The Marvelous Toy" is an enduring children's classic. It was written by folk singer/songwriter Tom Paxton, who had auditioned unsuccessfully to become a member of the Chad Mitchell Trio and, by 1963, had begun to establish himself as a solo performer. The charming song tells the story of a mysterious toy presented to a child, complete with sound effects. "I never knew just what it was," goes the chorus, "and I guess I never will." Despite not joining the group, Paxton remained close to the Chad Mitchell Trio, who recorded "The Marvelous Toy" for their Singin' Our Minds album, released in October 1963. The group had made few inroads into the singles charts, but Mercury Records perhaps felt that "The Marvelous Toy" had the potential to become a Christmas standard, since the song was released on 45 the following month. November 1963 didn't turn out to be a good time to release such a novelty, as the assassination of President John Kennedy darkened the country's holiday mood; nevertheless, "The Marvelous Toy" got halfway up the lists of 100 most popular songs and also made the easy listening charts. It began to spread as a children's song and helped out the career of its author, who was signed to Elektra Records in 1964. There were more recordings over the years, the most prominent being Peter, Paul and Mary's version on their 1969 Peter, Paul and Mommy album.
travelling across Hwy 2 Stevens Pass this morning
Enjoying Kirkland this afternoon
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