1… Read Full Bio ↴Musical groups in three genres have shared the name The Four Aces.
1. The Aces, initially known as "The Four Aces" were a Jamaican vocal group who are best known for their work with Desmond Dekker, but who also recorded without him. The initial line-up of the Aces was Clive Campbell, Barry Howard, Carl Howard, and Patrick Howard. The group came to the attention of Dekker, who supported them when they auditioned for Leslie Kong at Beverley's studio in 1965. The producer employed the group as backing singers for Dekker, recording many hits with him including "The King of Ska" (where they were credited as His Cherry Pies), "Get Up Adinah" (on which they were credited as the Four Aces"), huge hits such as "007 (Shanty Town)" and "Israelites", and the winner of the 1968 Festival Song Contest, "Music Like Dirt". By 1967 the only remaining original member was Barry Howard, along with Winston Samuels. Dekker's international success led to overseas tours, but the Aces were not taken along, Samuels refusing to fly, stating "Rastas did not fly on iron birds", and Barry Howard having already decided to emigrate to the United States. Instead they stayed in Jamaica and recorded without Dekker. They had a Jamaican hit in 1970 with "Mademoiselle Ninette", and by 1971 the line-up had again changed, with Barry now rejoined by Carl Howard. A string of hits followed with "Reggae Motion", "Take a Look", "Oh I Miss You", Call Me Number One", "Be My Baby", and "Sad Sad Song", and they had a near hit in the pop charts in 1973 with "Working on it Night and Day". Little more was heard from the group until 1982 when they released "One Way Street".
2. An American singing quartet which was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001. The group is well-known for a plethora of hits, including: "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing", " Three Coins in the Fountain", "Stranger in Paradise", "Shangri-La", "Perfidia". All of the group's major hits were first performed by the original four members: Al Alberts (originally Albertini), Dave Mahoney, Lou Silvestri, and Rosario "Sod" Vaccaro. Although all were from Chester, Pennsylvania, Alberts and Mahoney actually met in the Navy. They formed a duo, with Alberts singing and Mahoney playing behind him. Later adding Vaccaro on trumpet and Silvestri on drums, the group played in the Philadelphia area. When they could not find a label which would release their record, "(It's No) Sin," Alberts started his own label, Victoria Records. "(It's No) Sin" sold a million copies! DECCA Records soon signed the group, billing them as The Four Aces Featuring Al Alberts. In 1956, Alberts left The Four Aces to try to make it as a soloist, but never made the charts. He was replaced as lead singer by Fred Diodati, another Philadelphia product. Over the years, as the remaining original members left, Diodati chose new singers to replace them. The right to "The Four Aces" name eventually landed in court. In 1975, Diodati was awarded the right to the name and continued to tour under it. The founding members, who again wanted to tour, were allowed to use the name, "The Original Four Aces, Featuring Al Alberts." The latter group retired in 1987. The Four Aces are still touring. (A link to their appearances is listed below.)
3. Cajun fiddler Leo Soileau was the second Cajun musician to record his works. This occurred in the late 1930s. The Four Aces was the name of his second string band (the first had been The Rhythm Boys). Soileau reitred from music in the 1940s with the demise of the string band sound.
Silent Night
The Four Aces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All's asleep, one sole light,
Just the faithful and holy pair,
Lovely boy-child with curly hair,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Silent night! Holy night!
God's Son laughs, o how bright.
As the dawn of salvation draws near,
Jesus, Lord, with your birth!
Silent night! Holy night!
Brought the world peace tonight,
From the heavens' golden height
Shows the grace of His holy might
Jesus, as man on this earth!
Silent night! holy night!
Where today all the might
Of His fatherly love us graced
And then Jesus, as brother embraced.
All the peoples on earth!
Silent night! Holy night!
Long we hoped that He might,
As our Lord, free us of wrath,
Since times of our fathers He hath
Promised to spare all mankind!
Silent night! Holy night!
Sheperds first see the sight.
Told by angelic Alleluja,
Sounding everywhere, both near and far:
"Christ the Savior is here!"
The song "Silent Night Holy Night" by The Four Aces depicts the peace that comes with the birth of Jesus. The lyrics paint a picture of quietness and serenity as the infant Jesus lies asleep in the manger, accompanied only by his faithful parents and the shepherds who have come to pay their respects. The imagery of a single light shining in the darkness sets the tone for the whole song, emphasizing the stillness of the night and the sense of calm that we feel when we contemplate the miracle of Jesus' birth.
The song also speaks of the hope and promise that Jesus brings to the world. The phrase "dawn of salvation draws near" represents the idea of a new beginning, a new hope, and a new way of living that comes with the arrival of Christ. Throughout the song, we hear about the grace and love that Jesus brings to the world, and we are reminded that he came to save all of mankind. The song beautifully captures the peaceful atmosphere that surrounded the birth of Christ and the hope that he brings to us all.
Line by Line Meaning
Silent night! Holy night!
A peaceful, holy night has arrived.
All's asleep, one sole light,
Everyone is sleeping, except for one light shining.
Just the faithful and holy pair,
Only Mary and Joseph, who are faithful and pure, are present.
Lovely boy-child with curly hair,
A beautiful, curly-haired baby is present.
Sleep in heavenly peace!
The baby is sleeping peacefully surrounded by holiness.
God's Son laughs, o how bright.
Jesus, God's Son, is full of joy and radiance.
Love from your holy lips shines clear,
Jesus' holy words are spoken with love and clarity.
As the dawn of salvation draws near,
The beginning of a time of salvation is approaching.
Jesus, Lord, with your birth!
Jesus, you were born to be our Lord.
Brought the world peace tonight,
Jesus' birth has brought peace to the world.
From the heavens' golden height
From the highest place in heaven.
Shows the grace of His holy might
Demonstrates the powerful and gracious nature of God.
Jesus, as man on this earth!
Jesus has taken human form on earth.
Where today all the might
Where all the strength and power of God is present.
Of His fatherly love us graced
We are blessed by God's divine and fatherly love.
And then Jesus, as brother embraced.
And then Jesus, as a brother, offered his love and support.
All the peoples on earth!
All people on earth are included in God's love and salvation.
Long we hoped that He might,
We have been hoping for a long time that Jesus would come.
As our Lord, free us of wrath,
Jesus, as our Lord, will save us from God's anger.
Since times of our fathers He hath
God made a promise to spare mankind since ancient times.
Promised to spare all mankind!
God promised to save all of humanity.
Sheperds first see the sight.
The shepherds were the first to witness Jesus' birth.
Told by angelic Alleluja,
Informed by an angel who proclaimed 'Alleluja.'
Sounding everywhere, both near and far:
The proclamation was heard everywhere, no matter the distance.
"Christ the Savior is here!"
The angel proclaimed that Jesus, the Savior, had been born.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Cixqo, Integrity Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Anthem Entertainment, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc., Rossio Music Publishing
Written by: Chuck Howard, Franz Gruber, John Berry, Joseph Mohr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind