Modern Folk Quartet

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American folk music group

title: "Modern Folk Quartet" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-folk-music-groups"] description: "American folk music group" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Folk_Quartet" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American folk music group ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

Field	Value
name	Modern Folk Quartet
image	Phil Spector with MFQ 1965.png
image_upright	1.2
caption	The Modern Folk Quartet at Gold Star Studios in 1965 with producer Phil Spector (center)
background	group_or_band
alias	MFQ, Modern Folk Quintet
origin	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
genre	Folk, folk rock
years_active	1962–1966
1975–1978
1985–1991
2003
label	Warner Bros., Dunhill
past_members	Cyrus Faryar
Henry Diltz
Chip Douglas
Stan White
Jerry Yester
Eddie Hoh
Jim Yester
::

| name = Modern Folk Quartet | image = Phil Spector with MFQ 1965.png | image_upright = 1.2 | caption = The Modern Folk Quartet at Gold Star Studios in 1965 with producer Phil Spector (center) | background = group_or_band | alias = MFQ, Modern Folk Quintet | origin = Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | genre = Folk, folk rock | years_active = 1962–1966 1975–1978 1985–1991 2003 | label = Warner Bros., Dunhill | past_members = Cyrus Faryar Henry Diltz Chip Douglas Stan White Jerry Yester Eddie Hoh Jim Yester The Modern Folk Quartet (or MFQ) was an American folk music revival group that formed in the early 1960s. Originally emphasizing acoustic instruments and group harmonies, they performed extensively and recorded two albums. In 1965, as the Modern Folk Quintet, they ventured into electric folk rock and recorded with producers Phil Spector and Jack Nitzsche. Although MFQ received a fair amount of exposure, their rock-oriented recordings failed to capture their sound or generate enough interest and they disbanded in 1966. Subsequently, MFQ re-formed several times and made further recordings.

Early career

The group moved to Los Angeles, where they became regulars at the Troubadour club. After White became ill, he was replaced by local singer-guitarist Jerry Yester, who had performed with the New Christy Minstrels and Les Baxter's Balladeers. Herb Cohen became their manager (later manager of Frank Zappa, Tim Buckley and others).

The quartet recorded their debut album in 1963. Simply titled The Modern Folk Quartet, it was produced by Jim Dickson (later manager of the Byrds) for Warner Brothers Records. MFQ performed with an array of popular folk group instruments, including guitar, banjo, ukulele, bass, and percussion, and four-part vocal harmonies. An album review called their material "a superbly chosen selection of concurrently new traditionals and original adaptations of standards from the folk music canon" that benefit from the group's fresh approach. | url = https://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-folk-quartet-mw0000191246 | last = Planer | first = Lindsay | title = Modern Folk Quartet – Album Review | work = AllMusic | publisher = Rovi Corp. | accessdate = March 5, 2014

Folk-rock period

::quote

| quote = We watched [the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in February1964], and it was like, this bolt of electricity went through everybody's brain. That was it. No more haircuts.... The [MFQ] was like a tadpole that started growing legs, and then got arms. [Chip Douglas] got an electric bass, I got an electric guitar, and in less than a year, we were a rock band. | source = – Jerry Yester | width = 25% | align = left | salign = right | style = padding:8px;

Their first attempt to record rock was with producer Charles Calello. A single "Every Minute of Every Day", backed with "That's Alright with Me" was released in April 1965 by Warner Bros. It was largely unnoticed and Faryar felt that the material was wrong for them. The group moved back to Los Angeles and debuted their folk rock set at their old haunt, the Troubador. Faryar recalled reactions similar to Dylan's electric debut at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival: ::quote People reeled aghast and some fled as I brought out my Rickenbacker and we were all suddenly electric and cranking out electric tunes. The folkies were largely horrified. There were a lot of purists there, into the whole [[Appalachian music ::

The transition was complete in September 1965 when they added rock drummer Eddie Hoh and were renamed "officially the Modern Folk Quintet, but prefer[red] to be known as the MFQ". Producer Phil Spector became interested in the group. According to Henry Diltz, "we'd heard that Spector was looking for a folk-rock band ... The word was that he really wanted the Lovin' Spoonful, but he couldn't get them. So he came down to see us instead". | last = Hoskyns | first = Barney | authorlink = Barney Hoskyns | title = Waiting for the Sun: Strange Days, Weird Scenes, and the Sound of Los Angeles | year = 1999 | publisher = St. Martin's Griffin | isbn = 0-312-17056-4 | pages = 100–101

::quote This Could Be the Night]]", cowritten by Spector and Harry Nilsson. The song bore Spector's [[Wall of Sound ::

The MFQ performed frequently at Hollywood clubs, such as the Whisky a Go Go and the Trip. They appeared with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Donovan, the Byrds, and the Mamas and the Papas. After Frank Zappa made some disparaging comments about New York, MFQ took the place of the Mothers of Invention at the Velvet Underground's Exploding Plastic Inevitable performances in Los Angeles. In early 1966, MFQ signed with Dunhill Records, where they recorded with producer Jack Nitzsche. "Night Time Girl", a song written by Al Kooper and Irwin Levine, has been described as raga rock, with its eastern-sounding bouzouki accompaniment and sunshine pop/Mamas & the Papas-style vocals. The single reached number 122 on Billboard magazine's extended pop chart on April 16, 1966. | date = April 16, 1966 | title = Bubbling Under the Hot 100 | magazine = Billboard | volume = 78 | issue = 16 | publisher = Nielsen Business Media, Inc | issn = 0006-2510 | page = 22

Later years

Two years after MFQ disbanded, a second Dunhill MFQ single, the double A-side "Don't You Wonder" backed with "I Had a Dream Last Night", was released in 1968. The various members went on to develop their own careers. They re-formed between 1975 and 1978, and they released a third album "Live at The Ice House 1978, and again in the 1980s, again 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.

Discography

On MFQ's singles releases, the group is variously listed as "Modern Folk Quartet", "M.F.Q.", "MFQ", "Modern Folk Quintet", and "the MFQ".

Singles

"Road to Freedom" / "It Was a Very Good Year" (9/1963)
"The Love of a Clown" / "If All You Think" (10/1964)
"Every Minute of Every Day" / "That's Alright with Me" (4/1965)
"This Could Be the Night" (11/1965)
"Night Time Girl" / "Lifetime" (3/1966)
"Don't You Wonder" / "I Had a Dream Last Night" (5/1968)
"Together to Tomorrow" / "Keepin' the Dream Alive" (3/1990)

Albums

The Modern Folk Quartet (1963)
Changes (1964)
Moonlight Seranade (1985)
Live in Japan (1989)
Bamboo Saloon (1990)
MFQ Christmas (1990)
MFQ Wolfgang (1991)
Highway 70 (1995)
Live at The Ice House 1978 (2005)
MFQ Live Archive Series (2006)
The Best of The Modern Folk Quartet - From 1963 To 1995 (2017)

References

(2002). "Turn! Turn! Turn!: The '60s Folk-Rock Revolution". Backbeat Books.
Priore 2007, p. 98.

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