Mitchell Trio feat. John Denver- "Your Friendly Liberal Neighborhood KKK" 1966 [RITY Archive] 

John Denver even in this clip has a great smile and a positive, lighthearted attitude. He had star quality from the beginning.

That was excellent. Sounded good, bitingly accurate satire and containing just as many truths today as it did then. Only difference is, I can’t see any talk show having the Mitchell Trio on as guests now!

John Denver was a passionate environmentalist and anti-war campaigner.

"We sure learned the ropes, case we use 'em every night!" Goddamn that's some powerful lyrics

I saw these guys years ago in Wheaton, Ill at Wheaton College. It was such a funny show, filled with some excellent music. John Denver did “Leaving On A Jet Plane”... first time I ever heard that song. They did a skit about MLK visiting LBJ in the WH. It pointed out LBJ’s racist bigotry. If any of your were there, you know what the trio said in that skit.

I’m black and I like this song they low key dissing the Klan and calling them out about how they play a roll in the legal system and aren’t held accountable for their actions because they are in all the authority position and how hypocritical they are. At least that’s what I got from it.

Amazing that this song- over 50 years now- can still offend people. Way ahead of its time. Great Just great.t

I was swinging a spotlight one night in 1966 and these guys were playing on stage in a western lineup. Tgere used to be a lot of great trio & quartet singer's in the 60s

R. I.P. JOHN DENVER 10/12/97

It's satire, folks. Calm down.

My appreciation for this upload is at war with my disgust that a performance 50+ years ago is not in the public domain, so more people might appreciate this potent proto Randy Newman shit.

I grew up during this period. The first election I remember was Eisenhower vs. Stevenson. My dad was 100% for Stevenson and my mother always refused to talk politics saying that every person's vote was their own business and no one else's. But one time she apparently decided it would do no harm to tell a 9 year old so she let it slip that she was voting for Eisenhower because Stevenson was a Communist. The more things change ...

John Denver always been the realest........rest in peace king

God! John's so young!

Wow! I never knew John Denver sang with the trio. What a great song.❤

I first heard this decades ago when I got a used, scratchy copy of the "VIOLETS OF DAWN" LP. Years later I found it on a CD comp containing most of the best material from the post-Chad Mitchell "Mitchell Trio". John Denver's first 3 solo albums continued in that vein. His 1st was very nice. The 2nd about half good, half EHH. The 3rd never grabbed me. Not a good trajectory. He had a 4-album deal with RCA, and his career might have ended right then... except, he decided to CHANGE his style. His next single was "Take Me Home, Country Roads". RCA did not even want to promote it. He BEGGED them to let him tour the country to make appearances on talk shows and radio stations. That's where I first saw him, in the summer of 1971 on a TV station in Houston. I bought the 45. That 4th album blew the first one out of the water. "JOHN DENVER"-- had finally "arrived". What I find very interesting is... Bruce Springsteen's early career had a very-similar trajectory. He, too, had a 4-album deal, and the first 3 went nowhere. Then he did... "BORN TO RUN". And.. he just TOOK OFF!! Sometimes it just takes ONE song, ONE really big hit to set someone for life.

Wow. Sharp and caustic.

Super-clever lyrics. Wish there were more who wrote satire like them around now.

It's just so funny that he also sings Country Roads

"If you don't like that then call the cops, 'cause chances are they're us" Well I want to say how the times do change but...😕

Never heard this one! Wow!

Love the look that JD gives on the line 'and his brother whose his dad '!

Thank you very much for this. WOW.

why is this song so catchy lmao

Great, thanks for posting.

OMG This is absolute gold! even as political commentary/parody this wouldn't make it today.

Saw them at Freedomland in The Bronx when I was 9. The Trio went through so many changes. Denver didn't stay with them long, sound solo fame fast once he departed the group. Roger McGuinn pre-Byrds, also was a member. I can't think of the name of the fellow on the right. Can anyone remind me? Thanks for this post. Love Love The Merv Griffin Show. What a great, important collection this set is!

