This song sounds like something you would hear in the soundtrack for a promotional film for a tourist bureau or something like that. It has nothing of rock and roll in it and I fear that I could not listen to the whole thing.
The Forum were a vocal trio that were apparently formed as part of the folk rock craze, though I don't hear much folk in their sound. Frontman Phil Campos was formerly a member of Les Baxter's Balladeers; David Crosby had previously been a member of this group before he joined The Byrds.
The Forum's version of "The River Is Wide" reached #45 on the Billboard Hot 100. The Grass Roots covered it in 1969 and did slightly better on the charts, reaching #31. I don't like their version much either but it does start off with an impressive blast of fake thunder.
After "The River Is Wide", The Forum released two more singles that did not chart. They briefly established a residency in Carson City, Nevada, in 1969.
Created December 13, 2025.