Ames Brothers
Introduction
The Ames Brothers were an American singing quartet, consisting of four siblings from Malden, Massachusetts, who were particularly famous in the 1950s for their traditional pop hits.
Biography
The Urick brothers were born in Malden, Massachusetts. Joe (May 3, 1921 – December 22, 2007), Gene (February 13, 1924 – April 26, 1997), Vic (May 20, 1925 – January 23, 1978), and Ed (July 9, 1927 – May 21, 2023) formed the singing group the Amory Brothers, which would become the Ames Brothers.
Born into a non-professional but musically talented family, the boys were raised to enjoy classical music and operatic music. Their parents, David and Sarah Urick, were Russian Jewish immigrants from Ukraine who read Shakespeare and semi-classics to their nine children from the time they were old enough to listen.
Three of the brothers formed a quartet with a cousin named Lennie, and had been touring United States Army and Navy bases entertaining the troops when they 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 positive word-of-mouth about their appearance got around. At the time, they were using Vic's middle name and calling themselves the Amory Brothers. They were becoming quite popular in the area and it was at this time that Joe decided to rejoin the group. 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. The ban was lifted a year later. The brothers shortened Amory to Ames and became the first artists to record for the newly founded Coral Records, a subsidiary of Decca.
The group sang on Robert Q. Lewis's radio program until it was cut from one hour to 15 minutes. In late February 1949 they began performing on Sing It Again, a musical quiz program on CBS radio.
The brothers 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, the foursome made their debut with him when the show was telecast live from Wanamaker's Department Store.
Soon, the Ames Brothers were the top paid group in nightclubs and supper clubs everywhere and their popularity on television was nationwide. In 1956, they starred in their own syndicated TV program, The Ames Brothers Show, sponsored by RC Cola and broadcast on Friday nights. It was the first syndicated TV show to be broadcast in foreign countries. The brothers also appeared on ABC's The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom.
Over their fifteen-year career, the Ames Brothers prolific work notched up 49 US chart entries, 21 of them on the Coral label before signing with RCA Victor in 1953. The quartet disbanded in 1963, but Ed Ames continued with a successful singing and acting career, including playing Daniel Boone's sidekick, Mingo, on the popular Daniel Boone television series.
Legacy
They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
After disbanding
Vic died in a car accident in 1978 at age 52, Gene died of cancer in 1997 at age 73, and Joe died of a heart attack in 2007 at age 86. Ed, the last surviving member, died in 2023 at the age of 95.
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) | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | "Caravan" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Goodnight My Love" | — | — | — | ||
| 1948 | "Tell Me a Story" | — | — | — | |
| "A Tree in the Meadow" | 21 | — | — | ||
| "Where the Apple Blossoms Fall" | — | — | — | ||
| 1949 | "You, You, You Are the One" | 23 | — | — | |
| "I'm Just Wild About Harry" | — | — | — | ||
| "Far Away Places" | — | — | — | ||
| "Cruising Down the River" | 29 | — | — | Favorite Songs | |
| "It Only Happens Once" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Barroom Polka" | — | — | — | Hoop-De-Doo | |
| "St. Bernard Waltz" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Lingering Down the Lane" | — | — | — | Sentimental Me | |
| "Noah's Ark" | — | — | — | Hoop-De-Doo | |
| "Good Fellow Medley"—Part 1 | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "White Christmas" | — | — | — | Christmas Harmony | |
| 1950 | "Sentimental Me" | — | — | — | Sentimental Me |
| "Rag Mop" / | 1 | — | — | Hoop-Dee-Doo | |
| "Sentimental Me" | 1 | — | — | Sentimental Me | |
| "(Put Another Nickel In) Music! Music! Music!" | 14 | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "I Didn't Kiss the Blarney Stone" | — | — | — | ||
| "(Fifi) Bring Her Out Again" | — | — | — | ||
| "Dormi, Dormi" | — | — | — | Sentimental Me | |
| "Stars Are the Windows of Heaven" | 17 | — | — | ||
| "Can Anyone Explain? (No, No, No)" | 5 | — | — | ||
| "Twelve Days of Christmas" | — | — | — | Sing a Song of Christmas | |
| "Silent Night" | — | — | — | Christmas Harmony | |
| "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" | — | — | — | ||
| "Thirsty for Your Kisses" | 26 | — | — | Favorite Songs | |
