WHAT FRANK IS LISTENING TO

As a result of watching a lot of old movies as a kid I learned to love trad pop music … the crooners, the songstress', the vocal groups. My ears did not discriminate against them in favour of the more popular rock and pop of my youth.

It’s all music.

It is, then, natural to gravitate to the best of any style. What is “best” may be a difficult question to define but for whatever reasons there seems to be a “best’ or at least a “better” in every genre.

And, that is all good and well.

But, my brain likes those fringe areas where things usually aren’t at their best or where consumers (music listeners) believe good things don’t exist.

And this album fits into that.

It was something from a bygone era, an obsolete style that was trying to remain relevant.

And, that is fascinating.

Some 1950s era rockers were finding it hard to keep up with the new sounds emerging in the mid to late-60s but put out some amazing (good and bad, usually poorly selling, quite obscure though still amazing) recordings. Pat Boone, Gene Vincent, The Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry all dabbled in late 60s sounds.

Trad pop acts had the same problem but, perhaps, had it easier. Their market was always people “of another era” that didn’t care for the new sounds, but that market was shrinking.

The decision to cover new rock and pop material in their familiar style, or, record old Tin Pan Alley material in a (more) contemporary style, was a way of satisfying their existing fans and perhaps adding on some new ones.

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr, Tony Bennett, Andy Williams, Al Martino, Perry Como all tackled contemporary material with varying degrees of success.

And, the Four Freshmen do that here …

… some twenty years after they started in music.

“The Four Freshmen is an American male vocal band quartet that blends open-harmonic jazz arrangements with the big band vocal group sounds of The Modernaires (Glenn Miller), The Pied Pipers (Tommy Dorsey), and The Mel-Tones (Mel Torme), (Artie Shaw), founded in the barbershop tradition. The Four Freshmen is considered a vocal band because the singers accompany themselves on guitar, horns, bass, and drums, among other instrumental configurations”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Freshmen

“The group's roots go back to the end of the 1940s and a barbershop quartet-influenced outfit called Hal's Harmonizers, organized at the Arthur Jordan Conservatory of Butler University in Indiana by two brothers, Ross and Don Barbour. Their repertoire centered on standards such as "Moonglow" and "The Christmas Song," and they began to show an unusually free, improvisational approach to their harmony singing. A couple of membership changes brought Bob Flanigan, a cousin, into the fold alongside Hal Kratzsch, and suddenly the Four Freshmen were assembled in all but name, and that fell into place a little later” https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-four-freshmen-mn0000071336/biograph

Although often regarded as a pop group, the Four Freshmen were basically a jazz quartet.

“Flanigan in particular was a good jazz trombonist, his style rooted in those of Kai Winding and Milt Bernhart of the Stan Kenton band. And the singers admired the Kenton band's precision and drew elements of his band's arrangements into their own repertoire. "We all think in instrumental terms," said Flanigan. "I think of singing lead as I would play it on trombone sitting in the Kenton trombone section. When we started we were all Kenton fans and everybody who's been in the group since then has been a Kenton fan." … In 1950 Kenton heard one of the Freshmen's concerts in Dayton, Ohio and was so impressed that he enthusiastically recommended the four to his record company, Capitol. Their first big hit came in 1952 with "It's a Blue World", followed by "Day By Day" and "Graduation Day"; they also sold a substantial number of albums”.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/bob-flanigan-key-member-of-the-close-harmony-vocal-group-the-four-freshmen-2336908.html

The group subsequently toured with Kenton.

Kenton was an innovative bandleader and composer as were the Freshmen who sang in “open” harmony with an unusually free, improvisational approach to their harmony singing. I’m no vocal expert but “open harmony” is, what “close harmony” isn’t …

“Close harmony is an arrangement of the notes of chords within a narrow range, usually notes that are no more than an octave apart. It is different from open harmony or voicing in that it uses each part on the closest harmonizing note (such as C4–E4–G4), while the open voicing uses a broader pitch array (like C3–G3–E4) expanding the harmonic range past the octave”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_and_open_harmony

They recorded around 36 albums, and released double that in singles, in a 25 year, or so, period.