John Denver had such star quality.

0:43 - The song starts here.

The Byrds and John Denver Superstar both have their roots in the Chad Mitchell Trio. But their is no replacement in this group for Chad...

Past ,present and future .Well said.. RBD...

Got to admire the gutz, these guys had, back then, makin a song act like this..

AWESOME

I love John Denver

This is a great satire of how integrated racism was in everyday Southern life

We sure have learned the ropes, cause we use them every night 💀💀💀💀💀

This song is so true did the ku klux klan get mad or just listen to it with a smile on their face

This reminds me of "Klan Kookout" by Bo Burnham. Amazing song.

Wow!!! Nice!!!

Im so not offended!!!!

I have an LP, 12 inch! Of this group when it was known as the Chad Mitchell Trio. When Chad left John Denver replaced him.

I dont know the REAL INTENT, but it sounds like a Message of awareness. Good Job if it is.

John Denver was died in October 12 1997

Sounds like the re-imaging of evil today.

😂 love this song, ahah

Now, they would be singing about CRIMINAL Comrade T. and his republiCONS!

3:11-3:23 😂😂😂

some things never change

I love how they say *_liberal_*

😃😃😃😍😍👏👏

I have to admit...even though it IS satire and supposed to be funny, it makes me uncomfortable that they were so comfortable with singing it and smiling about people dying. On the other hand...I have freaking been in LOVE with John and his hippie, environmentalist side since I was 15-ish. Felt like we were kindred spirits on many levels and passionate about many of the same things. I deeply understand his profound reverence for nature. R.I.P. John... 😔🙏💗

They’re making fun of the klan 😂 it’s just like Bo burnham’s Klan cookout song 😂

Remember: the klan was Liberal.

Dinesh D'Souza would think this is real.

Does anyone know what program this is?

Wait. What happened to Chad?

I wonder if it is possible to get kicked out of the KKK for being too racist!

I like the line "now we're rich white trash"

THAT'S WHAT'S UP 👆

John Denver, before he was "JOHN DENVER". 😊

Fuckin hilarious.

Kool Klan tunes.

Parties switched after LBJ

A.K.A. : John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt

#210

Ain't no ni talk9n back agaiiiin

"Liberal KKK" LMAO

Is it racist, that I think this song kinda goes hard?

Making fun of the klan, America's oldest pastime

Зашло чет

Everyone stand for the GOP anthem.

I was thinkin if I sang this today Id get canceled... But back then, it was probably the same for them. Pretty neat🎉🎉🎉🎉😊

Why do you believe you own this clip?

Good song but they called the KKk "liberal"... Weren't racists always conservative?

How is this still on RU-vid?

How Times Change, Liberals.

...What the hell is this song about? It's clearly about 3rd-wave feminism. So, they are time travelers! So what is it? Just completely random absurdist comedy? Except they claim that "liberals don't have jobs", so that kinda prevents it from being comedy. What the hell is it?!

How did John Denver go from this to insipid songs like "Country Roads"?

This was hilarious! Lol. Saving before the current "Liberals" have it taken down 🤣

Or, what the Alt Right actually did.

This song reminds me of the current liberals of today.

Just imitating Deplorables - LOL

I could take the joke until the church was blown up line. I'm not usually for censoring things from the past because that's the way things were, but that line is too hurtful. Imagine it was your daughters blown up in the church bomb. Ugh, I don't know what to do. except just not call attention to this song. Which I was about to blast to all my lefty black friends on Twitter , before that line.

Nowadays it’s “your friendly, conservative, Donald trump supporters”

At least its against the democratics aka klan promoters...

Its funny because the KKK was Democrat. Every Jim Crow law was passed by Democrats. Oh wait, its not Democrats that are bad, its those "Southerners", hilarious. Good thing we made those Democrats give up their slaves, but they are still mad about.

I know John would have supported Trump all the way. Trump2020.....

Hack in real life.