{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox album | name = Sing Away the World | type = studio | artist = [[Ed Ames]] | cover = File:Sing Away the World by Ed Ames LP.png | released = {{start date|1970|06}} | studio = RCA's Music Center of the World, [[Hollywood, California]] | genre = [[Pop music|Pop]]<ref name="Billboard Review" /> | label = [[RCA Records|RCA Victor]] | producer = [[Jim Foglesong]] | prev_title = [[Love of the Common People (Ed Ames album)|Love of the Common People]] | prev_year = 1969 | next_title = This Is Ed Ames | next_year = 1970 | misc = {{Singles | name = Sing Away the World | type = studio | single1 = [[Three Good Reasons (song)|Three Good Reasons]] | single1date = March 1970 }} }} '''''Sing Away the World''''' is a [[studio album]] by American pop singer [[Ed Ames]]. It was released in June 1970 via [[RCA Records|RCA Victor]] and was the sixteenth studio album of his career. ''Sing Away the World'' contained 11 tracks, including the single "[[Three Good Reasons (song)|Three Good Reasons]]", which reached the top-40 of the [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|''Billboard'' Easy Listening]] chart. The album received positive reviews from several contemporary publications and became one of Ames's final charting releases.
== Background and recording == Ed Ames had been a recording artist for the RCA Victor label since the 1950s, during his time in the [[Ames Brothers]] vocal group. In 1966, his solo career took off with the hit "[[My Cup Runneth Over (song)|My Cup Runneth Over]]".<ref name="Pop Songs" /> He continued to have hit singles and best-selling albums. The songs for ''Sing Away the World'' were recorded at RCA's Music Center of the World, located in [[Hollywood, California]]. All of them were produced by [[Jim Foglesong]].<ref name="Liner Notes">{{cite AV media |last1=Ames |first1=Ed |title=''Sing Away the World'' (Disc Information) |journal=[[RCA Records|RCA Victor]] |date=June 1970 |id=LSP-4381 (Stereo)}}</ref> [[Arrangements]] were provided by [[Jimmie Haskell]] and [[Perry Botkin Jr.]].<ref name="Liner Notes" />
== Content and release == Most of its tracks were covers of songs that made America's ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Pop music|pop]] music chart. This included [[Dionne Warwick]]'s "[[I'll Never Fall in Love Again]]", [[Vanity Fare]]'s "[[Early in the Morning (Vanity Fare song)|Early in the Morning]]", [[Simon & Garfunkel]]'s "[[Bridge over Troubled Water (song)|Bridge over Troubled Water]]", and [[B. J. Thomas]]'s "[[Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head]]".<ref name="Pop Songs">{{cite book |last1=Whitburn |first1=Joel |title=Joel Whitburn, Top Pop Singles 1955-1999 |date=2000 |publisher=Record Research |location=Menomonee Falls, WI |page=various}}</ref> "Sing Away the World" was a new song and was chosen as the title track. "Honey, What's the Matter?" was an Ames original as well.<ref name="honey" /> "Adios Amor (Goodbye My Love)" was a [[ballad]] written by singer [[Dusty Springfield]].<ref name="Liner Notes" />
''Sing Away the World'' was originally released in June 1970 by RCA Victor.<ref name="Releasemonth">{{cite magazine |title=Billboard: New Album Releases (Popular) |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=June 6, 1970 |page=23 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1970/1970-06-06-Billboard-Page-0023.pdf#search=%22ed%20ames%20sing%20the%20world%20away%22| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230210143043/https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1970/1970-06-06-Billboard-Page-0023.pdf#search=%22ed%20ames%20sing%20the%20world%20away%22 |archive-date=February 10, 2023 |access-date=April 30, 2026}}</ref> It was the sixteenth studio album of Ames's career, and also the first of the year. The label originally offered it as a [[Gramophone record|vinyl LP]], with six songs on "Side A" and five songs on "Side B".<ref name="Liner Notes"/> Decades later, the album was re-released for streaming to digital sites.<ref name="Apple">{{cite web |title=''Sing Away the World'' by Ed Ames |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/sing-away-the-world/1545707396 |website=[[Apple Music]] |access-date=May 1, 2026}}</ref>
== Critical reception == The album was given a positive review from ''[[Record World]]'' magazine following its original release. The publication noted that "Ames with that big, sincere voice of his does right by 'Sing Away the World,' 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' 'I'll Never Fall in Love Again,' 'What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,' 'Until It's Time for You to Go,'" calling it a "Hot album."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Album Reviews: Pick Hits |magazine=[[Record World]] |date=June 20, 1970 |page=10 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-06-20.pdf |volume=25 |issue=1201 |access-date=April 30, 2026}}</ref> ''[[The Daily Breeze]]'' believed that on ''Sing Away the World'' "Ames has the emotional quality to project a song, but he also has a great voice. Not many can claim both". They described his voice as "booming" and stated that he continued to take on "new depth" and "feel" with each album.