“The Four Freshmen had several moderate hits during the years 1953-56, including "It Happened Once Before," "Mood Indigo," "Day by Day" and "Graduation Day." The group entered the LP era in the late '50s with several album hits, including their instrument series (Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones, 4 Freshmen and 5 Trumpets, etc.). Though Don Barbour left in 1960, the group kept on going with replacements, with Bob Flanagan becoming the only original member still left after Ross Barbour's departure in 1977. In one form or another, the Four Freshmen continued to tour into the 1990s”. John Bush in

https://web.archive.org/web/20160117141004/http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/the_four_freshman.html

They were extremely influential, immediately on other trad pop “four” bands who were usually straighter musically: the Four Lads, the Four Aces, the Four Preps but also The Harptones, The Hi-Los, The Hilltoppers, Les Double Six of Paris, and later the Lettermen and the Manhattan Transfer. They also had an influence on rock and pop bands like The Mamas and the Papas, Spanky and our Gang, the Four Seasons, and, most famously, on Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, who would, as a kid, go and see their shows (he later sung their praises, both literally and figuratively).

With the Beach Boys, you can hear Chuck Berry’s guitar in their rhythm, you can hear Elvis’ voice in the timbre of their vocals, but the vocal construction and arrangements are something they have taken from the Four Freshmen and trad pop not from rock. Elvis’ vocals and vocal backing (The Jordanaires, The Sweet Inspirations, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps) was from a different place altogether, from white and black southern gospel, not from Tin Pan Alley.

The Four Freshmen formed the bridge between '40s ensembles like The Mel-Tones and harmony-based rock & roll bands such as the Beach Boys.

It was on albums, though, “that the quartet also showed itself to be a very smart outfit, not just in musical terms but logistically as well. Rather than simply doing any 12 songs that might have been working well in its stage act, the group made these releases into conceptual works, either musically (built around the sounds achieved by combinations of the group's sound and specific accompaniments, such as Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones, Four Freshmen and Five Guitars, etc.) or as thematic arrays of songs (such as Voices in Love and Voices in Latin)”. http://www.singers.com/group/Four-Freshmen/

For a while (up till the mid-60s) The Four Freshmen (and other mid-level trad pop acts) managed to stay competitive with rock acts but the rapid changes in music overtook them (as it did even newer acts from half a decade previous) meaning they weren’t on the cutting edge of music, commercially or artistically, and ended up in the (much maligned) easy listening section of the record store.

But the music was still being made and there was a market.

Only in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, could you get away with this music, albeit, with marginal sales.

Outside the novelty song the hostile mainstream musical environment of today doesn’t allow for musical shadings from the past, retro or old sounds.

But in the 60s the market was treated as one big market and you could have trad pop, sitting next to rock and country on the same compilation.

The music may make you chuckle, or may annoy you, when you when the act attempts a wrongheaded cover of one of your favourite songs. Perhaps though, instead of thinking, “this is awful”, you may put yourself in the shoes of four middle aged doing a Beatles, Box Tops or Sly and the Family Stone song …

Was it for love of the song, or for money, or for a bit of both?

It doesn’t matter.

If music is entertainment, as I would say it is, and a large percentage of it must be then there is room for this.

Not every song has to be a bic lighter in the air or something that “moves” you or “changes your life”.

Some things can just entertain, ease the mind or make you tap your toe.

There has to be room for entertainment.

And, a trad pop, easy listening or exotic cover of a rock tune is always going to be more interesting than just another straight rock cover, isn’t it?

It is to me.

Here the Four Freshmen have updated their harmonies to keep pace with a generation of rock and pop acts. They tackle contemporary hits with energy and a professionalism sometimes missing from their ragged rock friends. The songs are not looked down on and the vocal arrangements are sharp.

They sound like the Beach Boys singing easy listening jazz.

The album is arranged, conducted and produced by American jazz pianist and songwriter Mike Melvoin who was born in 1937 so was more in tune with what was going on, perhaps. The musical arrangements are at a crossroad between trad pop and late 60s funk (the lines notes namecheck Blood Sweat and tears and Chicago (Transit Authority). At times the vocals are rivalled sonically by the instrumentation, but, that perhaps was asign of the electified pop times of the late 60s.

