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.
No Moon At All
The Ames Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even lightnin' bugs have dimmed their lights
Stars have disappeared from sight
And there's no moon at all
Don't make a sound, it's so dark
Even Fido is afraid to bark
What a perfect chance to park
Should we want atmosphere for inspiration, dear
One kiss will make it clear
That tonight is right and bright moonlight might interfere
No moon at all way up above
This is nothin' like they told us of
Just to think we fell in love
And there's no moon at all
Should we want atmosphere for inspiration, dear
One kiss will make it clear
That tonight is right and bright moonlight might interfere
No moon at all up above
Aww, this is nothin' like they told us of
Just to think we fell in love
And there's no moon at all
Aww, there's no moon at all
There is no moon at all
No moon at all
The song "No Moon at All" by The Ames Brothers is a romantic song that describes a dark night without a moon. The first verse of the song talks about the absence of the moon and the fact that even lightning bugs have dimmed their lights. The stars have also disappeared from sight, leaving the night even darker. The lack of moonlight creates an atmosphere of mystery and intimacy, and the couple in the song take advantage of this by finding a quiet spot to park.
The second verse describes the darkness of the night even further, stating that not even Fido, the dog, dares to bark. It's as if the whole world is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. The lack of moonlight gives the couple a chance to be alone, and they take advantage of it by sharing a romantic kiss. They don't need the moon's light to set the scene; their love is enough to create the perfect atmosphere.
The chorus of the song repeats the same sentiment that there is "no moon at all." The absence of the moon, which is usually associated with romance, makes the lovers' connection even more special. The song suggests that true love doesn't need external factors such as a moon to shine. The darkness becomes an opportunity for the couple, and they make the most of it with their love.
Line by Line Meaning
No moon at all, what a night
Tonight is so dark that there is no moon in the sky.
Even lightnin' bugs have dimmed their lights
The fireflies are not glowing as bright as they usually do.
Stars have disappeared from sight
The stars are not visible due to the darkness of the night.
And there's no moon at all
Repeating the fact that the moon is not visible tonight.
Don't make a sound, it's so dark
It's so dark outside that you must stay quiet.
Even Fido is afraid to bark
Even dogs are afraid to bark due to the darkness of the night.
What a perfect chance to park
It's a perfect night to park and spend time together.
And there's no moon at all
Repeating the fact that the moon is not visible tonight.
Should we want atmosphere for inspiration, dear
If we want a romantic atmosphere for inspiration,
One kiss will make it clear
One kiss will set the mood for romance.
That tonight is right and bright moonlight might interfere
The darkness of tonight is the perfect setting for a romantic moment, as the bright moonlight might be too distracting.
No moon at all way up above
Repeating the fact that there is no moon in the sky.
This is nothin' like they told us of
The night is nothing like they imagined it to be.
Just to think we fell in love
Despite the unexpected darkness, they still fell in love.
And there's no moon at all
Repeating the fact that there is no moon tonight.
No moon at all up above
Repeating the fact that there is no moon in the sky.
Aww, this is nothin' like they told us of
They are surprised by the unexpected darkness of the night.
Just to think we fell in love
Despite the unexpected darkness, they still fell in love.
And there's no moon at all
Repeating the fact that there is no moon in the sky tonight.
Aww, there's no moon at all
Repeating the fact that there is no moon in the sky.
There is no moon at all
Repeating the fact that the moon is not visible tonight
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Dave Mann, Redd Evans
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Actinium Anarchy
No moon at all, what a night
Even lightnin' bugs have dimmed their lights
Stars have disappeared from sight
And there's no moon at all
Don't make a sound, it's so dark
Even Fido is afraid to bark
What a perfect chance to park
And there's no moon at all
Should we want atmosphere for inspiration, dear
One kiss will make it clear
That tonight is right and bright moonlight might interfere
No moon at all way up above
This is nothin' like they told us of
Just to think we fell in love
And there's no moon at all
Should we want atmosphere for inspiration, dear
One kiss will make it clear
That tonight is right and bright moonlight might interfere
No moon at all up above
Aww, this is nothin' like they told us of
Just to think we fell in love
And there's no moon at all
Aww, there's no moon at all
There is no moon at all
No moon at all
lisa s
Les Brown and his Band of Renown..saw him live once in the mid 70'S. He was still swinging! Great pairing with the great Ames Brothers
Sanford Son
Love this!
Ozmulki
Brilliant Ames Brothers! Can't get harmony like this...Mills Bros, Ink Spots....superb
FirefighterSEIN
I like the '58 version as well; the song Destination Moon is great as well off the '58 album
TheMikester307
I just heard this for the first time on SIRIUSXM----What a fun song! They don't do/write 'em like that anymore!
BurgerKingGhidorah
my favorite version.
renofirvine gronos
i have the '58 version on 'destination moon' LP.....this one's good too(like they ever did anything bad).....i also found teh 'blend and the beat ' lp at a used record store....fairly rare
Michael Arnold
I am going to need to find the i-Tunes version of this! I have it by Anita O'Day and first heard it by Doris Day on SiriusXM though couldn't find her version on i-Tunes. Great song!
Rob Constantine
I had this version coral records..backed by Les Brown