"[...] some people like Peter, Paul and Mary"

I think I was unclear here; I was _not_ comparing Ewan MacColl and PPM with each other and finding the latter wanting, or the other way around. I think, in fact, that PPM sang using their natural voices and were very good at what they did (not sure how they sound nowadays). I find it a bit prettified and slick now, but I don't think they were pretending to do anything other than what they did or be anything other than what they were.