This is big sounding but still easy on the ears.

My secret fantasy, well, one of my secret fantasies, is to have a coffee shop / bar that only plays trad pop and easy listening covers of rock and pop tunes as background.

Now that is chill out music.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

• It's Not Unusual – (Gordon Mills-Les Reed) – Tom Jones’ 1964 hit (#10US, #1UK). An insistent funky back beat is more full and lush than in the original (and perhaps better). This is an excellent version.
• Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da – (John Lennon – Paul McCartney) – The Beatles nonsense song, released as a single all over the place, though not in the US or UK. Marmalade had a #1 with it in the UK. The material suits trad pop though the vocals aren't all that adventurous.
• Faces – (Matthew Moore) – This is a bit more obscure.  Matthew Moore is an American singer and songwriter who played in the group “The Moon” from 1967 to 1969, and with whom he recorded two albums. This is off the "Without Earth" album (1968). Not too bad but low key.
• A Man And A Woman – (Francis Lai, Jerry Keller, Pierre Barouh) – From the hit French film of the same title (1966). The theme song became quite popular. Lyrics were added by Barouh, I assume the English translation is by Keller. The right amount of joyous bombast.
• Cry Like A Baby – (Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham) – the Box Tops #2 US hit from 1968. Frantic and perhaps not right in mood.
• Bitter Honey – (Paul Williams, Roger Nichols) – Another obscure one. Sunshine pop, co-written and recorded by Paul Williams for his group "The Holy Mackeral" (1968). There is also a cover from 1969 by The Four Fuller Brothers. Great fun.

Side Two

• Everyday People – (Sylvester Stewart) – a #1 US hit for funk pop Sly and the Family Stone in 1968. Wonderful and a song that captures the essence of the original.
• Memphis – (Chuck Berry) – Chuck Berry released this in 1959 but it charted in the UK (#6) in 1963 at the same time as UK group "Dave Berry and the Cruisers" #19 UK hit. Johnny Rivers’ version of the song was a #2 US hit in 1964 and Elvis recorded it in 1963 (released 1965). Another winner, Staccato-ish vocals with a jazzy organ and funky horns.
• A Time For Love – (Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster) – First recorded by Jackie Ward (1966) the song was written for the movie "An American Dream" (1966) for which the writers received a Best Song Oscar nomination. Although the song never charted, it has been covered by many jazz musicians, including Vic Damone and Tony Bennett (both 1966). Haunting though it would have worked more as a solo song (though there is a partial solo lead here)
• Put A Little Love In Your Heart – (Jackie DeShannon, Jimmy Holiday, Randy Myer) – Jackie deShannon’s #4 US hit from 1969. Very good.
• I Will Wait For You – (Michel Legrand, Norman Gimbel) – this is the English version of "Je ne pourrai jamais vivre sans toi", a song from the French film musical “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (1964). The English lyrics of the song were written by Norman Gimbel which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song at the 38th Academy Awards in 1966. The song has been covered by many vocalists including Bobby Darin, Trini Lopez, Connie Francis, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis (all 1966), The Walker Brothers, Andy Williams (both 1967), Chris Montez (1968).
• Hey Jude – (John Lennon – Paul McCartney) – the Beatles US, UK (and pretty much worldwide) #1 hit from 1968. Good with insistent big horns and vocals. It's strange how many covers of this song go for the bombastic approach (which the original only hinted at). This has more in common with the Tom Jones (1969) and later Elvis (1972) versions than the Beatles original.

Song Links

It's Not Unusual – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_Not_Unusual

Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ob-La-Di,_Ob-La-Da

Faces 

A Man And A Woman 

Cry Like A Baby  – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cry_Like_a_Baby

Bitter Honey   

Everyday People – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyday_People

Memphis  – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis,_Tennessee_(song)

A Time For Love – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Will_Wait_for_You

Put A Little Love In Your Heart I Will Wait For You  –https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Put_a_Little_Love_in_Your_Heart

I Will Wait For You – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Will_Wait_for_You

Hey Jude –  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Jude

And …

Undervalued and perfect for parties … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Nothing no where.

