{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} [[File:Four Esquires 1957.jpg|thumb|The group in 1957]]
'''The Four Esquires''' were an American vocal quartet from [[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]], United States.<ref name="Larkin50">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Fifties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2002|edition=Third|isbn=1-85227-937-0|page=148}}</ref> The original four members were all students at the [[Boston University]]. Following the completion of their studies, they were signed in March 1956 by [[London Records]]. Their version of "Look Homeward Angel" was notable, but any possibility of a chart entry was snuffed out by [[Johnnie Ray]]'s version of the same track.<ref name="Larkin50"/>
They did have two [[hit record|hit]] [[single (music)|singles]] in the United States in the late 1950s, both on Paris Records.<ref name="Larkin50"/> The first, "[[Love Me Forever (Four Esquires song)|Love Me Forever]]", featured [[orchestra]]l backing by [[Sid Bass (songwriter)|Sid Bass]] with vocal enhancement from a female session vocalist (Rosemary June), and peaked at No. 25 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in 1957.<ref name=whitburn>[[Joel Whitburn]], ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits''. 7th edn, 2000</ref> It also reached No. 23 on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 209}}</ref> In the US, [[Eydie Gormé]]'s cover charted higher, whilst in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] it was outsold by [[Marion Ryan]]'s version.<ref name="Larkin50"/> The Four Esquires second hit, "Hideaway", had orchestral accompaniment by [[Richard Hayman]], and peaked at No. 21 in the US in 1958.<ref name=whitburn/>
In 1963, the group performed a vocal [[cover version]] of the "[[James Bond Theme]]". They disbanded shortly afterwards.<ref name="Larkin50"/>
==Members== *Bill Courtney *Frank Mahoney (Francis Mahony; died 2007;{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} served in [[World War II]] as interpreter; active in [[Alcoholics Anonymous]] in Boston area from early 1980s through 2007) *[[Wally Gold]] (died June 7, 1998) *Bob Golden aka Robert Colligan<ref name="Larkin50"/> *William Powers
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Four Esquires, The}} [[Category:Musical groups from Boston]] [[Category:Apex Records artists]] [[Category:American vocal groups]] [[Category:Vocal quartets]]