Monday, April 6, 2009

WHITE VOCAL GROUP CARD...THE FOUR ESQUIRES





BIOGRAPHY
Bill Courtney (lead singer) and backing vocalists Walter Gold, Robert Golden and Frank Mahoney were students at the University of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in the early 50s who harmonized for their own amusement to whatever instrumental accompaniment they could muster. Though popular locally, they waited until they were sufficiently schooled before becoming professional entertainers. After London Records signed them in March 1956, "Look Homeward Angel" was a turntable hit, but it was eclipsed by Johnnie Ray's version. Their workmanlike "Love Me Forever' (augmented with a female session vocalist's obligato), was overshadowed by a US cover version by Eydie Gorme and one in Britain by Marion Ryan. Nevertheless, it clawed into each country's Top 30 and, unhindered by competition, so did 1958"s "Hideaway" in the USA. While able to fill moderate-sized auditoriums and becoming a reliable support act in bigger venues, the Esquires clocked up no further chart entries and had disbanded by the early 60s.



RECORDINGS...

-Three Things/The Sphinx won't tell.Cadence Records-1955.
-Adorable/Thunderbolt. Cadence Records-1955.
-Follow me/Summer vacation. Pilgrim Records-1956.
-Look Homeward Angel/Santo Domingo. London  Records-1956.
-Song Of April/Everyone's Sweet On My Sugar. Paris Records-1957.
-The Chopstick Rock/Never Look For Love. ParisRecords-1957.
-Love Me Forever/I Ain't Been Right. Paris  Records-1957.
-Always And Forever/I Walk Down The Street. Paris  Records-1958.
-All Around The Clock/The Big Dance. Paris Records-1958.
-Hideaway/Repeat After Me. Paris Records-1958.
-Follow me/Land of you and me. ParisRecords-1958.
-Lucky Old Sun/Non E Cosi. Paris  Records-1959.
-Act Your Age/So Ends The Night. Paris Records-1959.
-Wonderful One/Wouldn't It Be Wonderful. Paris Records-1959.
-Make Them Mine/Peg O' My Heart. ParisRecords-1960.
-Sweet Sixteen She'll Never Be/The Chopstick Rock. Paris Records-1960.
-Can't help falling in love/Merry-go-round of home.Terrace Records-1962.

Jack Gold & The Four Esquires_Ev'rything/A Kiss Should Mean We're Sweethearts. Cadence Records-1954.

Susan Capone & The Four Esquires_Click-I-Dee, Click-I-Dee/Maybe Someday. Pilgrim Records-1956.

2 Sides on Youtube...




The group charted #21 on September,1958 with the side_Hideway...

#25 on November,1957 with the side_Love Me Forever...



 #55 on May,1956 with the side_Look Homeward Angel...



5 comments:

Lyn Nuttall said...

Are these the same Four Esquires who released "The Sphinx Won't Tell" on Cadence, 1955?

(Song written by Charles Strouse & Lee Adams, later famous for "bye Bye Birdie" etc.)

Lyn Nuttall said...

"The Sphinx Won't Tell" was the B side. The A side was "Three Things". Cadence #1260.

brian said...

Is the Four Esquires version of "Can't Help Falling in Love" on any doo-wop cd compilations? I remember it so well from when I was a kid....loved their version of the song before Elvis came out with his, but I can't seem to find it these days.

Many thanks,

Brian

Unknown said...

Because they sold the song to Elvis thus lost the rights

Alan Eichler said...

"Can't Help Falling in Love" is on a Four Esquires CD compilation entitled "Love Me Forever," which you can find on Amazon and other websites.