Sounds

Complete album

Side One

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_37_jJeVXs

Side Two

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rly6lvf71VA

Everyday People 

mp3 attached

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4NafK3NFhA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IXD3coJtzY

Review

https://outsiderandacidfolkrecordsyouneed.wordpress.com/tag/the-four-freshmen-different-strokes-1968/

Bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Freshmen

https://web.archive.org/web/20160117141004/http://www.vocalgroup.org/inductees/the_four_freshman.html

http://www.singers.com/group/Four-Freshmen/

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/467785/last-original-member-of-four-freshmen-dies

interview with bob Flanigan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM2OJzeGfFk

Website

https://www.fourfreshmen.com/

https://t-rexsoftware.com/FFS/

https://www.facebook.com/TheFourFreshmen/

Trivia

• Performers, The Four Freshmen – Bill Comstock, Bob Flanigan, Ken Albers, Ross Barbour
• “Vocal music is a type of music performed by one or more singers, either with instrumental accompaniment, or without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella), in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music (e.g. the wordless women's choir in the final movement of Holst's The Planets) as is music without singing. Music without any non-vocal instrumental accompaniment is referred to as a cappella … Vocal music typically features sung words called lyrics, although there are notable examples of vocal music that are performed using non-linguistic syllables, sounds, or noises, sometimes as musical onomatopoeia. A short piece of vocal music with lyrics is broadly termed a song … Vocal music is probably the oldest form of music, since it does not require any instrument besides the human voice. All musical cultures have some form of vocal music”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocal_music
• “Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1930s–present), is a style of a cappella close harmony, or unaccompanied vocal music, characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. Each of the four parts has its own role: generally, the lead sings the melody, the tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completes the chord, usually below the lead. The melody is not usually sung by the tenor or baritone, except for an infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, in tags or codas, or when some appropriate embellishment can be created. One characteristic feature of barbershop harmony is the use of what is known as "snakes" and "swipes." This is when a chord is altered by a change in one or more non-melodic voices. Occasional passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbershop_music
• “It's an astute characterization. It has been repeatedly documented how strong an influence on Brian Wilson The Freshmen's harmonies were. As Wilson put it, "I got so into the Four Freshman…I worked for a year on the Four Freshmen with my high-fi set. I eventually learned every song they did." By the same token, the sound of the Beach Boys, the music of the Golden State at its peak, is something the Baby Boomers grew up on, even if they never really focused on standards, much less jazz. That demographic—the Boomers— is now a prime target for the Freshmen. They can focus on their sound and its traditional close harmonies without being wedded to a particular genre or to an audience that has now largely disappeared. As if to close the circle, Wilson still drops by Freshmen appearances when they are in Southern California. The Freshmen return the favor by adding their cover of "Little Surfer Girl." It's an ingenious way of summarizing a half century of the group's history”. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-four-freshmen-tradition-and-innovation-in-a-new-century-the-four-freshmen-by-richard-j-salvucci.php?pg=2

I like my trad pop.

What is trad pop?

Loosely described, mainstream music from the 1930s though to the rise of rock n roll. Though, it existed before the 30s and continued into the 1970s. For more see the link below.

Trad pop’s peak predates me though all the stars of the genre were around when I was a kid and teen … Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Guy Mitchell, Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Tony Bennett (still around) etc.

It was a music I didn’t mind listening to as a kid though its access was, mainly, through the television set whilst watching old movies from the 40s, 50s, and 60s.

And, I enjoyed it.

And, why shouldn’t I?

Let’s ask, what is the purpose of music?

A google of that question leads to various nob end opinions (yes, I know I deliver opinions also):

https://www.quora.com/What-purpose-does-music-serve

"Music's purpose is to express and modulate emotions. We use it to soothe, psych up, woo, enrage, sadden and cheer each other, or ourselves. Music is an especially important tool for bonding with and caring for infants. They may not understand the semantic content of language, but they understand the emotional content of music just fine. In preliterate societies, music was also essential as a mnemonic device. It's much easier to remember information if it's in song form. Even now, if we have to remember a phone number or address, we usually unconsciously sing it to ourselves".

