The Lettermen
Encyclopedia
The Lettermen are an American male pop music vocal trio. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony
pop
song
s with light arrangement
s. The group started in 1959. They have had 16 Top 10 singles including one #1, 32 consecutive Billboard Magazine chart album
s, 11 gold records
, and five Grammy
nominations.
. They auditioned for Jackie Barnett, chief comedy writer for the Jimmy Durante
TV show. They landed the part to impersonate The Rhythm Boys
, the vocal group that traveled with Paul Whiteman
and his orchestra
in the late 1920s, and gave Bing Crosby
his initial fame. The "Newcomers of 1928" review opened on 28 February 1958 at the Desert Inn
in Las Vegas
, Nevada
. This review also starred Paul Whiteman, Buster Keaton
, Rudy Vallée
, Harry Richmond and Fifi D'Orsay
. They played to sell-out audiences and were held over for many weeks. This review also played a six week review at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach
, Florida
, with Butala being the only consistent Letterman. Barnett and Russell were replaced by Gary Clarke and Jerry Paul. When the review ended, Butala landed a job as singer/bass
player in a lounge group, "Bill Norvis and the Upstarts", with Gary Clarke. After a few months, Clarke left the group and was replaced by Jim Pike. Pike and Butala decided to leave the Upstarts and resume the Lettermen although they had not yet decided to use the Lettermen name. Pike envisioned a group where each member was an excellent soloist as well as a competent group singer. Pike recommended the third Letterman should be Bob Engemann, a singer that Pike had met when he attended Brigham Young University
a few years earlier (Pike and Engemann had come to Los Angeles
, California
, and had sung together, until Engemann had go into the National Guard for 6 months. By then, Pike had joined Bill Norvis and had met Butala). The combination of Butala, Pike, and Engemann first recorded
in late 1959.
They secured a recording contract
with Warner Bros. Records
through Bob Engemann's older brother, Karl Engemann, who was a record producer
there, and for whom Pike had released a record
earlier called "Lucy D", which was not successful. Pike, Butala and Engemann as "The Lettermen" released two singles
in 1960. The A-sides
were "Two Hearts" and "Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring". They were not successful. Karl Engemann moved on to Capitol Records
as President of A&R
. He got them out of their contract at Warner Bros., and made an appointment with Nick Venet
, a producer at Capitol and they were signed.
There was another "Lettermen" group in the late 1950s and early 1960s that recorded for Liberty Records
, (which was a major label
at the time). They were an R&B
group with five members, and their single was called "Hey Big Brain". But the "Lettermen" of Pike, Engemann and Butala had the first hit record
, so they were entitled to exclusively use the "Lettermen" name. There was also a group in the mid 1950s called The Lettermen Trio, but had no recording success.
The Lettermen were unknown until they signed with Capitol Records in 1961. Their first single for Capitol, "The Way You Look Tonight
," succeeded on the Billboard Hot 100
pop chart
. Their next, "When I Fall in Love
," reached the Top 10 in late 1962 and hit #1 on AC. They had several other Top 10 AC hits
, such as 1965's "Theme From A Summer Place
". In late 1967 Bob Engemann resigned, and was replaced by Jim Pike's younger brother, Gary Pike. The hits continued with the 1968 medley "Goin' Out of My Head
"/"Can't Take My Eyes Off You
", and in 1968 with "Put Your Head on My Shoulder
", plus 1969's "Hurt So Bad", which reached #12. The last successful single was in 1972, "Love", a solo by Pike.
The Lettermen have had 16 Top 10 singles including one #1, 32 consecutive Billboard Magazine chart album
s, 11 gold records
, five Grammy
nominations, an Andy Award, and a Cleo Award.
In 1976, Jim Pike left the group and sold the Lettermen name to Butala. In 1981 Gary Pike left the Lettermen, and today Jim and Gary Pike, along with Ric de Azevedo, sing The Lettermen hits, billed as "Reunion".
In 1961, The Lettermen started performing live concert
s doing over 100 shows a year, an unbroken string that continues to the present.
Over the decades, the group has had various line-ups, replacing members who left for various reasons with new people to maintain a trio
. Tony Butala, has stated that the group ethos is that of three strong soloists that harmonize, and that the group encourages individual singing and songwriting
. He has also stated that the current combination of members, which includes Donovan Tea and Mark Preston (first singing together from 1984 until 1988 and again since 2006) is the best combination of voices, and best sounding group since the original trio.
They pride themselves in welcoming audience member photograph
s during the show, unlike many recording acts
.
Among their many songs include renditions of several traditional Filipino
kundiman
s such as Dahil Sa Iyo
("Because of You"), Sapagkat Kami ay Tao Lamang ("For We are Only Human"). Their enunciation and pronunciation in the language has developed over the decades that they have interpreted these love songs.
Footnotes:
1"Son of Old Rivers," a parody
of "Old Rivers" by Walter Brennan
, was recorded by Butala, Engelmann, and Pike.
2"Turn Around, Look at Me," the b-side of "How Is Julie?," did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #5 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
chart.
3"Again" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #20 on the Bubbling Under chart.
4"Heartache Oh Heartache" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #22 on the Bubbling Under chart.
5"Allentown Jail" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #23 on the Bubbling Under chart.
6"Put Away Your Tear Drops" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #32 on the Bubbling Under chart.
7"Girl With a Little Tin Heart" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #35 on the Bubbling Under chart.
8"Sweet September" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #14 on the Bubbling Under chart.
9"Chanson D'Amour" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #12 on the Bubbling Under chart.
10"All the Grey Haired Men" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #9 on the Bubbling Under chart.
11"I Have Dreamed" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #29 on the Bubbling Under chart.
12"Hey Girl" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #4 on the Bubbling Under chart.
13The 1976 release of "The Way You Look Tonight" was a new disco version.
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s with light arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s. The group started in 1959. They have had 16 Top 10 singles including one #1, 32 consecutive Billboard Magazine chart album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, 11 gold records
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
, and five Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations.
History
The group was formed in late 1950s by Mike Barnett, Dick Stewart and Tony ButalaTony Butala
Tony Butala is an American singer. He has been the lead singer for the vocal group The Lettermen since 1958, and is the only original member left.-Early Life:...
. They auditioned for Jackie Barnett, chief comedy writer for the Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
TV show. They landed the part to impersonate The Rhythm Boys
The Rhythm Boys
The Rhythm Boys were a male singing trio consisting of Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker. Crosby and Rinker began performing together in 1925 and were recruited by Paul Whiteman in late 1926. Pianist/singer/songwriter Barris joined the team in 1927. They made a number of recordings with the...
, the vocal group that traveled with Paul Whiteman
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman was an American bandleader and orchestral director.Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz"...
and his orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
in the late 1920s, and gave Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
his initial fame. The "Newcomers of 1928" review opened on 28 February 1958 at the Desert Inn
Desert Inn
The Desert Inn was a Paradise, Nevada, hotel/casino that operated from April 24, 1950, to August 28, 2000. Designed by noted New York architect Jac Lessman, it was the fifth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The property included an 18-hole golf course. Locals nicknamed the resort "The D.I."...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. This review also starred Paul Whiteman, Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
, Rudy Vallée
Rudy Vallée
Rudy Vallée was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.-Early life:Born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée...
, Harry Richmond and Fifi D'Orsay
Fifi D'Orsay
-Biography:Born Marie-Rose Angelina Yvonne Lussier in Montreal, Quebec, as a young typist, filled with the desire to become an actress, she went to New York City. There, she found work in The Greenwich Village Follies after an audition in which she sang the song "Yes, We Have No Bananas' in French...
. They played to sell-out audiences and were held over for many weeks. This review also played a six week review at the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, with Butala being the only consistent Letterman. Barnett and Russell were replaced by Gary Clarke and Jerry Paul. When the review ended, Butala landed a job as singer/bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player in a lounge group, "Bill Norvis and the Upstarts", with Gary Clarke. After a few months, Clarke left the group and was replaced by Jim Pike. Pike and Butala decided to leave the Upstarts and resume the Lettermen although they had not yet decided to use the Lettermen name. Pike envisioned a group where each member was an excellent soloist as well as a competent group singer. Pike recommended the third Letterman should be Bob Engemann, a singer that Pike had met when he attended Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
a few years earlier (Pike and Engemann had come to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and had sung together, until Engemann had go into the National Guard for 6 months. By then, Pike had joined Bill Norvis and had met Butala). The combination of Butala, Pike, and Engemann first recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in late 1959.
They secured a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
through Bob Engemann's older brother, Karl Engemann, who was a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
there, and for whom Pike had released a record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
earlier called "Lucy D", which was not successful. Pike, Butala and Engemann as "The Lettermen" released two singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1960. The A-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
were "Two Hearts" and "Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring". They were not successful. Karl Engemann moved on to Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
as President of A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
. He got them out of their contract at Warner Bros., and made an appointment with Nick Venet
Nick Venet
Nick Venet was an American record producer who began his career at age 19 with World Pacific Jazz...
, a producer at Capitol and they were signed.
There was another "Lettermen" group in the late 1950s and early 1960s that recorded for Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
, (which was a major label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
at the time). They were an R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
group with five members, and their single was called "Hey Big Brain". But the "Lettermen" of Pike, Engemann and Butala had the first hit record
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, so they were entitled to exclusively use the "Lettermen" name. There was also a group in the mid 1950s called The Lettermen Trio, but had no recording success.
The Lettermen were unknown until they signed with Capitol Records in 1961. Their first single for Capitol, "The Way You Look Tonight
The Way You Look Tonight
"The Way You Look Tonight" is a song featured in the film Swing Time, originally performed by Fred Astaire. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. The song was sung to Ginger Rogers as Penelope "Penny" Carroll by Astaire's character of John "Lucky" Garnett while Penny was busy...
," succeeded on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
pop chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. Their next, "When I Fall in Love
When I Fall in Love (song)
"When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman . It was introduced in the film One Minute to Zero. The song has become a standard, with many artists recording it, though the original hit version was by Doris Day.Doris Day's recording was made on June 5, 1952...
," reached the Top 10 in late 1962 and hit #1 on AC. They had several other Top 10 AC hits
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
, such as 1965's "Theme From A Summer Place
Theme from A Summer Place
The "Theme from A Summer Place" is a song with lyrics by Mack Discant and music by Max Steiner, written for the 1959 film, A Summer Place, which starred Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue. It was recorded for the film by Hugo Winterhalter...
". In late 1967 Bob Engemann resigned, and was replaced by Jim Pike's younger brother, Gary Pike. The hits continued with the 1968 medley "Goin' Out of My Head
Goin' Out Of My Head
"Goin' Out of My Head" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein, initially recorded by Little Anthony & the Imperials in 1964. Randazzo, a childhood friend of the group, wrote the song especially for them, having also supplied the group with their previous Top 20 Hit "I'm On The...
"/"Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Can't Take My Eyes off You
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 single by Frankie Valli. The song was among Valli's biggest hits, reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold record. It was Valli's biggest "solo" hit until he hit #1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You"...
", and in 1968 with "Put Your Head on My Shoulder
Put Your Head on My Shoulder
"Put Your Head on My Shoulder" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka. Anka's version, released as a single in 1959, became very successful, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100....
", plus 1969's "Hurt So Bad", which reached #12. The last successful single was in 1972, "Love", a solo by Pike.
The Lettermen have had 16 Top 10 singles including one #1, 32 consecutive Billboard Magazine chart album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, 11 gold records
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
, five Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations, an Andy Award, and a Cleo Award.
In 1976, Jim Pike left the group and sold the Lettermen name to Butala. In 1981 Gary Pike left the Lettermen, and today Jim and Gary Pike, along with Ric de Azevedo, sing The Lettermen hits, billed as "Reunion".
In 1961, The Lettermen started performing live concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s doing over 100 shows a year, an unbroken string that continues to the present.
Over the decades, the group has had various line-ups, replacing members who left for various reasons with new people to maintain a trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
. Tony Butala, has stated that the group ethos is that of three strong soloists that harmonize, and that the group encourages individual singing and songwriting
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He has also stated that the current combination of members, which includes Donovan Tea and Mark Preston (first singing together from 1984 until 1988 and again since 2006) is the best combination of voices, and best sounding group since the original trio.
