Memories: Ed Ames and Carmine D’Amico
Carmine was working with many different performers as a guitarist at Westbury Music Fair in Westbury Long Island, New York. It had a beautiful stage that turned very slowly in a circle so that everyone would get a chance to see the performer facing them. Carmine was very lucky and priviledged to meet Ed Ames at this very famous theatre.
Ed Ames then very busy with his television show, “Daniel Boone” where he played Mingo the Indian.
Ed Ames was offered a contract to appear at the Theater in the Round, which was the Westbury Music Fair. During this time Ed had returned to singing. Before his Daniel Boone show he used to perform with his brothers “The Ames Brothers”. His first solo major hit was “Try to Remember”. Ed gives his appearance on the “Johnny Carson Show” singing this song which gave him much of the credit for helping in its popularity. Ed’s singing and the song was such a hit Ed came back every night for the rest of the week to sing another song. This naturally leads to the legendary performance on “the Carson Show” of April 29, 1965. Ed showing of his expertise with a tomahawk, threw it at a silhouette of a man. The tomahawk landed squarely in the outlined crotch. After much laughter (still considered by many as the longest in TV history). Carson turned to Ed and said, “I didn’t even know you were Jewish.”
Carmine was called to play guitar for Ames at the Theatre In The Round. After Ed Ames had completed his concert obligations he personally asked Carmine if he would perform live through out the United States as his personal guitarist, then Carmine answered of course, he was honored. Carmine performed with him in Las Vegas, Reno, San Francisco, Denver Colorado, Seattle Washington, Portland Oregan and Van Couver B.C., After all of these performances Ed asked Carmine to perform with him and reside in Los Angeles,California. Carmine did move to Los Angeles and worked with Ed at the Hollywood Bowl.
They played the Joey Bishop Show (co-host Regis Philbin)
and that started Carmine receiving phone calls to play on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh In and movie dates.
Carmine remained in Los Angeles for about a year. Ed Ames got called to co-host the Mike Douglas Show in Philadelphia PA. The musical director for the Mike Douglas show was Joe Harnell (composer of Fly Me To The Moon) Carmine did the week with Ed and asked to continue on the show as staff guitarist. Carmine accepted the offer and remained there for 10 years.
Ed asked Carmine to go back to New York with him and record on two of his albums. “Try To Remember” and “My Cup Runneth Over” at RCA Studios stand out in Carmine’s memories to this day. Recording both albums took 3 days for Carmine to accomplish and then Carmine returned to Philadelphia for the Mike Douglas show. Carmine would take off time from the Mike Douglas Show as a staff guitarist, in order to play in Los Angeles with Ed. Both Albums became Million sellers! Ed received Two Grammys for each album, in which Carmine also received Two Grammys for performing on both of Ed’s albums. What a wonderful year that was, these were Carmine’s very first Grammys and only the beginning for him. This was in the year of 1966. I love blogging about Carmine’s experiences, he has so many and I, myself find them so fascinating so stay tuned for more updates as I get them straight from the man himself, my husband Carmine D’Amico as he remembers them. =)