<ref name="Breeze">{{cite news |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=June 14, 1970 |title=Album Reviews: Ed Ames on ''Sing Away the World'' |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1096841552/?match=5&terms=ed%20ames%20sing%20away%20the%20world |location=[[Torrance, California]] |work=[[The Daily Breeze]] |access-date=April 30, 2026 |page=45 |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine said that "Ames has wrapped up another solid package of hit pop songs. He's fit the songs into his own vocal mold and they take on a new and freshly effective meaning." They stated that "He's got a stirring version of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' a lilting 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head' and a romantic 'Two Different Worlds,' which are a sampling of the variety of styles he handles so well here."<ref name="Billboard Review">{{cite magazine |title=Album Reviews: A Spotlight Pick |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=June 20, 1970 |page=57 |volume=82 |issue=25 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1970/1970-06-20-Billboard-Page-0057.pdf#search=%22sing%20away%20the%20world%20ed%20ames%22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260518160108/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1970/1970-06-20-Billboard-Page-0057.pdf#search=%22sing%20away%20the%20world%20ed%20ames%22 |archive-date=May 18, 2026 |access-date=April 30, 2026}}</ref> ''[[Santa Barbara News-Press]]'' said that Ames is "at his best" on the album, noting that he's "got the power and the range and the quality all displayed".<ref name="Record">{{cite news |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=June 20, 1970 |title=Ed Ames's latest release: ''Sing Away the World'', review. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1191753698/?match=4&terms=ed%20ames%20sing%20away%20the%20world |location=[[Santa Barbara, California]] |work=[[Santa Barbara News-Press]] |access-date=April 30, 2026 |page=4 |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
== Chart performance and singles == ''Sing Away the World'' debuted on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine's [[Billboard 200|Top LP's]] chart in the issue dated July 11, 1970, peaking at No. 194 during a two-week run on the chart.<ref name="Whitburn" /> It was his second-to-last charting album.<ref name="Whitburn" />
One lead single was included on ''Sing Away the World''. "[[Three Good Reasons (song)|Three Good Reasons]]" was first released by RCA Victor as a single in March 1970.<ref name="honey">{{cite AV media |last1=Ames |first1=Ed |title="Three Good Reasons"/"Honey, What's the Matter?" (7" vinyl single) |journal=[[RCA Records|RCA Victor]] |date=March 1970 |id=74-0329}}</ref> It became a top-40 single on America's ''Billboard'' [[Adult contemporary (chart)|adult contemporary]] chart, rising to the number 28 position.<ref name="Adult">{{Cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |url=https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnpres0000whit/page/10/mode/2up |title=Joel Whitburn presents Billboard top adult songs, 1961-2006 |date=2007 |publisher=Menomonee Falls, Wis. : Record Research Inc. |isbn=978-0-89820-169-7 |pages=10 |access-date=April 30, 2026 |url-access=registration}}</ref> {{Clear}}
==Track listing==
{{track listing | headline = Side one<ref name="Liner Notes"/><ref name="Apple"/> | title1 = Sing Away the World | writer1 = {{hlist|Badale|[[Barry Mann|Mann]]}} | length1 = 3:01 | title2 = [[Bridge over Troubled Water (song)|Bridge over Troubled Water]] | writer2 = [[Paul Simon|Simon]] | length2 = 3:22 | title3 = [[I'll Never Fall in Love Again]] | writer3 = {{hlist|[[Burt Bacharach|Bacharach]]|[[Hal David|David]]}} | length3 = 3:03 | title4 = Honey, What's the Matter? | writer4 = {{hlist|Jones|Green}} | length4 = 3:20 | title5 = [[Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head]] | writer5 = {{hlist|[[Burt Bacharach|Bacharach]]|[[Hal David|David]]}} | length5 = 2:15 | title6 = [[Until It's Time for You to Go]] | writer6 = [[Buffy Sainte-Marie|B. St. Marie]] | length6 = 3:30 }}
{{track listing | headline = Side two<ref name="Liner Notes"/><ref name="Apple"/> | title1 = [[Early in the Morning (Vanity Fare song)|Early in the Morning]] | writer1 = {{hlist|Seago|[[Mike Leander|Leander]]}} | length1 = 3:00 | title2 = [[What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?]] | writer2 = {{hlist|[[Alan Bergman|A. Bergman]]|[[Marilyn Bergman|M. Bergman]]|[[Michel Legrand|Legrand]]}} | length2 = 3:04 | title3 = [[Three Good Reasons (song)|Three Good Reasons]] | writer3 = {{hlist|[[Geoff Stephens|Stephens]]|[[Les Reed (songwriter)|Reed]]}} | length3 = 2:55 | title4 = Adios Amor (Goodbye My Love) | writer4 = {{hlist|Newell|[[Dusty Springfield|Springfield]]}} | length4 = 2:44 | title5 = Two Different Worlds | writer5 = {{hlist|Frisch|Wayne}} | length5 = 2:55 }}
== Charts == {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+Chart peaks for ''Sing Away the World'' |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1970) ! scope="col"| Peak<br /> position |- ! scope="row" | US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' Top LP's]]<ref name="Whitburn">{{cite book | last = Whitburn | first = Joel | title = Top LPs, 1945–1972 | year = 1973 | publisher = Record Research | page = 10 | url = https://archive.org/details/joelwhitburnstoplp00whit/page/10/mode/2up | lccn = 74075179 |url-access=registration | access-date = April 30, 2026}}</ref> | 194 |- |}
== Personnel == All credits are adapted from the [[liner notes]] of ''Sing Away the World''.<ref name="Liner Notes" />
* [[Ed Ames]] – vocals * [[Jim Foglesong]] – producer * [[Jimmie Haskell]] – arranger, conductor * [[Perry Botkin Jr.]] – arranger, conductor * [[Ken Whitmore]] – photography * Steve Francisco – technician
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Ed Ames}}
[[Category:1970 albums]] [[Category:Ed Ames albums]] [[Category:RCA Victor albums]]