The Ames Brothers got their beginning in Malden, where all four were born. The act consisted of Joe (born 3 May 1921), Gene (born 13 February 1923), Vic (born 20 May 1925 - died 23 January 1978) and Ed (born 9 July 1927).
Born into a non-professional but musical family, the boys were brought up on classical and operatic music. Their parents, David and Sarah Urick, were Russian Jewish immigrants from the Ukraine who read Shakespeare and semi-classics to their nine children from the time they were old enough to listen.
The brothers formed a quartet with a cousin Lennie, and had been touring United States Army and Navy bases entertaining the troops and were offered a job at the Foxs and Hounds nightclub, one of the fanciest clubs in Boston. This one week engagement turned into several months when the word got around of their appearance. At the time, they were going by the name of the Amory Brothers, a name taken from Vic's middle name and they were becoming quite popular in the area. It was at this time that Joe decided to rejoin the group. He said they were just having too much fun together for him to miss out. Taking their act to New York 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 heard them singing it and had them cut a few sides for Decca Records just before the ban which started in January, 1948.
A year later when the ban was lifted, the Ames Brothers were the first artists to record for Coral Records. The name Amory was shortened to Ames. They 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 The Arthur Godfrey Hour. One of the first acts to appear on the original Ed Sullivan Show when it was known as Toast of the Town, they made their debut with him when the show was telecast live from Wanamaker's Department Store.
Soon, they were the top paid group in nightclubs and supperclubs everywhere and their popularity on television was nationwide. In 1956 they starred in their own show, The Ames Brothers Show, which was seen on Friday nights. It was the first syndicated television show to be shown in foreign countries.
Over their fifteen year career the prolific Brothers notched up 50 U.S. chart entries, 21 of them on the Coral label before signing with RCA Victor. The group disbanded in the 1960s but Ed Ames went on with a successful singing and acting career, including playing Daniel Boone's sidekick, Mingo, on the successful Daniel Boone television series (1964-1970).
They were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
Begin the Beguine
The Ames Brothers Lyrics
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It brings back the sound of music so tender,
It brings back a night of tropical splendor,
It brings back a memory ever green.
I'm with you once more under the stars,
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying
When they begin the beguine.
Except when that tune clutches my heart,
And there we are, swearing to love forever,
And promising never, never to part.
What moments divine, what rapture serene,
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted,
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted,
I know but too well what they mean;
So don't let them begin the beguine
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember;
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine.
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you,
Till you whisper to me once more,
Darling, I love you!
And we suddenly know What heaven we're in,
When they begin the beguine
The lyrics to The Ames Brothers' song Begin the Beguine are about the power of music to transport people back to moments in their past. The beguine is a dance that originated in the French Caribbean and became popular in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. The song describes how hearing the beguine brings back memories of a night of tropical splendor and a memory that is forever green. The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia for a time and place that was magical, with an orchestra playing down by the shore and even the palms swaying to the music.
The song tells the story of two lovers who are transported back to a moment in their past when they hear the beguine. They remember a time when they swore to love forever and promised never to part. But clouds came along to disperse the joys they had tasted and the chance was wasted. The lyrics express regret for the lost love and a desire to hold onto the memory of it. The song ends with a plea not to let the beguine begin again, to let the love that was once a fire remain an ember, and for the couple to whisper once more to each other, "Darling, I love you!"
Line by Line Meaning
When they begin the beguine
When the music starts, memories flood in
It brings back the sound of music so tender,
The music is gentle and emotional, and it reminds of a special moment
It brings back a night of tropical splendor,
It reminds of a beautiful, warm night in paradise
It brings back a memory ever green.
It brings back an unforgettable, enduring memory
I'm with you once more under the stars,
The music takes me back to a moment with my love under the stars
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
We're listening to an orchestra playing by the sea
And even the palms seem to be swaying
The music is so powerful, even the trees seem to be moving in tune
When they begin the beguine.
When the beguine starts, everything else fades away, and we are lost in the moment
To live it again is past all endeavor,
It's impossible to recreate that moment
Except when that tune clutches my heart,
However, the music has the power to bring me close to that moment again
And there we are, swearing to love forever,
When we're lost in the music, we remember our pledge to love each other forever
And promising never, never to part.
The music makes us promise never to be apart from each other
What moments divine, what rapture serene,
The moment of being lost in the music is indescribably beautiful and surreal
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted,
However, the moment was fleeting and soon came to an end
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted,
Now I understand why people regret losing their chance at a similar moment
I know but too well what they mean;
I empathize with them because I know what it feels like to lose that chance
So don't let them begin the beguine
Don't start the music again, as it will only create more heartache
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember;
Let the memory be a faint reminder of the passion that once existed
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
Let that memory be merely a shadow of what once was
When they begin the beguine.
Because the ecstasy it brings will only lead to more sadness
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, make them play
Despite the warning, the temptation to hear the music again is too great
Till the stars that were there before return above you,
The music takes you back to the moment and makes it feel real again
Till you whisper to me once more, Darling, I love you!
The music brings us back to the moment we declared our love for each other
And we suddenly know What heaven we're in,
In that moment, we realize how heavenly love can be
When they begin the beguine
And all sorrows and worries fade away in the magic of the music
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Memory Lane Music Group (Domestic)
Written by: COLE PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind