Ames Brothers
| The Ames Brothers | |
|---|---|
 The Ames Brothers in 1955. Clockwise from top: Ed, Vic, Joe and Gene | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Malden, Massachusetts, United States |
| Genres | Traditional pop music |
| Years active | 1948–1963 |
| Labels | Decca, Coral, RCA Victor |
| Past members |
Joe Ames Gene Ames Vic Ames Ed Ames |
The Ames Brothers were a singing quartet from Malden, Massachusetts, who were particularly famous in the 1950s for their traditional pop music hits.[1]
Biography
The Ames Brothers got their beginning in Malden, where all four were born. The act consisted of brothers Joe (May 3, 1921 – December 22, 2007), Gene (born February 13, 1923 – April 4, 1997), Vic (May 20, 1925 – January 23, 1978) and Ed (born July 9, 1927).
Born into a non-professional, but musically talented family, the boys were raised to enjoy classical and operatic music. Their parents, David and Sarah Urick, were Russian Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine who read Shakespeare and semi-classics to their nine children from the time they were old enough to listen.
The brothers formed a quartet with a cousin named Lennie, and had been touring United States Army and Navy bases entertaining the troops and were offered a job at The Fox and Hounds nightclub, one of the fanciest clubs in Boston. This one-week engagement turned into several months when the word got around of their appearance. At the time, they were going by the name of the Amory Brothers, a name taken from Vic's middle name and they were becoming quite popular in the area. It was at this time that Joe decided to rejoin the group. He said they were just having too much fun together for him to miss out. Taking their act to New York City they got a job with bandleader Art Mooney. One day while at Leeds Publishing Company in search of a song called "Should I" that their mother had asked them to sing, Milt Gabler of Decca Records overheard them singing it and asked them to cut a few sides for Decca Records just before the AFM recording ban which James Petrillo imposed in January 1948.
A year later when the ban was lifted, the Ames Brothers were the first artists to record for Coral Records. The name Amory was shortened to Ames. They were swept into national top billing with their first hit record, "Rag Mop", in January 1950. Doing radio shows for free at times just for the experience, they later became regulars on such shows as Arthur Godfrey and His Friends. One of the first acts to appear on the original The Ed Sullivan Show when it was known as Toast of the Town, they made their debut with him when the show was telecast live from Wanamaker's Department Store.
Soon, they were the top paid group in nightclubs and supperclubs everywhere and their popularity on television was nationwide. In 1956 they starred in their own show, The Ames Brothers Show, which was seen on Friday nights. It was the first syndicated television show to be shown in foreign countries. The brothers also appeared on ABC's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom.
Over their fifteen-year career, their prolific work notched up 49 US chart entries, 21 of them on the Coral label before signing with RCA Victor. The group disbanded in the early 1960s, but Ed Ames continued with a successful singing and acting career,[1] including playing Daniel Boone's sidekick, Mingo, on the popular Daniel Boone television series (1964–1970).
They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. Ed Ames, as the youngest brother, is the only surviving member of the group. Vic died in a car accident in 1978 at age 52,[2] Gene died of cancer in 1997 at age 74,[3] and Joe died of a heart attack in 2007 at age 86.[4]
Discography
Singles
NOTE: Repeat titles of Coral tracks shown below are standard singles and not under Coral's "Silver Star Series" reissue line
| Year | Single (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated |
Chart positions | Album Standard 12" records except where indicated | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot 100 | Cashbox Singles Charts | UK[5] | |||