They pride themselves in welcoming audience member photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s during the show, unlike many recording acts
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Among their many songs include renditions of several traditional Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
kundiman
Kundiman
Kundiman is a genre of traditional Filipino love songs. The lyrics of the Kundiman are written in Tagalog. The melody is characterized by a smooth, flowing and gentle rhythm with dramatic intervals...
s such as Dahil Sa Iyo
Dahil Sa Iyo
"Dahil Sa Iyo" is a song by Miguel "Mike" Velarde, Jr., It was written in 1938 for the movie Bituing Marikit and sung by the "King of the Philippine Movies" Rogelio de la Rosa....
("Because of You"), Sapagkat Kami ay Tao Lamang ("For We are Only Human"). Their enunciation and pronunciation in the language has developed over the decades that they have interpreted these love songs.
Personnel over the years
- Tony Butala
- Bob Engemann
- Gary Pike
- Donny Pike
- Ronald Russell
- Robert Russell
- Rick Corbin
- Jim Pike
- Allen "Puddler" HarrisAllen "Puddler" HarrisAllen W. "Puddler" Harris is a rock and roll and country musician who played piano in the original Ricky Nelson Band in Hollywood, California, and the last Jimmie Davis band in Louisiana...
- Doug Curran joined the Lettermen in 1969, taking over temporarily for Jim Pike who was experiencing voice problems. In addition to touring with Tony and Gary, he also recorded three albums with the group: I Have Dreamed (May 1969), Hurt So Bad (October 1969) and Traces / Memories (Jan. 1970).
- Ralph "Chad" Nichols
- Don Campeau
- Curvin Miller
- Ernie Pontiere
- Bobby Poynton
- Darren Dowler, who joined the group in 1995, became the lead singer for Paul Revere and the Raiders in 2008, and starred in the motion picture Rock and Roll the Movie in 2009, a film he wrote, directed, scored and starred in. Dowler also had smaller parts in the films, Hancock and Eagle Eye. Dowler is also the author for a novel entitled THE WAR OF ANGELS (Author House Publishing 2007).
- Donovan Tea
- Mark Preston was asked to join the group in 1980, but due to previous commitments, had to turn the offer down. In the following years, Preston was the opening act for Phyllis DillerPhyllis DillerPhyllis Diller is an American actress and comedian. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically dressed housewife who makes jokes about a husband named "Fang" while pretending to smoke from a long cigarette holder...
, as well as stand-in and photo double for Robert UrichRobert UrichRobert Urich was an American actor. He played the starring roles in the television series Vega$ and Spenser: For Hire...
. In 1984, Butala called again, and at that time, Preston joined the group. Along with Donovan Tea (who started the same day) the trio released several singles, and two albums. Preston left the group in 1988, and returned to a solo career that encompassed showrooms around the country, and many different cruise lines. In January 2006, Preston rejoined the Lettermen, and the combination of Butala, Tea and Poynton is the current line-up. - David "Red" Saber (now a maritime captain hired to scatter crematedCremationCremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
ashes in the seaBurial at seaBurial at sea describes the procedure of disposing of human remains in the ocean, normally from a ship or boat. It is regularly performed by navies, but also can be done by private citizens in many countries.-By religion:...
at Redondo Beach, CaliforniaRedondo Beach, CaliforniaRedondo Beach is one of the three Beach Cities located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 66,748 at the 2010 census, up from 63,261 at the 2000 census. The city is located in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area.Redondo Beach was originally part of...
)
Albums
- A Song For Young Love (1962)
- Once Upon a TimeOnce Upon a Time (The Lettermen album)Once Upon a Time is an album recorded by The Lettermen. It was released in 1962. This album, combined with their debut A Song for Young Love, was remastered and put out on CD.-Track listing:#"Time Was"...
(1962) - Jim, Tony and Bob (1962)
- College Standards (1963)
- In Concert (1963)
- A Lettermen Kind of Love (1964)
- Look at Love (1964)
- She Cried (1964)
- You'll Never Walk Alone (1965)
- Portrait of My Love (1965)
- The Hit Sounds of The Lettermen (1965)
- More Hit Sounds of The Lettermen (1966)
- A New Song for Young Love (1966)
- The Best of The LettermenThe Best Of The LettermenThe Best of The Lettermen was a compilation album featuring the music of The Lettermen. Originally released on vinyl in 1966, it was produced by Steve Douglas...
