The Four Esquires aka The Esquires (1)

The Four Esquires (Boston, Massachusetts)
aka The Esquires (1)

Personnel :

Bill Courtney

Frank Mahoney

Wally Gold

Bob Golden

Discography :

The Esquires (1)
1954 - If You Only Knew What A Three Cent Stamp Could Do / Now, Now, Now (Epic 9024)

The Four Esquires
1955 - Three Things / The Sphinx Won't Tell (Cadence 1260)
1955 - Adorable / Thunderbolt (Cadence 1277)
1956 - Follow Me / Summer Vacation (Pilgrim 717)
1956 - Look Homeward Angel / Santo Domingo (London 1652)
1957 - Song Of April / Everyone's Sweet On My Sugar (Paris 501)
1957 - The Chopstick Rock / Never Look For Love (Paris 505)
1957 - Love Me Forever/ I Ain't Been Right (Paris 509)
1958 - Always And Forever / I Walk Down The Street (Paris 512)
1958 - All Around The Clock / The Big Dance (Paris 515)
1958 - Hideaway / Repeat After Me (Paris 520)
1958 - Follow me / Land of you and me (Paris 526)
1959 - Lucky Old Sun / Non E Cosi (Paris 531)
1959 - Act Your Age / So Ends The Night (Paris 535)
1959 - Wonderful One / Wouldn't It Be Wonderful (Paris 539)
1960 - Make Them Mine / Peg O' My Heart (Paris 544)
1960 - Sweet Sixteen She'll Never Be / The Chopstick Rock (Paris 549)
1962 - Can't help falling in love / Merry-go-round of home (Terrace 7502)
1969 - My Heart Belongs To Only You / Momma Look Sharp (Columbia 44996)

Jack Gold & The Four Esquires
1954 - Ev'rything / A Kiss Should Mean We're Sweethearts (Cadence 1242)

Susan Capone & The Four Esquires
1956 - Click-I-Dee, Click-I-Dee / Maybe Someday (Pilgrim 718) 

Eps :

1956 - The Pajama game (Epic Ep 7056)
Steam Heat

Biography :

Bill Courtney (lead singer) and backing vocalists Walter Gold, Robert Golden and Frank Mahoney were students at the University of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in the early 50s who harmonized for their own amusement to whatever instrumental accompaniment they could muster. They first performed locally under the name of The Esquires. It is under this name that they record their first singles "If You Only Knew What A Three Cent Stamp Could Do" b/w "Now, Now, Now "for Epic Records. They will add "four" in front of Esquires and will continue with this title throughout their career.

After three records on Cadence Records that go unnoticed, the group signs with Pilgrim. "Follow Me" b/w "Summer Vacation"  on Pilgrim Charted at #43 on Cash Box Top Singles chart in January 1957. Released in July 1956 so it took quite awhile to get to the Cash Box chart. Though popular locally, they waited until they were sufficiently schooled before becoming professional entertainers.

After London Records signed them in March 1956, "Look Homeward Angel" was a turntable hit, but it was eclipsed by Johnnie Ray's version. The group signs with Paris Records which will release a dozen singles. Their workmanlike "Love Me Forever' (augmented with a female session vocalist's obligato), was overshadowed by a US cover version by Eydie Gorme and one in Britain by Marion Ryan."Love Me Forever" Charted at #25 on Billboard Hot 100 in November 1957 and #23 on UK Singles chart. The Four Esquires had two other Billboard chart records, "Look Homeward Angel" (#55 in May 1956)  and "Hideaway" (#21 in September 1958).

While able to fill moderate-sized auditoriums and becoming a reliable support act in bigger venues, the Esquires clocked up no further chart entries and had disbanded by the early 60s.   In the 1960's Wally Gold co-wrote Elvis Presley's "Good Luck Charm" and "It's Now Or Never", Lesley Gore's "It's My Party" and Gene Pitney's "Half-Heaven, Half-Heartache." Later in the decade, he produced albums for Barbra Streisand, Jerry Vale, and Tony Bennett.

Songs :

(updated by Hans-Joachim)   

The Esquires (1)

If You Only Knew What A Three Cent Stamp Could Do / Now, Now, Now

The Four Esquires

     
Love Me Forever                     Follow me                   Look Homeward Angel

       
Hideaway                         The Land of You and Me          Always And Forever

     
The Chopstick Rock                   Steam Heat          Sweet Sixteen She'll Never Be

         
Wonderful One             I Ain't Been Right Since You Left             Non E Cosi

   
Three Things / The Sphinx Won't Tell     My Heart Belongs To Only You / Momma Look Sharp

....