| 1947 | "Caravan" b/w "There Is No Breeze" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Goodnight My Love" b/w "It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream" Above two singles shown as "The Armory Brothers" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1948 | "Tell Me A Story" b/w "If You Had All The World and Its Gold" |
— | — | — | |
| "A Tree In The Meadow" (with Monica Lewis) b/w "On The Street Of Regret" |
21 | — | — | ||
| "Where The Apple Blossoms Fall" b/w "If I Live To Be A Hundred" Both tracks with Monica Lewis |
— | — | — | ||
| 1949 | "You, You, You Are The One" b/w "More Beer" (from Hoop-De-Doo 10" LP) |
23 | — | — | |
| "I'm Just Wild About Harry" b/w "Good Fellow Medley" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Far Away Places" b/w "Lorelei" (from Sentimental Me 10" LP) |
— | — | — | ||
| "Cruising Down The River" b/w "Clancy Lowered The Boom!" (Non-album track) |
29 | — | — | Favorite Songs (10" LP) | |
| "It Only Happens Once" b/w "You Can't Buy Happiness" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Barroom Polka" b/w "We'll Still Be Honeymooning" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | Hoop-De-Doo (10" LP) | |
| "St. Bernard Waltz" b/w "Oh, You Sweet One" (from Favorite Songs 10" LP) |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Lingering Down The Lane" b/w "Still Waters and Green Pastures" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | Sentimental Me (10" LP) | |
| "Noah's Ark" b/w "Tears Of Happiness" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | Hoop-De-Doo (10" LP) | |
| "Good Fellow Medley" -- Part 1 b/w Part 2 |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "White Christmas" b/w "Winter Wonderland" |
— | — | — | Christmas Harmony | |
| 1950 | "Sentimental Me" b/w "Blue Prelude" (from Favorite Songs 10" LP) |
— | — | — | Sentimental Me (10" LP) |
| "Rag Mop" / | 1 | — | — | Hoop-Dee-Doo (10" LP) | |
| "Sentimental Me" | 1 | — | — | Sentimental Me (10" LP) | |
| "(Put Another Nickel In) Music! Music! Music!" b/w "I Love Her Oh! Oh! Oh!" |
14 | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "I Didn't Kiss The Blarney Stone" b/w "Clancy Lowered The Boom!" |
— | — | — | ||
| "(Fifi) Bring Her Out Again" b/w "(Life Your Glass) Sing Until The Cows Come Home" (from Hoop-De-Doo 10" LP) |
— | — | — | ||
| "Dormi, Dormi" b/w "Marianna" (from Hoop-De-Doo 10" LP) |
— | — | — | Sentimental Me (10" LP) | |
| "Stars Are The Windows Of Heaven" b/w "Hoop Dee Doo" (from Hoop-De-Doo 10" LP) |
17 | — | — | ||
| "Can Anyone Explain (No, No, No)" b/w "Sittin' 'N Starin' 'N Rockin'" (Non-album track) |
5 | — | — | ||
| "Twelve Days Of Christmas" b/w "Wassail Song" |
— | — | — | Sing A Song Of Christmas (10" LP) | |
| "Silent Night" b/w "Adeste Fidelis" |
— | — | — | Christmas Harmony | |
| "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" b/w "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Thirsty For Your Kisses" b/w "I Don't Mind Being All Alone" (from Sentimental Me 10" LP) |
26 | — | — | Favorite Songs (10" LP) | |
| "Oh Babe!" b/w "To Think You've Chosen Me" (from Sentimental Me 10" LP) |
20 | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "The Thing" b/w "Music By The Angels" (from The Ames Brothers) |
29 | — | — | ||
| 1951 | "Meet Me Tonight In Dreamland" b/w "Moonlight Bay" |
— | — | — | In The Evening By The Moonlight (10" LP) |
| "Love's Old Sweet Song" b/w "Because" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Music By The Angels" b/w "Loving Is Believing" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | The Ames Brothers | |
| "More Than I Care To Remember" b/w "Three Dollars and Ninety-eight Cents" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Sentimental Me" b/w "Dormi, Dormi" |
— | — | — | Sentimental Me (10" LP) | |
| "Can Anyone Explain (No, No, No)" b/w "Lingering Down The Lane" |
— | — | — | ||
| "To Think You've Chosen Me" b/w "Lorelei" |
— | — | — | ||
| "I Don't Mind Being All Alone" b/w "Stars Are The Windows Of Heaven" |
— | — | — | ||
| "My Love Seranade" b/w "I Love You Much Too Much" (from The Ames Brothers) |
— | — | — | My Love Serenade | |