(1966; re-released 1988 on CD/Capitol) - For Christmas This Year (1966; re-released 1975 and again in 1990)
- Warm (1967)
- Spring! (1967)
- The Lettermen!! ...And Live! (1967)
- Goin' Out of My Head (1968)
- Special Request (1968)
- The Best of The Lettermen, Volume 2 (1968)
- Put Your Head on My Shoulder (1968)
- Close Up (1969)
- Hurt So Bad (1969)
- I Have Dreamed (1969)
- Traces/Memories (1970)
- Reflections (1970)
- Everything's Good About You (1971)
- Feelings (1971)
- Love Book (1971)
- Lettermen 1 (1972)
- Spin AwaySpin AwaySpin Away is an album of cover songs done by the pop music group Lettermen. Originally released on vinyl in 1972 by Capitol Records. The album was produced by Ed Cobb and Lettermen for Lettermen, Inc...
(1972) - A Time for Us (1972)
- Alive Again ...Naturally (1973)
- Now and Forever (1974)
- All-Time Greatest Hits (1974: re-released 1987 on CD)
- There Is No Greater Love (1975)
- Make a Time for Lovin (1975)
- The Time Is Right (1975)
- The Lovin' Touch of The Lettermen (1975)
- Kind of Country (1976)
- With Love from The Lettermen (1977)
- To a Friend (1977)
- Love Is... (1979)
- Why I Love Her (1986; re-released 1993 and 2006)
- It Feels Like Christmas (1987)
- Twin Best Now (1988)
- When I Fall in Love (1989)
- Best Now (1990 CD: Capitol/Japan)
- Greatest Hits - 10 Best Series (1990)
- Close to You (1991)
- Live in Concert (1991)
- Collectors Series (1992)
- Sing We Noel (1992)
- Best Hits (1993)
- The Best of The LettermenThe Best Of The LettermenThe Best of The Lettermen was a compilation album featuring the music of The Lettermen. Originally released on vinyl in 1966, it was produced by Steve Douglas...
(1993) - Best of The Lettermen (1993)
- Love Is All (1993)
- Their Greatest Hits & Finest Performances (1994)
- Christmas with The Lettermen (1995)
- Deck the Halls (1995)
- Super Now (1997)
- Memories: The Very Best of The Lettermen (1998)
- Greatest Movie Hits (2000)
- Today (2001)
- A Song for Young Love/Once Once Upon a Time (2002)
- Soft Rock Collection (2003)
- Greatest Hits: The Priceless Collection (2003)
- Absolutely the Best (2004)
- Complete Hits (2006)
- Live in the Philippines (2006)
- Why I Love Her (2006)
- Complete Hits Volume Two (2007)
- The Lettermen: Best of Broadway (2008)
- The Lettermen: Favorites (2008)
- The Lettermen: New Directions 2010 (2010)
Singles
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | "The Way You Look Tonight The Way You Look Tonight "The Way You Look Tonight" is a song featured in the film Swing Time, originally performed by Fred Astaire. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. The song was sung to Ginger Rogers as Penelope "Penny" Carroll by Astaire's character of John "Lucky" Garnett while Penny was busy... " |
13 | 3 |
| 1961 | "When I Fall in Love When I Fall in Love (song) "When I Fall in Love" is a popular song, written by Victor Young and Edward Heyman . It was introduced in the film One Minute to Zero. The song has become a standard, with many artists recording it, though the original hit version was by Doris Day.Doris Day's recording was made on June 5, 1952... " |
7 | 1 |
| 1962 | "Son of Old Rivers"1 | - | - |
| 1962 | "Come Back Silly Girl Come Back Silly Girl "Come Back Silly Girl" is the name of a song written by Barry Mann. It was first released as a single by Steve Lawrence in 1960. This version garnered very little notice, however.... " |
17 | 3 |
| 1962 | "How Is Julie? How Is Julie? "How Is Julie?" is the name of a song written by Eddy Carroll and Barry DeVorzon. In 1962, The Lettermen released it as a single from their album Once Upon a Time. The song continued their streak of top forty hits on Billboard's easy listening chart and just missed the top forty of the Billboard... " |
42 | 16 |
| 1962 | "Turn Around, Look at Me Turn Around, Look at Me "Turn Around, Look at Me" is the name of a song written by Jerry Capehart.In 1961, Glen Campbell released his version as a single. This was his first song to chart in the United States, hitting #62 on the Billboard Hot 100.-The Lettermen's version:... "2 |
105 | - |
