There is beautiful poetry in the Four Aces’ songs that the hearts of both young and old (er, young-at-heart) never fail to skip a beat to such lines as "your eyes are the eyes of a woman in love and oh how they give you away" (from A Woman in Love)..."Three hearts in the fountain, each one longing for its home" (from Three Coins in the Fountain)...and "...in the morning mist two lovers kissed and the world stood still" (from Love is a Many-Splendored Thing).
For more than half a century, the Four Aces have been singing those songs to changing generations of music-lovers and those songs have taken on an even more magical impact through the years, putting the quartet in a class by themselves.
Here’s a bit of history: After their first single, It’s No (Sin), was turned down by producers, the Four Aces decided to release it themselves. It’s No (Sin) turned out to be a surprise hit, selling more than a million copies. In the ’50s, that was phenomenal!
Signed up by (the defunct) Decca Records, the quartet came up with more hits (mentioned earlier), many of which are classics and have been revived by other singers. But as they say, the original is always the best.
After just one change in membership, the Four Aces is now composed of charismatic tenor Fred Diodati (the original member), outstanding guitarist and vocalist Joe Giglio, bass and trumpet player Harry Heisler, and Frank Sinatra impersonator Joe Amato.
Conversations did an exclusive phone interview with Fred Diodati last week. Excerpts:
Good morning, Fred. How are you?
"Oh, I should say, ‘Good evening, Ricky.’ How are you? It’s evening here in Philadelphia."
We’re looking forward to your concert series here in Manila in June. You’ve been here many times, haven’t you?
"Yes, we’ve been there many, many times. The last time was...I’m going to guess... six or seven years ago? I remember that we also did a concert benefit for the Philippines in Atlantic City."
Have you worked with Filipino musicians?
"Oh, Filipinos have always been excellent musicians. We’ve never had any trouble with Filipino musicians. They’ve always been very, very, very good."
What do you remember from your previous visits to the Philippines?
"Filipinos are a very warm audience. Even in the United States when we do our shows, we have Filipinos come up to us; Filipinos have always been terrific to the Four Aces, like they may be to many other groups. Filipinos have been wonderful; they’ve always received us well. That’s what I remember most about the Filipinos. Many of them who live in the United States come to watch our shows even in small clubs."
Are the Four Aces coming to Manila this June the same guys who were here six or seven years ago?
"Yes. We have one different member from seven years ago, just one different member."
I’m curious. Have you been in touch with the original members (Al Alberts, Rosario "Sod" Vocarro, Dave Mahoney and Lou Silvestri)?
"I sang with Dave, Lou and Sod. I took the place of Al. I’m the oldest member. I’m 75."
Could you give us any idea what happened to the original members?
"Well, yes. When I was singing with Dave, Lou and Sod, we would hire Joe Amato to play behind us. He’s an excellent singer and a very good impressionist and guitar player. So when Dave left the group, we invited Joe to join us. That was 36 years ago. Then, we had another band play behind us. One of the members was a guy named Harry Heisler who also later joined us. These guys knew our songs by heart because they played behind us; they knew how we sang our songs, so we didn’t have a difficult time finding anybody to sing with the group."
Who’s the newest member?
"His name is Joe Giglio."
How do you usually choose members of the group? They have to sound like the original members, I suppose.
"Oh, yes. The music that we now sing to is the same music to which the original members sang. We play Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing exactly the same way I and the three other original members did it in the ’50s. The Four Aces sound is very easy once you get into it."
Tell us more about the three other members.
"Well, Joe (Giglio) played guitar. He used to have his own group, a local group, here in Pennsylvania. He has the same excellent tenor voice as Dave Mahoney. Joe (Amato) can sing tenor, he can sing bass, he can sing almost anything. He can do solo numbers and do Frank Sinatra songs very well. Harry (Heisler), who used to play trumpet behind us many years ago, is a very good bass singer."
How has Four Aces’ sound evolved through the years?
"The people who come to see us generally want to hear the old songs, so we see to it that we sing our songs the same way we have been singing them through the years. We enjoy singing our songs no matter how many times we’ve been singing them. Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, Three Coins in the Fountain and Strangers in Paradise. They are pretty songs, they’re good songs. We enjoy singing them and the more we enjoy singing them, the more we feel good about our singing the better we sing. And the audience responds accordingly to the songs that they know very well by heart."
To what do you attribute the durability of the Four Aces?
"It’s the songs. I have a feeling that when I or any of my three partners leave the Four Aces, as long as the songs are sung well, that’s all that matters. It’s really the songs and the way we sing them that make the Four Aces. Don’t forget that the Four Aces are one of the few groups that had motion-picture theme-song hits, like Love is a Many-Splendored Thing (from the movie of the same title, starring Jennifer Jones and William Holden, based on the best-seller novel by Pearl S. Buck and shot in Hong Kong; the mansion in the movie is still standing at Repulse Bay) and A Woman in Love (from Guys & Dolls). So when you see the movie, you remember the Four Aces."
I wonder, how did the Four Aces get its name?
"Well, my ex-partner Lou Silvestri told me that one time, they were playing cards and they were singing together. They did not know what to name the group. They first came up with Three Aces that eventually became Four Aces. That was the story they told me."
Do you still play cards together?
"You know, we used to play until we went to Mexico for a show. We argued a lot over the cards so we stopped playing altogether. They were good, friendly arguments, though."
What’s the most-requested Four Aces song?
"By far, it’s Love is a Many-Splendored Thing."
Personally, what’s your favorite Four Aces song?
"Love is a Many-Splendored Thing. You know why I like it so much? Because I like poetry, I love poetry. Say the line, ‘Love is a many-splendored thing; it’s the April rose that only grows in the early spring.’ Beautiful words! There’s never a night that I don’t sing that song. The more I sing it, the more I fall in love with it. I would say that the Four Aces are very fortunate to have recorded that song."
Of course, all Four Aces members have families of their own, right?
"Well, two of my partners are not married. Joe and Harry used to be but are not anymore married. They have children. I’ve been married for 54 years. I have five children and eight grandchildren."
Any of your children following in your footsteps?
"No, not one of them. My wife Margaret and I have four daughters who sing well but I never encourage them. My son doesn’t have a good voice. Harry has a lovely daughter but she doesn’t sing. Joe has three grown children and six grandchildren but not one of them sings. You know, we never push them into singing. Singing has been good to the Four Aces but it’s not the easiest life."
If you were to court Margaret all over again, what Four Aces song would you sing to her?
"Let me think for a minute...Oh, yes, two songs. One is A Woman in Love – you know, ‘Your eyes are the eyes of a woman in love...’ And, of course, Love is a Many-Splendored Thing."
What’s your favorite line from Love is a Many-Splendored Thing?
"Love is nature’s way of giving, a reason to be living, the golden crown that makes a man a king." (Proceeds to sing)
(Note: The Four Aces will have concerts on June 1 at the Manila Hotel, June 2 at Clark Expo in Pampanga, June 3 at the Araneta Coliseum and June 4 at Hard Rock Café in Makati City. For ticket inquiries, call the Ticketnet at 911-5555, Manila Hotel at 527-0011 or Hard Rock Café at 893-4661.)
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)