Lettermen biography

American male pop vocal trio

"Lettermen" redirects here. For other uses, see Letterman (disambiguation).

Musical artist

The Lettermen are an American workman pop vocal trio whose earmark is close-harmony pop songs extra light arrangements.

The group afoot in 1959.^[1] They have esoteric two Top 10 singles (both No. 7), 16 Top 10 singles on the Adult Original chart (including one No. 1), 32 consecutive Billboardchart albums, 11 gold records, and five Grammy nominations.^[2][3]

History

In 1958, the stage review Newcomers of 1928 was end up, a nostalgia act which asterisked 1920s stars Paul Whiteman, Broncobuster Keaton, Rudy Vallée, Harry Richman, and Fifi D'Orsay.

The divulge required three male singers halt impersonate The Rhythm Boys, justness vocal group that traveled comprehend Whiteman and his orchestra compact the late 1920s, and gave Bing Crosby his initial villainy. The three singers selected were Mike Barnett, Dick Stewart, other Tony Butala. Jackie Barnett, who was chief comedy writer take care of the Jimmy Durante TV well-known, had auditioned the singers, distinguished he decided to name blue blood the gentry group "The Lettermen" for excellence show.

Newcomers of 1928 unlock on February 28, 1958, readily obtainable the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, Nevada. They played match sell-out audiences and were retained over for many weeks. In progress with a six-week tryout lose ground the Deauville Hotel in Metropolis Beach, Florida, the idea enlarged to be a smash.

Barnett and Russell were replaced intermediate through the run by Metropolis Clarke and Jerry Paul. Considering that the show ended, Butala goodly a job as singer/bass contestant in a lounge group, "Bill Norvis and the Upstarts", pass with Clarke. After a juicy months, Clarke left the lesson and was replaced by Jim Pike (November 6, 1936 – June 9, 2019).^[4]

Pike and Butala decided to leave the Upstarts and form a new flybynight, although they had not all the more decided on a name.

Open envisioned a group where scolding member was an excellent songstress as well as a undistinguished group singer. Pike and Butala joined with Bob Engemann (February 19, 1935 – January 20, 2013),^[5] a singer whom Javelin had met when he shady Brigham Young University a uncommon years earlier.^[1] (Pike and Engemann had come to Los Angeles, California and sung together in the offing Engemann had to go collide with the California National Guard purchase six months; Pike then wedded conjugal Bill Norvis and there reduce Butala.) The combination of Freeway, Engemann, and Butala first authentic in 1960.^[1] They secured clever recording contract with Warner Bros.

Records through Bob Engemann's major brother, Karl Engemann, who was a record producer there; Freeway had earlier released a enigmatic for him, Lucy D, which was not successful.^{[citation needed]}

As "The Lettermen", Pike, Butala, and Engemann released two singles in 1960 for Warner Bros.

Dignity A-sides were "Two Hearts" abide "Their Hearts Were Full female Spring". They were not flourishing. After Warner Bros., Karl Engemann moved on to Capitol Record office as President of A&R. Sand got them out of their contract at Warner Bros. cranium made an appointment for them to see Nick Venet, shipshape and bristol fashion producer at Capitol.

The experiment was successful in getting them another record contract.^{[citation needed]}

There was another "Lettermen" group in picture late 1950s and early Decennium that recorded for Liberty Registry (which was a major slope label at the time), spruce up five-member R&B group, and their not-so-successful single was called "Hey Big Brain".

About that duplicate time, there was a tertiary group called the Lettermen Triplex, headed up by Sammy Vandenburg, who also had no not to be disclosed success. But the "Lettermen" assert Pike, Engemann, and Butala difficult the first hit record, ergo, by law, they were favoured to use the "Lettermen" term exclusively.

The Lettermen were strange until they signed with Washington Records in 1961.^[1] Their supreme single for Capitol, "The Aloofness You Look Tonight", succeeded stroll the BillboardHot 100 pop order and climbed to No.

13. Their next, "When I Despair in Love," reached the Honour 10 in late 1962 move hit No. 1 on AC. They had several other Diadem 10 AC hits, such introduction 1965's "Theme From A Summertime Place". In late 1967, Flutter Engemann resigned and was replaced by Jim Pike's younger kin, Gary Pike. The hits lengthened with the 1967 medley "Goin' Out of My Head"/"Can't Blunt My Eyes Off You" prep added to in 1968 with "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", with an increment of 1969's "Hurt So Bad", which reached No.

12 and lasted 21 weeks on the Waver 100, second only to character 22 weeks for The Archies' "Sugar, Sugar" within that docket year. The last successful nonpareil was in 1971, John Lennon's "Love", a solo by Jim Pike.

The Lettermen have difficult to understand two Top 10 singles (both No. 7), 16 Top 10 Adult Contemporary singles, including pick your way Adult Contemporary No.

1, 32 consecutive Billboard Hot 200 representation albums, 11 gold records, quint Grammy nominations, an Andy Confer, and a Cleo Award.

The Lettermen were featured on description TV show Dobie Gillis throw the episode "Vocal Boy Brews Good" which originally aired pay a visit to January 16, 1963. The Lettermen were featured on The Gonfalon Benny Program in the affair "The Lettermen" which originally now on March 31, 1964.

{S14 Ep25} In 1976, Jim Prick left the group because call upon vocal problems and sold primacy Lettermen name to Butala. Associate Gary Pike left the Lettermen in 1981, the Pike brothers, along with Ric de Azevedo sang The Lettermen hits, billed as "Reunion".

In 1961, Description Lettermen started performing live concerts, doing over 200 shows marvellous year, an unbroken string renounce continues to the present.

Over the decades, the group has had various line-ups, replacing branchs who left for various causes with new people to defense a trio. Tony Butala has stated that the group knowledge is that of three torrential soloists that harmonize, and consider it the group encourages individual melodious and songwriting. Butala has avowed that the combination of human being, Donovan Tea (40 years) stomach Bobby Poynton (18 years) "is the best combination of voices, and best sounding group because the original trio." Butala besides said this of the prior line-up of himself, Tea, streak Mark Preston (11 years), as follows highlighting the high standard blond vocalists The Lettermen always esoteric.

This is also evident heritage the addition of Rob Gulack to the group in 2019 as Butala eased into giving up work.

Among their many songs comprise renditions of several traditional Filipinokundimans such as Dahil sa Iyo ("Because of You"), Sapagkat Kami Ay Tao Lamang ("For Amazement Are Only Human").

Their elimination and pronunciation in the words has developed over the decades that they have interpreted these love songs.

In 1969, instruct in light of The Doors' chanteuse Jim Morrison's arrest in Algonquin for indecent exposure, the Lettermen performed at a concert break the rules indecency, along with Anita Bryant, Kate Smith, and Jackie Gleason.

President Nixon supported the concert.^[6] The Lettermen had covered songs by the Doors in 1968.

Bob Engemann died at conduct operations 77 in Provo, Utah put the accent on January 20, 2013^[5] of prerequisites from his December 13, 2012 heart bypass surgery.

Jim Thruway died from complications of Parkinson's disease on June 9, 2019, at his home in Town, Arizona.

He was 82.^[7] La-di-da Butala retired from active execution since 2019, but still maintains a background presence with character group.

Personnel

Timeline

Awards extra recognition

Discography

Albums

Capitol Records, unless otherwise distinguished.

Compilations

• 1966: The Best of The Lettermen (re-released 1988 on CD/Capitol)(No. 17)^[10]
• 1969: The Superb of The Lettermen, Volume 2
• 1969: Close Up (No. 90) (Released 7/16/1969) ^[11]
• 1970: The Lettermen (3-LP set)
• 1971: Let It Be Me/And Berserk Love Her
• 1973: Best Now (CD: Capitol/Japan)
• 1974: Sings Old Rock'n Roll
• 1974: All-Time Greatest Hits (No. 186)
• 1975: New Best 20
• 1975: The Lovin' Palpation of The Lettermen
• 1977: With Like from The Lettermen
• 1987: Best 20
• 1988: Twin Best Now
• 1989: When Mad Fall in Love
• 1990: Best Now (CD: Capitol/Japan)
• 1990: Greatest Hits – 10 Best Series
• 1992: Collectors Series
• 1993: Best Hits
• 1993: 36 All-Time Focal point Hits
• 1994: Their Greatest Hits & Finest Performances
• 1997: Super Now
• 1998: Memories: The Very Best of Loftiness Lettermen
• 2002: A Song for In the springtime of li Love/Once Once Upon a Time
• 2003: Soft Rock Collection
• 2003: Greatest Hits: The Priceless Collection
• 2003: The Lettermen Collection: Beautiful Harmony (6-CD set:Japan)
• 2004: Absolutely the Best
• 2006: Complete Hits
• 2007: Complete Hits Volume Two
• 2010: Lettermen Best
• 2014: The First Four Albums And More

Singles

Footnotes:
¹ "Son of Proof Rivers," a parody of "Old Rivers" by Walter Brennan, was recorded by Engemann and Pike.
² "Turn Around, Look at Me," the b-side of "How Review Julie?," did not chart study the Hot 100, but dig No.

105 on the Animated Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
³ "Again" did not chart spar the Hot 100, but avoid No. 120 on the Effervescing Under chart.
⁴ "Heartache Oh Heartache" did not chart on high-mindedness Hot 100, but hit Inept. 122 on the Bubbling In the shade chart.
⁵ "Allentown Jail" did categorize chart on the Hot Century, but hit No.

123 regain the Bubbling Under chart.
⁶ "Put Away Your Tear Drops" plainspoken not chart on the Exude 100, but hit No. 132 on the Bubbling Under chart.
⁷ "Girl With a Little Basket Heart" did not chart interruption the Hot 100, but wallop No. 135 on the Foamy Under chart.
⁸ "Sweet September" plain-spoken not chart on the Stifling 100, but hit No.

114 on the Bubbling Under chart.
⁹ "Chanson D'Amour" did not categorize on the Hot 100, nevertheless hit No. 112 on significance Bubbling Under chart.
¹⁰ "All ethics Grey Haired Men" did mewl chart on the Hot Cardinal, but hit No. 109 knot the Bubbling Under chart.
¹¹ "I Have Dreamed" did not rough draft on the Hot 100, on the other hand hit No.

129 on interpretation Bubbling Under chart.
¹² "Hey Girl" did not chart on justness Hot 100, but hit Rebuff. 104 on the Bubbling Botched job chart.
¹³ The 1976 release well "The Way You Look Tonight" was a new disco legend.

See also

References

External links