The Four Lads

From college campuses to supper clubs, fairs to industrial shows, commercials to concert halls, Tokyo's Latin Quarter to New York's Copacabana, Glasgow's Empress Theatre to Notre Dame, Las Vegas' Sands Hotel to Honolulu Stadium, Okinawa's Naha Theatre to Manilla's Aranete Concert Hall... the Four Lads radio, television and live appearances reads like a veritable "who's who" of the entertainment industry. The Lads launched their professional career in 1950 singing in local clubs around Toronto. Quite a few "Ups and Downs" later, the boys had a chance for a tryout performance at New York's posh dinner club, Le Ruban Bleu. There, Mitch Miller saw them and put them on the million-selling Johnnie Ray records "Cry" and "The Little White Cloud That Cried". After that, the Lads were signed to their own recording contract, receiving their first Gold Record in 1953 for "Istanbul". Their success story includes the sale of some 50 million singles and albums to date.

Today the Four Lads continue their musical history bringing exciting and truly "golden" performances to receptive audiences on cruises, at conventions, night clubs, dinner theatres, concert halls and Nevada's hotel casinos. More than 50 years later the Lads' unique style captures hearts and brings back many a memory. It is a magical formula that keeps audiences all over the world in love with the Four Lads. They are still providing, to everyone who sees them, many wonderful 'Moments to Remember".

Discography

The Singles Collection

Collectables Records assumes that we know the story of the legendary Lads from Toronto using a chance opportunity to appear at NYC's Le Ruban Bleu as a springboard to worldwide fame and fortune; their fresh, upbeat sound defining jazz/pop music in the 50s and early 60s. There's not a single biographical note in the liner notes, just a list of the 28 songs and when they were recorded. Let the music do the talking—fair enough! "Turn Back," "Rocks in My Bed," "He Who Has Love," "Gotta Go to the Fais Do Do," "Harmony Brown," the silly "Cleo and Meo" and "Do You Know What Lips are For," the Polka tune "Oh, That'll Be Joyful," "I've Got Four Big Brothers," the sexy, funny "A Little Bit" and "Guess What the Neighbors'll Say," the dramatic "Fountain of Youth," "Our Lady of Fatima," "Got A Locket in My Pocket" and the latest-recorded song, 1969's "The Sheik of Chicago"…aside from occasional hits like "No, Not Much" and "Standing On The Corner," we've never heard most of this (band accompanied) material. But the butter-smooth harmonies that soar to breathtaking, ringing heights, innocent romantic lyrics and general silliness are still a joy, whether the song was a near-hit or merely an album-filler. "Collection" is a rare, surprising winner, pure, uncut 1950s romantic jazz/pop from one of the great male vocal quartets of all time!

Stage Show / Love Affair

You all know the story of the 4 young men from Toronto, who auditioned over the phone for a 2-week gig at NY's Le Ruban Bleu, which turned into a 30-week booking, a tour, a recording contract and many, many hits. This is another of those "2 lps on one CD" that we love so much, and that is such a good value. The fresh, upbeat, jazzy, best-selling sound of the Four Lads (all big-band accompanied) is heaped on our plates like strawberries and whipped cream. 20 hits, the first 8 a live stage show, performed before fans who raved over songs like "Bye and Bye," "God Bless Us All," "My Blue Heaven," "The Wabash Cannonball" and "What Can I Lose;" the next 12 a smorgasbord of romantic winners with miles of violins: "Fly Me to the Moon," "Like Someone In Love," "While We're Young," Leonard Bernstein's "Tonight," Sammy Cahn's "Time After Time" and "I'll Never Stop Loving You," "An Affair To Remember" and "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing." Fresh, jazzy pop, heart-tugging slow-dance musicãit's all here, and all wonderful, by four lads whose influential sound defined the 1950s and early 60s.

Swing Along / Everything Goes!!!

