Close harmony groups, such as the Four Freshmen and Four Aces, were quite viable commercially, before the advent of rock and roll made so many of them redundant. Such was the case with the Four Aces, who had over thirty top forty hits before 1958. Many of the songs on this "Greatest Hits" CD were from these hit singles, and include such classic compositions as "Should I" "Perfidia" and "Melody Of Love, " which had been popularized decades earlier. Showy orchestrations compliment the confident lead of Al Alberts and the harmonies of his emphatic cohorts, who had evolved into a tight and effective unit.

Songlist: Tell Me Why, Perfidia, Three Coins In The Fountain, A Garden In The Rain, You Brought Me Love, (It's No) Sin, Heart and Soul, I' m Yours, I Understand, Stranger In Paradise, The Gang That Sang "Heart Of My Heart", Should I, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, Heart, It's A Woman's World, Melody Of Love, Mister Sandman

A pair of Philadelphia boys, Al Alberts and Dave Mahoney, finding themselves in the North Atlantic in the Navy in WWII, killed time by singing together. Joining two more local boys, Rosario and Louis, they formed the Four Aces, following in the footsteps of the Ames Brothers. Their first hit was "(It's No) Sin," which was shopped to no avail to New York record companies, and finally released by Al, who started his own record company, Victoria Records, to do it. The song peaked on Billboard's charts at #4 in 1951, and the Aces were quickly signed by Decca. The group-written "Tell Me Why," "A Garden in the Rain," "Perfidia," "I'm Yours" and "Heart and Soul" were next to climb high on the charts. Appearing frequently on TV, Aces singles "La Rosita," "Just Squeeze Me," "Laughing on the Outside" and "The Gang that Sang (Heart of My Heart)" were among 8 of the group's hits in 1952. "Stranger in Paradise" went to #2 on the charts, which the Aces finally topped with the theme from the movie "Three Coins in a Fountain." Popular hits "Dream" and "So Long," followed, and "Mr. Sandman" and "Melody of Love" scored in Billboard's top five before the floodgates of Rock 'n Roll opened in 1955, and even that year the Aces had another chart-topper with "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." "Heart" features 24 of the group's (all accompanied) upbeat, romantic tunes in a nicely done package with group history and photos. For smooth quintessential 50s pop harmonies, Four Aces win every time!

Songlist: (It's No) Sin, Tell Me Why, Heart and Soul, A Garden In The Rain, Strange In Paradise, The Gang That Sang "Heart Of My Heart", Mr. Sandman, Perfidia, Melody Of Love, Three Coins In A Fountian, I'm Yours, Should I, There Is A Tavern In The Town, You Brought Me Love, In Apple Blossom Time, Dream, So Long, Laughing On The Outside, Organ Gringer's Swing, La Rosita, Just Squeeze Me, I Understand, It's A Woman's World (From Woman's World), Wedding Bells (Are Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine)

"Hits from Hollywood & Broadway" is another generous, remastered collection of pop hits, this one by the first "Fab Four," The Four Aces, the most successful recording group worldwide in the 1950s, scoring 44 chart successes between 1951 and 1959. Most of those have been reissued, but their album tracks have been neglected, and Sepia Records decided to feature 26 selections (all accompanied) from films and stage shows that the Aces recorded. Beginning in 1946 when Al Alberts got together with sax player Dave Mahoney. They got together back home in Pennsylvania with drummer Lou Silvestri and trumpeter Rosario "Sod" Vacarro, and evolved into a vocal quartet with Al at lead. Offered a song by local songwriters called "It's No Sin," the foursome recorded and distributed it themselves, which caught the attention of Decca, who signed the Aces, who were on their way! These are all well-known and loved songs: "Standing on the Corner," "Too Close for Comfort," "Get Me to the Church on Time," "Till There Was You," "Tonight," "Small World," "I Love Paris," "Bali Ha'i," "Hawaiian Wedding Song," "Arrivederci Roma," "Love is a Many Splendored Thing," "Whatever Will Be, Will Be," "Tammy, "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" and "Three Coins in the Fountain," all of which feature the bright, upbeat, beautifully harmonic sound of the Four Aces. Sit back and enjoy this sweet blast from the past!

Songlist: Standing on the Corner, Long Before I Knew You, Too Close For Comfort, Anyone Would Love You, How Can You Forget, Get Me To The Church On Time, It's Good To Be Alive, Till There Was You, You Are Beautiful, Tonight, Two Faces In The Dark, Small World, I Love Paris, Bali Ha'i, South of the Border, Hawaiian Wedding Song, Waltzing Matilda, Arrivederci Roma, Love Is A Many Splendid Thing, Whatever Will Be, Will Be, Written On The Wind, Secret Love, Tammy, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo, To Love Again, Three Coins In The Fountain

With its roots in Philadelphia, close-harmony all male quartet The Four Aces first began performing together in 1949 and scored their first big hit with "It's No Sin" in 1952. They followed up with top 10 hits "Tell Me Why," "Perfida," "The Gang That Sang Heart of My Heart," "Should I?," "Melody of Love," which hit #3 on the charts, "Mister Sandman" (#5), "Stranger in Paradise" (#3) and "Three Coins In The Fountain" (#1). 28 all-accompanied songs by this enormously popular group, 25 chart hits and 10 top tens, recorded from 1951 to 1955, records which have sold over 100 million copies. A generous, spirited collection by Vocal Hall of Famers, the Aces!

Songlist: Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing, It's No Sin, Tell Me Why, A Garden In The Rain, Perfidia, I'm Yours, Heart and Soul, I'll Never Smile Again, My Devotion, Should I, La Rosita, Just Squeeze Me, But Don't Tease Me, Laughing On The OUtside, Crying On The Inside, Organ Grinder's Swing, The Gang That Sang "Heart Of My Heart", Stranger In Paradise, Amor, Three Coins In The Fountain, Wedding Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine, Dream, It's A Woman's World, Mr. Sandman, Heart, Shine On Harvest Moon, Melody Of Love, There Is A Tavern In The Town, A Woman In Love, So Long

The Four Aces hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with this ballad from the movie of the same name. Originally an instrumental-only title song, lyrics were added to make it Best Original Song eligible, a category that it won in 1955. Mark Hayes once again gives us an arrangement that is musically satisfying and beautifully expressive.