Say ’em loud say ’em clear
For the whole round world to hear
I wish I could share
All the love that’s in my heart
Remove every doubt that keeps us apart
And I wish you could know
What it means to be me
Then you’d see and agree
Every man should be free
I wish I could live
Like I’m longin’ to live
I wish I could give
What I’m longin’ to give
And I wish I could do
All the things I’d like to do
You know they still are quite a few
Yes Sir...
And I’m way way over due
I wish I could be like a bird up in the sky
How sweet it would be
If I found out I could fly
So long to the sun
And look down upon Ihe sea
And I sing because I know
how it feels to be
And I sing because I know
how it feels to be free
And I sing because I know
how it feels to be free
Yeah"
Mary included 'Goodbye Again' on her 3rd solo album All My Choices in 1973
"I have to go and see some friends of mine, some that I don’t know
And some who aren’t familiar with my name,
It’s something that’s inside of me not hard to understand
It’s anyone who listens to me sing
And if your hours are empty now, who am I to blame
You think if I were always here, our love would be the same
As it is the time we have, is worth the time alone
And lying by your side, the greatest peace I’ve ever known
But it’s goodbye again, I’m sorry to be leavin’ you
Goodbye again, as if you didn’t know
It’s goodbye again, and I wish you could tell me
Why do we always fight when I have to go"
And, finally, 'Leaving on a Jet Plane,' written by John Denver. This song proved to be Peter, Paul and Mary's only #1 selling single, first appearing on Album 1700 in 1967
All my bags are packed I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin' it's early morn
The taxi's waitin' he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go
Great News!
A new boxed set featuring 90 selections from more than 40 years of Peter, Paul and Mary's musical legacy was successfully released in March, 2004. Carry It On not only includes 4 discs of their music but an additional DVD is there, too, featuring 9 live video performances. Of note to John Denver fans, one of these videos is 'Leaving on a Jet Plane,' recorded live at The Cellar Door, Washington, D.C. (10/24/69). It's from the PBS series Something To Sing About and features John singing with the group.
You can Left Click on the Cover Photo above to see a listing of all the tracks and the video performances that are included in this new boxed set.
Or better yet, you may want to go to Amazon.com to place an order now.
A Personal Note.....
During the summer of my 25th year, I spent more than a month traveling throughout the west, most of the time in Colorado and the Aspen area. I'd always loved the music of Peter, Paul & Mary (especially 'Puff') and immediately bought the album Mary when I saw it in the store. It was July and August, 1971.
That 8-track, now in my hand, got more play during those wonderful drives through the mountains than anything else I had, including Cat Stevens and the Moody Blues. It all but got worn out! Little did I realize at the time that 5 of the songs "belonged" to a singer who's music I'd grow to love and enjoy so much during the following 38+ years. I'd always loved Colorado but his Rocky Mountain High made me feel right at home!
"...I Guess I'd Rather be in Colorado!"
This page was last updated: September 17, 2009
Dave Snouffer
from Toledo, Ohio
"Teach me the Magic of Wisdom,
Give me the Spirit to Fly"
Visit my other John Denver Web Pages
by clicking the Link Buttons Below
Also, be Sure to Visit Peter Paul & Mary's
Official Web Site by Clicking
on Their Photo Below
As a special treat for all of you who read all the way to the bottom of a page, here is an early photo of John and Mary singing together that I just found on the net. Enjoy!
If you'ld like to hear John singing "Follow Me" while viewing this page, simply click PLAY button. Be sure to turn it back off when downloading Mary's mp3's.
This version is from early in John's career, probably about the time the sheet music picture was taken.
Mary Travers.....In Remembrance
On Wednesday, September 16, 2009, Mary Lost
Her Valiant Fight Against Leukemia
She Will be Dearly Missed for All She's Given to So Many