"The "One Answer": It makes people happy. The "more than one" answer: It has no purpose at all. At least not a clear-defined one. It's a kind of expression. It's not utilitarian. I'm a musician and I make music because I like the feeling of making it. In fact, it cannot be explained. Communication and expression are similar, but are not the same. Words are for communication. Music (and art in general) is for expression. It can make us feel "bigger than what we are".

"The purpose of music is twofold, with both functional and metaphysical components: 1) To create meaning through the organization of sound. 2) To align one’s consciousness with the original source of creative energy flowing throughout the universe".

"Schoppenhauer claimed that music is the channel through which we can understand the essence of reality.  He prescribed a specific type of mindset to be adopted in order to benefit from music's power.  I know he talks about this in his The World as Will and Representation, Vol. 1, though I am not sure where else he talks about it".

"I would now like to present my brief views on the theme, and invite your comments on the same as well. I completely agree with the point that artistic expression goes beyond the very everyday notion of communication. When this question had first come to me, over 3 years back, I had a hard time scratching beneath the surface beyond this, i.e., looking at why it is that the artiste wishes to express – and also, what … From where I see this space (i.e. completely as an appreciative observer, what we call a rasik in India), music allows the self to experience higher/ more refined levels of emotion. Not only does the artiste express himself more lucidly, but the impact on the observer can be equally profound. Personally, I tend to find lyrics rather restrictive (relatively), given the presence of words – which can only mean so much, and little else. That's possibly why I am more inclined towards instrumental pieces. Interestingly enough, lyrics in an unknown language can work just as well sometimes!"

"It's a gift that humans share.. music is eternal and is boundless by boundaries of nation, religion etc.. When a beat is played you can see little children dancing… I think it is innate ability of humans to recognize a tune which at that moment is coherent with their emotions or situation thus making experience of listening to music a relaxing as well as natural experience.."

These are all right, though the "artists" responses are looking at what music means to them not what it means to a listener (quite egocentric, not surprisingly) … and a bit wankerish … I would have thought it's also a good way to make money, and meet girls also.

Oddly, no one mentioned music is good for dancing.

In any event I'm more concerned about what music means to the listener at home. To me it is many of the things listed above but it also works on the emotions and can also transport you to another time and another place.

Trad Pop does that.

As a music the best of Trad Pop is up there with the best of any music style. But, to me, it is undeniable that there is an element of the music which transports me back to when I was a kid watching those old movies on television on weekends.

And just like comfort food there is comfort music.

I may have been listening to AC/DC or Suzi Quatro in the charts (and they do bring some remembrance comfort (now)) but, as I get older, the melodies, instrumentations and expressive vocals of Trad Pop displace some of my other youthful music loves.

I mean, isn’t that what is supposed to happen?

Or, will you be playing Black Sabbath at 11 on the volume button when you are 80?

The Four Aces were big in the 1950s but are largely forgotten nowadays.

Wikipedia, “The Four Aces are an American male traditional pop music quartet, popular since the 1950s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records … The original members, responsible for every song made popular by the group, included Al Alberts, Dave Mahoney, Lou Silvestri, and Rosario "Sod" Vaccaro … Alberts went to South Philadelphia High School and Temple University, and served in the United States Navy, where he met Mahoney. Originally, Alberts sang with Mahoney playing behind him, and later they added Vaccaro on trumpet and Silvestri on drums. They played locally in the Philadelphia area, and Alberts started his own record label, Victoria Records, when they could not find a distributor to release their first record, "(It's No) Sin". It sold a million copies, and Decca Records soon signed the group, billing them as The Four Aces featuring Al Alberts … Alberts left the group in 1958 to try to make it as a soloist, but never made the charts. He was replaced as lead singer by Fred Diodati, who had attended South Philadelphia High School a few years after Alberts. After Alberts had left the group, Mahoney and Vaccaro also left. Silvestri never left the group, but led three new members: Diodati, Tony Alesi, and Joe Giglio. The Original Aces later asked Silvestri to rejoin the original group, and he did … It was then that Diodati led a new line-up, which consisted of Diodati, Alesi, Giglio, and Harry Heisler. After almost 19 years with the group, Alesi developed a medical condition that forced him to leave the group. As of 2013 the Four Aces members are Diodati, Giglio, Heisler, and Danny Colingo. These members sing all the songs the original Four Aces had made popular at one time … In 1975, Diodati, Alesi, Giglio, and Heisler were awarded the right to the name in a court suit in which the original members tried to re-establish their right. The court allowed the founding members to tour as "The Original Four Aces, Featuring Al Alberts", which they did, finally retiring the act in 1987. Diodati, Giglio, Heisler, and Colingo continue to legally use the name of the Four Aces and perform the songs made popular by the Original Four Aces”.