| 1962 | "Silly Boy (She Doesn't Love You) Silly Boy (She Doesn't Love You) "Silly Boy " is the name of a song written by Dave Burgess and Marnie Thomas. It was recorded by The Lettermen in 1962 for their album Jim, Tony, and Bob. That same year, it was released as a single. It became a minor hit on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 81. The lyrics describe the... " |
81 | - |
| 1962 | "Again Again (1949 song) "Again" is a popular song, recorded by many singers. The music was written by Lionel Newman, the words by Dorcas Cochran. It first appeared in the movie Road House , sung by Ida Lupino An instrumental rendition was used in the movie "Pickup on South Street"... "3 |
120 | - |
| 1963 | "Heartache Oh Heartache"4 | 122 | - |
| 1963 | "Allentown Jail Allentown Jail "Allentown Jail" is a folk song. Written by Irving Gordon, it tells the story of a man who is caught stealing a diamond for his girlfriend and ends up in the Allentown jail.... "5 |
123 | - |
| 1963 | "Where or When Where or When "Where or When" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms. It was first performed by Ray Heatherton and Mitzi Green. That same year, Hal Kemp recorded a popular version. It also appeared in the movie of the same title two years later... " |
98 | - |
| 1964 | "Put Away Your Tear Drops"6 | 132 | - |
| 1964 | "You Don't Know Just How Lucky You Are" | - | - |
| 1965 | "Girl with a Little Tin Heart"7 | 135 | - |
| 1965 | "Theme from A Summer Place Theme from A Summer Place The "Theme from A Summer Place" is a song with lyrics by Mack Discant and music by Max Steiner, written for the 1959 film, A Summer Place, which starred Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue. It was recorded for the film by Hugo Winterhalter... " |
16 | 2 |
| 1965 | "Secretly Secretly The best-known recording of the song was done by Jimmie Rodgers, charting in 1958, reaching number three on the U.S. pop chart and number five on the country chart.... " |
64 | 8 |
| 1965 | "Sweet September Sweet September "Sweet September" is a song written by McGuffie, Phillips, and Stanley. It has been performed by such artists as Pete Jolly , Freda Payne , The Lettermen , Howard Roberts "Sweet September" is a song written by McGuffie, Phillips, and Stanley. It has been performed by such artists as Pete Jolly (for... "8 |
114 | 24 |
| 1966 | "You'll Be Needin' Me" | - | - |
| 1966 | "I Only Have Eyes for You I Only Have Eyes for You "I Only Have Eyes for You" is a popular song by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, written in 1934 for the film Dames where it was introduced by Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler.... " |
72 | 4 |
| 1966 | "Chanson D'Amour Chanson D'Amour "Chanson D'Amour" is a popular song written by Wayne Shanklin which was a Top Ten hit in 1958 for Art and Dotty Todd; a remake by the Manhattan Transfer was an international hit - #1 in the UK - in 1977.... "9 |
112 | 8 |
| 1967 | "Our Winter Love" | 72 | 16 |
| 1967 | "Volare Volare (song) "Nel blu dipinto di blu" , popularly known as "Volare" , is Domenico Modugno's signature song.... " |
- | 17 |
| 1967 | "Somewhere My Love Lara's Theme "Lara's Theme" is the generic name given to a leitmotif written for the film Doctor Zhivago by composer Maurice Jarre. Soon afterward, it became the basis of the song "Somewhere My Love."- Original composition :... " |
- | - |
| 1967 | "Goin' Out of My Head / Can't Take My Eyes Off You" | 7 | 2 |
| 1968 | "Sherry Don't Go" | 52 | 9 |
| 1968 | "All the Grey Haired Men"10 | 109 | - |
| 1968 | "Holly" | - | - |
| 1968 | "Medley: Love Is Blue/Greensleeves" | - | - |
| 1968 | "Sally le Roy" | - | - |
| 1968 | "Put Your Head on My Shoulder Put Your Head on My Shoulder "Put Your Head on My Shoulder" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Paul Anka. Anka's version, released as a single in 1959, became very successful, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.... " |
44 | 8 |
| 1969 | "I Have Dreamed I Have Dreamed (song) "I Have Dreamed" is a show tune from the 1951 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The King and I. In the original Broadway production it was sung by Doretta Morrow and Larry Douglas. It has since become a standard, with many artists recording the song... "11 |
