The New Christy Minstrels throughout its run. After the group toured Europe in early 1965, McGuire left to embark on a solo career, and this spelled the end of the original New Christy Minstrels. Now under the direction of Greif and Garris the group moved towards a variety act, doing "novelty and pop tunes" and a little comedy, making them closer to the 19th century Christy's Minstrels from whom the group's name was derived. Reflecting this shift, they had a "Billboard" Top 100 hit later in 1965 with a cover of "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from the Disney film "Mary Poppins". Regular group membership changes
Cotton Fields 1958 album "Belafonte Sings the Blues" with a live version appearing on the 1959 concert album "Belafonte at Carnegie Hall": Belafonte had learned "Cotton Fields" from Odetta and been singing it in concert as early as 1955. A #13 hit in 1961 for The Highwaymen, "Cotton Fields" served as an album track for a number of C&W and folk-rock acts including Ferlin Husky ("The Heart and Soul of Ferlin Husky" 1963), Buck Owens ("On the Bandstand" 1963), the New Christy Minstrels ("Chim-Chim-Cheree" 1965) and the Seekers ("Roving With The Seekers" 1964): Odetta also made a new studio recording of the