They were part of the Philadelphia (and, then, universally common) musical tradition of working class kids, and working class ethnic kids, going into music to make a living.

To wit, The Four Aces: Al Alberts (born Al Albertini), Dave Mahoney, Lou Silvestri, and Rosario "Sod" Vaccaro … three Italians and an Irishman.

Later Harry Heisler joined, a Jewish kid.

Why?

You had to get a job, there were limited opportunities, and singing was better than most jobs so why not do that?

After all music was in the air.

With limited entertainment opportunities, easily accessible and regularly performed music was, a part of life.

In the 50s the Four Aces had two #1s, another eight Top 10s, and another 21 Top 40s. Of course it was all about product in those days but that is till impressive.

This album is a double bonus for me. As I have said elsewhere I love the movies, so The Four Aces doing film songs is a cold drink on a hot day for me. Some of the songs were used in the films so this album is a bit of a hodgepodge of tracks (as was common at the time) recorded over a three year period linked by the movie themes theme.

Their vocals are clean and sweet (and beautifully harmonious) and, luckily, the orchestrations avoid the saccharine. I should say some of it sounds quite saccharine but it is less saccharine that it could have been.

The backing is by Jack Pleis and His Orchestra. Pleis was also a Philadelphia native and a jazz pianist, conductor and arranger.

The arrangements accentuate the emotional themes of the songs while the vocals provide the narrative. So the (mainly) romantic songs have uber romantic sounds, whilst the vocals provide the story of the subject lovers or, in the case of this album, summarise film’s story line.

Tracks (best in italics)

            Side One

• Around The World – (H. Adamson, V. Young) –  nicely sung
• Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing – (Webster, Fain) –   other worldly and it will have you believing wholeheartedly that "Love is a Many Splendored Thing.". Wonderful.
• Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) – the gender has been switched in the song (and I don't mean as part of some transgenderism)  but this is better to suited to a female. It's a great song but it will always be Doris Day's song.
• Written On The Wind – (S. Cahn, V. Young) – so so.
• Secret Love – (P. Webster, S. Fain) –  A great song (you will hear yourself singing it in the shower) and it works here though the original by Doris Day is still the best. Interestingly there is an in joke that the song has homosexual (specifically lesbian) overtones being sung by the butch Calamity Jane. Clearly the Four Aces weren't in on the joke. I think the joke is wishful thinking based around the word "secret" (and the fact that Doris Day later made a series of films with Rock Hudson). Songwriters Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster were not gay. Neither was Doris Day. Neither was the character Calamity Jane. A case of reinvention perhaps.
• A Woman In Love – (Frank Loesser) –   quite good but it works better in the context of the original film.

      Side Two

• Tammy – (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) – a gerat song. Romantic pap it is, perhaps, but it is well sung.
• Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) – (Tiomkin, Webster) – I prefer this done with a solo voice. The song doesn't lend itself to the quartet, well, not to my ears. 
• True Love – (Cole Porter) –  another great song sung perfectly though not as good as Bing Crosby's original or the Elvis cover.
• Three Coins In The Fountain – (Styne, Cahn) – symphonic, heavily emotional romance. It works.
• Hi-Lili Hi Lo – (B. Kaper, H. Deutsch) –  a nonsense title and refrain but quite catchy.
• To Love Again – (Sidney, Stoloff, Washington) –  Another worldly romantic song, Quite fitting given that the subject person, Eddy Duchin, of the film, dies young.