129 | 16 |
| 1969 | "Blue on Blue" | - | - |
| 1969 | "Hurt So Bad" | 12 | 2 |
| 1969 | "Shangri-La Shangri-La (1946 song) "Shangri-La" is a popular song written by Carl Sigman , bandleader Matty Malneck, and Robert Maxwell in 1946. The term comes from "Shangri-La," the hidden valley of delight in James Hilton's 1933 novel "Lost Horizon." The term "Shangri-La," especially in the 1930s and 1940s, was slang for heaven... " |
64 | 8 |
| 1969 | "Traces/Memories Medley" | 47 | 3 |
| 1970 | "Hang On Sloopy Hang on Sloopy "Hang on Sloopy" is a song by the pop group The McCoys which was #1 in America in October 1965 and is the official rock song of the state of Ohio and The Ohio State University... " |
93 | 18 |
| 1970 | "She Cried She Cried "She Cried" is a song written by Ted Daryll and Greg Richards and was recorded by Jay and the Americans for their 1962 album, She Cried. The song reached #5 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1962. The song was the group's first major hit.... " |
73 | 6 |
| 1970 | "Hey Girl"12 | 104 | 17 |
| 1971 | "Morning Girl" | - | 34 |
| 1971 | "Everything Is Good About You" | 74 | 6 |
| 1971 | "The Greatest Discovery" | - | - |
| 1971 | "Feelings" | - | 33 |
| 1971 | "Love Love (John Lennon song) "Love" is a song written and performed by John Lennon, originally released in 1970 on the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album.-Song:The song first came out on Lennon's 1970 album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. "Love" later appeared on the 1982 compilation The John Lennon Collection, and was released... " |
42 | 8 |
| 1971 | "Oh My Love" | - | - |
| 1972 | "Spin Away" | - | - |
| 1973 | "Sandman" | - | - |
| 1973 | "Summer Song" | - | 25 |
| 1974 | "The You Part of Me" | - | - |
| 1974 | "Touch Me in the Morning/The Way We Were" | - | 31 |
| 1975 | "Eastward" | - | 16 |
| 1975 | "You Are My Sunshine Girl" | - | 28 |
| 1976 | "If You Feel the Way I Do" | - | - |
| 1976 | "The Way You Look Tonight The Way You Look Tonight "The Way You Look Tonight" is a song featured in the film Swing Time, originally performed by Fred Astaire. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. The song was sung to Ginger Rogers as Penelope "Penny" Carroll by Astaire's character of John "Lucky" Garnett while Penny was busy... "13 |
- | - |
| 1977 | "What I Did for Love" | - | - |
| 1979 | "World Fantasy" | - | - |
| 1980 | "In the Morning I'm Coming Home" | - | - |
| 1985 | "It Feels like Christmas" | - | - |
| 1986 | "Proud Lady of America" | - | - |
| 1987 | "One More Summer Night" | - | - |
| 1988 | "All I Ask of You" | - | - |
Footnotes:
1"Son of Old Rivers," a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of "Old Rivers" by Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
, was recorded by Butala, Engelmann, and Pike.
2"Turn Around, Look at Me," the b-side of "How Is Julie?," did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #5 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles
The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100...
chart.
3"Again" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #20 on the Bubbling Under chart.
4"Heartache Oh Heartache" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #22 on the Bubbling Under chart.
5"Allentown Jail" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #23 on the Bubbling Under chart.
6"Put Away Your Tear Drops" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #32 on the Bubbling Under chart.
7"Girl With a Little Tin Heart" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #35 on the Bubbling Under chart.
8"Sweet September" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #14 on the Bubbling Under chart.
9"Chanson D'Amour" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #12 on the Bubbling Under chart.
10"All the Grey Haired Men" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #9 on the Bubbling Under chart.
11"I Have Dreamed" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #29 on the Bubbling Under chart.
12"Hey Girl" did not chart on the Hot 100, but hit #4 on the Bubbling Under chart.
13The 1976 release of "The Way You Look Tonight" was a new disco version.