| "Too Many Women" b/w "Somewhere There Must Be Happiness" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Wang Wang Blues" b/w "Who'll Take My Place (When I'm Gone)" |
16 | — | — | My Love Serenade | |
| "Hawaiian War Chant" b/w "Sweet Leilani" |
21 | — | — | Sweet Leilani (10" LP) | |
| "To You Sweetheart, Aloha" b/w "My Little Grass Shack In Kealakekua Hawaii" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Song Of The Islands" b/w "Sing Me A Song Of The Islands" |
— | — | — | ||
| "The Moon Of Manakoora" b/w "Blue Hawaii" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Only, Only You" b/w "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Undecided" / | 2 | — | — | Our Golden Favorites | |
| "Sentimental Journey" | 23 | — | — | ||
| "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" b/w "Ting-A-Ling-A-Jingle" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1952 | "I Wanna Love You" / | 19 | — | — | |
| "I'll Still Love You" | 29 | — | — | The Ames Brothers | |
| "Mother, At Your Feet Is Kneeling" b/w "Lovely Lady Dressed In Blue" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Dry Bones" b/w "Deep River" |
— | — | — | Favorite Spirituals (10" LP) | |
| "Joshua Fit De Battle Of Jericho" b/w "Go Down Moses" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Stardust" b/w "Crazy 'Cause I Love You" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | Our Golden Favorites | |
| "And So I Waited Around" b/w "The Sheik Of Araby" (from The Ames Brothers) |
— | — | — | Non-album track | |
| "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" b/w "Break The Bands That Bind Me" (Non-album track) |
13 | — | — | Favorite Songs (10" LP) | |
| "String Along" b/w "Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder" |
18 | 16 | — | ||
| "My Favorite Song" b/w "Al-Lee-O Al-Lee-Ay" (Non-album track) |
15 | 12 | — | ||
| "Sing A Song Of Santa Claus" b/w "Winter's Here Again" |
— | — | — | Christmas Harmony | |
| 1953 | "No Moon At All" b/w "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" |
21 | 19 | — | Non-album tracks |
| "You Are My Sunshine" b/w "Rye Whiskey" |
— | — | — | Home On The Range (10" LP) | |
| "Can't I?" b/w "Lonely Wine" (Non-album track) |
23 | — | — | My Love Serenade | |
| "Candy Bar Boogie" b/w "At The End Of A Rainbow" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | The Ames Brothers | |
| "Always In My Dreams" b/w "This Is Fiesta" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "You You You" b/w "Once Upon A Time" (Non-album track) |
1 | 1 | — | The Best Of The Ames Brothers | |
| "Lazy River" b/w "Stardust" (from Our Golden Favorites) |
— | — | — | My Love Serenade | |
| "My Love, My Life, My Happiness" b/w "If You Want My Heart" |
29 | 19 | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me" / | 22 | 40 | — | Sweet and Swing | |
| "Boogie Woogie Maxixe" | — | 25 | — | Non-album track | |
| 1954 | "The Man With The Banjo" / | 6 | 8 | — | The Best Of The Ames Brothers |
| "Man, Man, Is For The Woman Made" | 30 | 25 | — | For Sentimental Reasons | |
| "Don't Believe A Word They Say" b/w "Don't Lie To Me" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Leave It To Your Heart" / | 29 | 27 | — | Sweet and Swing | |
| "Let's Walk and Talk" | — | 48 | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Hopelessly" / | 26 | — | — | ||
| "One More Time" | — | 44 | — | ||
| "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" / | 3 | 3 | 6 | The Best Of The Ames Brothers | |
| "Addio" | — | 40 | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1955 | "Sweet Brown-Eyed Baby" b/w "Sympathetic Eyes" |
— | 28 | — | |
| "Gotta Be This Or That" b/w "Southern Cross" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | The Ames Brothers (RCA) | |
| "My Bonnie Lassie" b/w "So Will I" (Non-album track) |
11 | 16 | — | Sweet and Swing | |
| "The Next Time It Happens" b/w "My Love, Your Love" (Non-album track) |
— | — | — | ||
| 1956 | "Forever Darling" / | 35 | 27 | — | It's Show Time |
| "I'm Gonna Love You" | 84 | — | — | Non-album track | |
| "It Only Hurts For A Little While" / | 11 | 14 | — | Sweet and Swing | |
| "If You Wanna See Mamie Tonight" | 89 | — | — | ||
| "49 Shades of Green" / | 49 | — | — | ||
| "Summer Sweetheart" | 67 | — | — | ||
| "I Saw Esau" b/w "The Game Of Love" |
51 | — | — | ||
| 1957 | "I Know Only One Way To Love You" b/w "Did You Ever Get The Roses" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah (It's So Good)" b/w "Man On Fire" (from It's Show Time) |
— | — | — | ||
| "Tammy" / | 5 | 10 | — | The Best Of The Ames Brothers | |
| "Rockin' Shoes" | 64 | 41 | — | Non-album track | |
| "Melodie D'Amour (Melody Of Love)" b/w "So Little Time" (Non-album track) |
5 | 7 | — | The Best Of The Ames Brothers | |
| 1958 | "Little Gypsy" b/w "In Love" |
67 | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "A Very Precious Love" b/w "Don't Leave Me Now" (from For Sentimental Reasons) |
23 | 53 | — | The Best Of The Ames Brothers | |
| "Stay" / | 90 | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Little Serenade" | 98 | 45 | — | ||
| "Pussy Cat" / | 17 | 36 | — | ||
| "No One But You (In My Heart)" | 45 | 34 | — | ||
| "It's Only A Paper Moon" b/w "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)" (from Sweet Seventeen) |
— | — | — | Destination Moon | |
| "Red River Rose" b/w "When The Summer Comes Again" |
37 | 33 | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1959 | "Dancin' In The Streets" b/w "(Yes, I Need) Only Your Love" |
— | — | — | |
| "Someone To Come Home To" b/w "Mason-Dixon Line" |
78 | 84 | — | ||
| "Now It's Me" b/w "Now Hear This" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Take Me Along" b/w "What Do I Hear" |
— | 124 | — | ||
| 1960 | "China Doll" b/w "Christopher Sunday" |
38 | 69 | — | |
| "Me Lo Dijo Adela" b/w "Quizas Quizas Quizas" |
— | — | — | Hello Amigos | |
| "A Happy Pair" b/w "Carnival" |
— | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Ring Them Bells" b/w "You Are My Love" |
— | — | — | ||
| "Where The Hot Wind Blows" b/w "Suzie Wong" |
— | — | — | ||
| 1961 | "A Kiss From Cora" b/w "Asking For You" |
— | — | — | |
| 1962 | "Love Me With All Your Heart" b/w "Love Is An Ocean (Of Emotion)" |
— | — | — | |
| 1963 | "The Wrong Man" b/w "Surrender, Surrender" |
— | — | — | |
| "Washington Square" b/w "Knees Up Mother Brown" (from Knees Up! Mother Brown) |
129 | — | — | ||
Albums
- Sing a Song of Christmas (1950)
- The Magic Melting Pot of Melody (with Hugo Winterhalter) (1955)
- Exactly Like You (1956)
- There'll Always Be a Christmas with Sid Ramin's Orchestra (1957)
- Destination Moon with Sid Ramin's Orchestra (1958)
- Smoochin' Time with Sid Ramin's Orchestra (1958)
- The Ames Brothers Sing the Best in the Country (1959)
- The Ames Brothers Sing Famous Hits of Famous Quartets with Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra (1959)
- Hello Amigos with Esquivel's Orchestra (1960)
- The Blend and the Beat (1960)
- Hello Italy! (arranged by Bill McElhiney) (1963)
- For Sentimental Reasons (1964)
- The Best of the Ames Brothers (1975)
References
- 1 2 "Joe Ames, the Eldest Member of the 1950s Singing Group the Ames Brothers, Dies at 86". The New York Times. January 17, 2008.
- ↑ Doc Rock. "The 1970s". The Dead Rock Stars Club. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
- ↑ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 1996 - 1997". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
- ↑ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2007 July To December". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved 2015-07-12.
- ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 22. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
Further reading
- Clarke, Donald. The Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Viking 1989.
- Larkin, Colin. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Third edition, Macmillan, 1998.
- Kinkle, Roger D. The Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz, 1900–1950, Arlington, 1974.
- Whitburn, Joel. Joel Whitburn's Pop memories 1890–1954. The history of American popular music compiled form America's popular music charts 1890–1954, Record Research Inc., 1986.
External links
- Vocal Group Hall of Fame page on The Ames Brothers
- Obituary in the Los Angeles Daily News
- Ames Brothers' Facebook page Videos, Conversations, Photos, The history of the Ames Brothers