| "Oh Babe!" | 20 | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "The Thing" | 29 | — | — | ||
| 1951 | "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland" | — | — | — | In the Evening by the Moonlight |
| "Love's Old Sweet Song" | — | — | — | ||
| "Music by the Angels" | — | — | — | The Ames Brothers | |
| "More Than I Care to Remember" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Sentimental Me" | — | — | — | Sentimental Me | |
| "Can Anyone Explain (No, No, No)" | — | — | — | ||
| "To Think You've Chosen Me" | — | — | — | ||
| "I Don't Mind Being All Alone" | — | — | — | ||
| "My Love Seranade" | — | — | — | My Love Serenade | |
| "Too Many Women" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Wang Wang Blues" | 16 | — | — | My Love Serenade | |
| "Hawaiian War Chant" | 21 | — | — | Sweet Leilani | |
| "To You Sweetheart, Aloha" | — | — | — | ||
| "Song of the Islands" | — | — | — | ||
| "The Moon of Manakoora" | — | — | — | ||
| "Only, Only You" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Undecided" / | 2 | — | — | Our Golden Favorites | |
| "Sentimental Journey" | 23 | — | — | ||
| "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1952 | "I Wanna Love You" / | 19 | — | — | |
| "I'll Still Love You" | 29 | — | — | The Ames Brothers | |
| "Mother, at Your Feet Is Kneeling" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Dry Bones" | — | — | — | Favorite Spirituals | |
| "Joshua Fit De Battle of Jericho" | — | — | — | ||
| "Stardust" | — | — | — | Our Golden Favorites | |
| "The Sheik of Araby" | — | 18 | — | The Ames Brothers | |
| "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" | 13 | — | — | Favorite Songs | |
| "String Along" | 1t | 16 | — | ||
| "My Favorite Song" | 15 | 12 | — | ||
| "Sing a Song of Santa Claus" | — | — | — | Christmas Harmony | |
| 1953 | "No Moon at All" | 21 | 19 | — | Non-album tracks |
| "You Are My Sunshine" | — | — | — | Home on the Range | |
| "Can't I?" | 23 | — | — | My Love Serenade | |
| "Candy Bar Boogie" | — | — | — | The Ames Brothers | |
| "Always In My Dreams" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "You, You, You" | 1 | 1 | — | The Best of the Ames Brothers | |
| "Lazy River" | — | — | — | My Love Serenade | |
| "My Love, My Life, My Happiness" | 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" | — | — | — | 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" | — | 28 | — | |
| "Gotta Be This or That" | — | — | — | The Ames Brothers (RCA) | |
| "My Bonnie Lassie" | 11 | 16 | — | Sweet and Swing | |
| "The Next Time It Happens" | — | — | — | ||
| 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" | 51 | — | — | ||
| 1957 | "I Know Only One Way to Love You" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "Yeah, Yeah, Yeah" | — | — | — | ||
| "Tammy" / | 5 | 10 | — | The Best of the Ames Brothers | |
| "Rockin' Shoes" | 64 | 41 | — | Non-album track | |
| "Melodie D'Amour" | 5 | 7 | — | The Best of the Ames Brothers | |
| 1958 | "Little Gypsy" | 67 | — | — | Non-album tracks |
| "A Very Precious Love" | 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" | 45 | 34 | — | ||
| "It's Only a Paper Moon" | — | — | — | Destination Moon | |
| "Red River Rose" | 37 | 33 | — | Non-album tracks | |
| 1959 | "Dancin' in the Streets" | — | — | — | |
| "Someone to Come Home to" | 78 | 84 | — | ||
| "Now It's Me" | — | — | — | ||
| "Take Me Along" | — | 124 | — | ||
| 1960 | "China Doll" | 38 | 69 | — | |
| "Me Lo Dijo Adela" | — | — | — | Hello Amigos | |
| "A Happy Pair" | — | — | — | Non-album tracks | |
| "Ring Them Bells" | — | — | — | ||
| "Where the Hot Wind Blows" | — | — | — | ||
| 1961 | "A Kiss from Cora" | — | — | — | |
| 1962 | "Love Me with All Your Heart" | — | — | — | |
| 1963 | "The Wrong Man" | — | — | — | |
| "Washington Square" | 129 | — | — | ||
Albums
- Sing a Song of Christmas (1950)
- Sweet Leilani (1951)
- Sentimental Me (1951)
- Home on the Range (1952)
- Favorite Spirituals (1952)
- Hoop-De-Doo (1952)
- In the Evening by the Moonlight (1953)
- Love's Old Sweet Songs (1955)
- The Magic Melting Pot of Melody with Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra (1956)
- Exactly Like You with Joe Reisman and His Orchestra (1956)
- The Ames Brothers with Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra (1956)
- My Love Serenade (1957)
- The Sounds of Christmas Harmony (1957)
- 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 Best of the Ames (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)
- Knees Up! Mother Brown (1963)
- For Sentimental Reasons (1964)
- Down Memory Lane with the Ames Brothers (1964)
- This Is The Ames Brothers (1972)
- The Best of the Ames (1975; reissue of the 1958 LP)
- The Very Best Of The Ames Brothers (1998)