The Four Aces
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| The Four Aces | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chester, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Genres | Traditional pop music |
| Years active | 1950–present |
| Labels | Victoria, Decca |
| Website | www.thefouraces.org |
| Members | |
| Fred Diodati Joe Giglio Harry Heisler Danny Colingo |
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| Past members | |
| Al Alberts (deceased) Dave Mahoney Lou Silvestri Rosario "Sod" Vaccaro Subsequent Tony Alesi |
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The Four Aces is an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing",[1] "Three Coins in the Fountain",[2] "Stranger in Paradise",[2] "Tell Me Why",[3] and "(It's No) Sin".[3] Other big sellers included "Shangri-La", "Perfidia", and "Sincerely". The original members, responsible for every song made popular by the group, included Al Alberts, Dave Mahoney, Lou Silvestri, and Rosario "Sod" Vaccaro.[4]
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[edit] Career
Alberts went to South Philadelphia High School, Temple University, and the United States Navy, where he met Mahoney. Originally, Alberts sang with Mahoney playing behind him, and later they added Vaccaro on trumpet and Silvestri on drums.[4] They played locally in the Philadelphia area, and Alberts started his own record label, Victoria Records, when they could not find a distributor to release their first record, "(It's No) Sin".[4] It sold a million copies, and Decca Records soon signed the group, billing them as The Four Aces featuring Al Alberts.
Alberts left the group in 1958 to try to make it as a soloist, but never made the charts. He was replaced as lead singer by Fred Diodati, who had attended South Philadelphia High School a few years after Alberts.
Eventually all of the original members left, leaving Diodati to lead a new line-up which consisted of Fred Diodati, Tony Alesi, Joe Giglio and Harry Heisler. After almost nineteen years with the group, Alesi developed a medical condition that forced him to leave the group. The current Aces configuration includes Diodati, Joe Giglio, Harry Heisler, and Danny Colingo. These members sing all the songs the original Four Aces had made popular at one time. This configuration undertook a national tour of community concert associations, sponsored by LiveOnStage in Nashville.
In 1975, a court awarded Diodati, Alesi, Giglio and Heisler the right to the name in a court suit in which the original members tried to re-establish their right.[4] The court allowed the founding members to tour as "The Original Four Aces, Featuring Al Alberts", which they did, finally retiring the act in 1987. Diodati, Giglio, Heisler and Colingo, continue to legally use the name of the Four Aces and perform the songs that made the Original Four Aces popular.
The founding lead singer, Al Alberts, died of natural causes on November 27, 2009.[5] He was 87 years old. Alberts was the first group member to die.
[edit] Awards and recognition
The Four Aces were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
[edit] Hit recordings
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK[6] | ||
| 1951 | "(It's No) Sin" | 4 | - |
| "Tell Me Why" | 2 | - | |
| 1952 | "A Garden In the Rain" | 14 | - |
| "Perfidia" | 7 | - | |
| "Two Little Kisses" | 29 | - | |
| "I'm Yours" | 21 | - | |
| "Should I" | 9 | - | |
| "Heart and Soul" | 11 | - | |
| "Just Squeeze Me" | 20 | - | |
| 1953 | "La Rosita" | 24 | - |
| "I'll Never Smile Again" | 21 | - | |
| "You Fooled Me" | 22 | - | |
| "Organ Grinder's Swing" | 17 | - | |
| "Honey In the Horn" | 24 | - | |
| "False Love" | 24 | - | |
| "Laughing On the Outside (Crying On the Inside)" | 22 | - | |
| "Stranger in Paradise" | 3 | 6* | |
| "The Gang That Sang Heart of My Heart" | 7 | - | |
| 1954 | "Amor" | 21 | - |
| "So Long" | 26 | - | |
| "Three Coins in the Fountain" | 1 | 5 | |
| "Wedding Bells (Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine)" | 22 | - | |
| "Dream" | 17 | - | |
| "It's a Woman's World" | 11 | - | |
| "Mister Sandman" | 5 | 9 | |
| 1955 | "Melody of Love" | 3 | - |
| "Heart" | 13 | - | |
| "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" | 1 | 2 | |
| "A Woman in Love" | 14 | 19 | |
| "Of This I'm Sure" | 56 | - | |
| 1956 | "If You Can Dream" | 62 | - |
| "The Gal With the Yaller Shoes" | 91 | - | |
| "To Love Again" | 43 | - | |
| "I Only Know I Love You" | 22 | - | |
| "Dreamer" | 86 | - | |
| "You Can't Run Away From It" | 20 | - | |
| "Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)" | 45 | 29 | |
| "Someone To Love" | 47 | - | |
| "Written On the Wind" | 61 | - | |
| 1957 | "Bahama Mama" | 53 | - |
| "You're Mine" | 76 | - | |
| 1958 | "Rock and Roll Rhapsody" | 66 | - |
| "The World Outside" | 63 | 18 | |
| 1959 | "No Other Arms, No Other Lips" | 74 | - |
* "Stranger In Paradise" charted in 1955 in the UK
[edit] Other uses
In 1948–49, Bill Haley fronted a group called the Four Aces of Western Swing – often referred to as simply The Four Aces. The style of music this group played was country and western and it was with the group that Haley recorded his first singles for the Cowboy Records label in 1948. The group disbanded in 1949 and Haley went on to form The Saddlemen, which later became Bill Haley & His Comets.
[edit] References
- ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 73. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 68. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 55. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b c d "The Four Aces - Inductees - The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation". The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation. http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/the_four_aces.html. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
- ^ Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed April 2011
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 209. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