Canadians Bernie Toorish, lead tenor; Brank Busseri, baritone; Jimmie Arnold, second tenor and Connie Codarini, bass; began singing together as, in fact, lads’ at St. Michael's Cathedral Choir School in Toronto. They polished their harmonies at night, and obtained a try-out engagement at the Ruban Bleu in New York. It stretched into 30 solid weeks, and the Lads were on their way to being voted America's favorite vocal group. This is 2 lps (originally released in 1959-60) on one cd, both orchestrally accompanied, all contagiously jazzy and exuberant as the lads demonstrate their versatility with ballads, old-time favorites, racing rhythm numbers and popular standards. This is night club entertainment at its finest! ’"Swing Along"swings through 13 songs, from ’"The Old Oaken Bucket"and ’"Comin' Through the Rye"to ’"Swanee River,"’"Mexicali Rose,"’"Let Me Call You Sweetheart"and ’"Moonlight Bay."’"Everything Goes"features Cole Porter's ’"All of You,"’"It's All Right With Me" and ’"Anything Goes;"as well as popular hits’ "It Had to Be You,"’ "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You," and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)’". To pick one signature cover, we'd have to go with ’"Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive,"as the Lads' sound is so bright, shining and out there, it's impossible to feel bad listening to this CD.

4459 CD $14.98

Breezin' Along / On The Sunny Side

The Four Lads transition from singing together as Canadian choir boys, to stardom at New York's Le Ruban Bleu, to being voted America's favorite vocal group, is the stuff of music industry legend, but it's their fresh, jazzy, exuberant sound that we're interested in. Blessing again the record executive who first combined two classic lps on one CD for the price of one, we have 24 tracks here, all orchestrally accompanied, but the emphasis is on the four amazing singers. On "Breezin'," are songs like "That Old Feeling," "Someone Like You," "Long Ago (And Far Away)," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Come To Me" and "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening." On "Sunny," there's "The Things We Did Last Summer," "Bidin' My Time," "Makin' Whoopee" "Dancing In The Dark," "Lazy River," and "Side By Side." A generous helping of the Lads' contagiously jazzy, 60s nightclub sound!

4472 CD $14.98

Moments To Remember

Their sound was quintessential Fifties: bright, melodic, sentimental and uncomplicated. Often working with greats like Mitch Miller and Frank Loesser, the Four Lads have contributed some great songs to fifties pop music. This collection includes the very best of this group. Selections include novelty songs such as "Gilly, Gilly Ossenfeffer" and their first gold record hit "Istanbul." Also included are many of the songs written by Bernie Toorish under his pen name of Dazz Jordan, like "The Mocking Bird" and "My Little Angel," written for his wife. Since their arrival in America in 1950, this Canadian quartet has left us with many moments to remember.

Sixteen Most Requested Songs

Sing Frank Loesser

Record buyers agreed with Frank Sinatra's early 50's observation of the young Canadian pop quartet, "it's the freshest, nicest sound we've heard in a long, long, time," helping The Four Lads score almost 30 hits on the US Charts between 1952 and 1959. An audition over the phone in Toronto led to a 30-week run at NYC's fancy Le Ruban Bleu, and the Lads never looked back, appearing on Perry Como's and Dave Garraway's shows, then signed by Mitch Miller at Columbia Records. Originally released in 1957, "Sing Frank Loesser" (one of Broadway's, and Cinema's, most successful writers) was a popular album for the group. 9 songs, which actually become 25 when you add in the three Loesser medleys, "Where's Charley? Medley," five songs ("Once In Love With Amy," "Pernambuco," "My Darling, My Darling"); "Hans Christian Anderson Medley," five songs ("Thumbelina," "The Inch Worm," "Wonderful Copenhagen"); and "Guys and Dolls Medley," six songs, ("Guys And Dolls," "Sit Down You're Rockin' The Boat," "More I Cannot Wish You"). The others, "I Don't Want To Walk Without You," "Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year," "On A Slow Boat To China," "Two Sleepy People," and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve," are the very definition of 50s romantic pop. All orchestrally accompanied, and all as sweet and bright, innocent and entertaining as you can imagine!

Four On The Aisle

For More of The Primarily A Cappella On-Line Catalog

RSS - New Releases

Site Map | A Cappella News | RSS a cappella feeds

To find a specific song on any recording (or to find recordings by group name or CD title),
pick the search method and type the item you are searching for here: