RIP Trini.
Peter Paul and Mary also sang “Lemon Tree” and “ If I Had a Hammer”.
Who was first?
Just listened to Trini singing La Bamba. Dare anyone not to love it!
PPM first for both...but the Weavers did If I had a hammer long before either of them. Lemon tree based on a Brazilian song written long before PPM or Trini did it.
So many songs us boomers were fed were not originals...it was just promotions by their agents.(very talented singers and instrumentalists however)
PPM was first with both. Trini’s version of “If I had a hammer”was the big hit of the late summer of 1963. It was the “schlock” nightclub version as opposed to the “pure” folky version. PPM were big liberals and of course Sinatra’s Reprise label (which made Trini’s LP) represented middle America.