From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Kisses Sweeter than Wine" is a popular love song written by The Weavers in 1950, and a hit for Jimmie Rodgers in 1957 and Frankie Vaughan in 1958.

In his 1993 book "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", Pete Seeger described the long genesis of this song. Apparently the folk musician Lead Belly heard Irish performer Sam Kennedy in Greenwich Village singing the traditional Irish song "Drimmin Down" aka "Drimmen Dow", about a farmer and his dead cow. Lead Belly adapted the tune for his own farmer/cow song "If it Wasn't for Dicky" which he first recorded in 1937. Leadbelly did not like the lack of rhythm, which had been a part of many free flowing Irish songs, so he made the piece more rhythmic, playing the chorus with a 12-string guitar.

Seeger liked Lead Belly's version of the tune, and his chords. After his group The Weavers hit version of Lead Belly's Goodnight Irene in 1950 they were looking for new material. Seeger and Lee Hays wrote new lyrics (Hays wrote all new verses, Seeger re-wrote Lead Belly's chorus), turning it into a love song. It was published in 1951 and recorded by The Weavers on June 12, 1951 in New York City for Decca Records. It made #19 on the US Hit Parade.

The music was credited to "Joel Newman", the lyrics by "Paul Campbell". "Paul Campbell" is a pseudonym of the quartet The Weavers who were Seeger, Hays, Fred Hellerman & Ronnie Gilbert. "Joel Newman" is possibly a pseudonym for their music publisher Folkways Records, now administered by The Richmond Organisation also known as TRO.

In his 1993 book Seeger wrote: "Now, who should one credit on this song? The Irish, certainly. Sam Kennedy, who taught it to us. Lead Belly, for adding rhythm and blues chords. Me, for two new words for the refrain. Lee, who wrote seven verses. Fred and Ronnie, for paring them down to five. I know the song publisher, The Richmond Organization, cares. I guess folks whom TRO allows to reprint the song, (like Sing Out!, the publisher of this book) care about this too."

The song was a #3 US hit for Jimmie Rodgers in 1957 and also a hit for Frankie Vaughan in the United Kingdom in 1958. Peter, Paul and Mary sung the song on one their later 1960's album. It was also covered by Bongwater on their 1991 album The Power of Pussy. On a live bootleg which includes a rendition of the song, lead singer Ann Magnuson says that she dedicates the song to friends and family who have died of AIDS.

In 2005, the song was reintroduced to a new generation of listeners by way of being remixed by Canadian electronic artist Frivolous.

• Goodnight Irene