The films

• Around The World – from the film "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1956) – originally, an instrumental in the film. Bing Crosby  had the vocal hit with it in 1957 (#25 US, #5 UK) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Around_the_World_(1956_song)
• Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing – from the film "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing" (1955) – an instrumental in the film The Four Aces had the vocal hit with it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Is_a_Many-Splendored_Thing_(song)
• Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) – from the film "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956) – Doris Day sang it in the film and had the hit with it in 1956 (#2US, #1UK). It has been often recorded. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Que_Sera,_Sera_(Whatever_Will_Be,_Will_Be)
• Written On The Wind – from the film "Written on the Wind" (1956) – I believe The Four Aces were the first to do a vocal track to the theme.
• Secret Love – from the film "Calamity Jane" (1953) – Doris Day sang in the 1953 film and had the hit with it (#1 US). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Love_(Doris_Day_song)
• A Woman In Love – from the film "Guys and Dolls" (1955) – The Four Aces had the hit with it in 1955 just before (?) the film was released. The stage production had been a big hit and the film came out shortly after (?) The Four Aces released their single. Marlon Brando sang it in the film. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Woman_in_Love
• Tammy – from the film "Tammy and the Bachelor" (1957) – Debbie Reynolds sang it in the film and had the hit with it (#1 US, #2Uk, 1957). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammy_(song)
• Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) – from the film "The Friendly Persuasion" (1956) – Pat Boone cut a version in 1956 that made the charts (#5US, #3UK). The Four Aces recorded it later that year (I believe). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_Persuasion_(song)
• True Love –   from the film "High Society" (1956) – Bing Crosby sang it (with Grace Kelly) in the film and had the hit with it (#4US, #4UK). Often recorded, including Elvis Presley in 1957, and Ricky Nelson, also 1957. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Love_(Cole_Porter_song)
• Three Coins In The Fountain – from the film "Three Coins in the Fountain" (1954) – the song was recorded by Frank Sinatra and used in the film (he did not appear in it) and went to #1 in the UK. But, the Four Aces had the US hit with it in 1954 (#1US, #5UK). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Coins_in_the_Fountain_(song)
• Hi-Lili Hi Lo – from the film "Lili" (1953) – Leslie Caron sang it in the film from 1953 and it has been often recorded though no one had any great chart success with it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-Lili,_Hi-Lo
• To Love Again – from the film "The Eddy Duchin Story" (1956) – To love again was the theme from 'The Eddy Duchin story". It was a resetting of Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat major. Carmen Cavallaro recorded the piano soundtrack for the film. A lyric was written and The Four Aces then recorded a vocal track

And …

So many good songs. This will fit nicely into my trad pop collection. The local coffee shop should play this instead of their "chill out" music … I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US

Singles

1954 Three Coins in the Fountain #1

1955 Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing #1

1955 A Woman in Love #14

1956 To Love Again #43

1956 Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) #45

1956 Written on the Wind #61

Album

unknown

England

Singles

1954 Three Coins in the Fountain #5

1955 Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing #2

1955 A Woman in Love #19

1956 Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) #29

Album

unknown

Sounds

Around The World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyQIvikeiDA

Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing

mp3 attached (sorry for the overabundance of click, pop and crackle)

Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKF07ham_O4

Written On the Wind

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTZ42kNdn1E

Secret Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqqSukLq24A

A Woman in Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bF_fGWagVY

Tammy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmglwCPfqUU

Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YExBiSw1Zlo

True Love

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32SLKDldNcI

Three Coins In The Fountain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n4a_CCCoPA

Hi-Lili Hi Lo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9oOXPs__U8

To Love Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0lieAteyxs

Others

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HveyC6_6fM

an ad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHQeJLREANM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT-MbgGLVsM

Review

—

Bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Four_Aces

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Alberts

http://www.singers.com/group/Four-Aces/

They are playing though not originals

http://www.thefouraces.org/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Pleis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_pop_music

Website

http://www.thefouraces.org/

Trivia

• Orchestra by the jazz pianist, arranger, conductor, composer and producer Jack Pleis – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Pleis