The group consisted of:
Gene Puerling, bass-baritone, arranger and leader
Bob Strasen, baritone
Bob Morse, baritone and occasional soloist
Clark Burroughs, tenor
The Hi-Lo's tower among the most innovative and influential close harmony quartets of the postwar era, expanding the parameters of traditional pop via sophisticated, jazz-inspired arrangements that profoundly shaped the rock & roll generation who followed in the group's wake. So named for their expansive vocal range, the Hi-Lo's formed in Hollywood in early 1953 -- bass baritone Gene Puerling and baritone Bob Strasen first teamed in the Milwaukee-based Four Shades, while baritone Bob Morse and tenor Clark Burroughs previously collaborated as members of the Encores, a short-lived ensemble led by session vocal legend Randy Van Horne. After bandleader (and future film composing icon) Jerry Fielding recommended the Hi-Lo's to the fledgling L.A. label Trend, the group cut its debut EP in April 1953, scoring a minor local hit with "Georgia." "Love Me or Leave Me," recorded in support of singer Herb Jeffries, soon followed on Olympic.
While Burroughs' astounding lead vocals enabled Puerling the flexibility to create daring, stunningly complex arrangements some distance removed from the current chart fare, Trend resisted the Hi-Lo's more radical impulses, and in mid-1954 the quartet exited the label in frustration. They soon signed with Starlite, teaming with orchestral arranger and conductor Frank Comstock at the now-legendary Gold Star Studios, a facility famed for its singularly rich acoustics -- their debut album Listen! followed by year's end, trailed in 1955 by The Hi-Lo's, I Presume.
Although commercial success continued to elude the Hi-Lo's, the quartet emerged as a critical favorite, and successive LPs including Under Glass and On Hand further expanded their palette, with Puerling's increasingly challenging and beautiful arrangements over time incorporating elements of contemporary pop, barbershop, calypso and musical theater. In late 1956, the Hi-Lo's signed to Columbia, where their label debut Suddenly It's the Hi-Lo's sold in excess of 100,000 copies thanks to promotion via television's Nat King Cole Show; -- Rosemary Clooney then invited the group to join the cast of her syndicated variety show, and together they cut an album, Ring Around Rosie. A third Columbia date, Now Hear This, followed in 1957, the same year the Hi-Lo's made their feature film debut in Calypso Heat Wave.
Despite their growing media profile, the quartet's albums remained cult favorites at best, however, and Columbia A&R chief Mitch Miller consistently pressured Puerling to simplify his approach in favor of a more radio-friendly formula. The Hi-Lo's resisted, and while 1958's Marty Paich-produced And All That Jazz was their most consistent and rewarding release to date, sales were disappointing, and a year later Bob Strasen announced his resignation.
With the addition of tenor Don Shelton, the Hi-Lo's cut Broadway Playbill in 1960. It too failed to chart, and when the same fate met its follow-up This Time It's Love, Columbia cut its losses and let the group go. Avowed fan Frank Sinatra telegrammed the Hi-Lo's in 1962, inviting them to join his fledgling Reprise label; their two Reprise albums, The Hi-Lo's Happen to Folk Songs and The Hi-Lo's Happen to Bossa Nova, both aimed squarely at commercial trends and fell wide of the mark, and their tenure with the company proved brief. Don Shelton left the lineup in 1964 to join the Chicago vocal group the J's with Jamie, and the Hi-Lo's soldiered on, briefly adding singers Frank Howren and Milt Chapman before the commercial onslaught of rock & roll's British Invasion finally spelled their demise in 1965. While Bob Morse opened an antiques store, Clark Burroughs teamed with wife Marilyn in a folk-rock duo, and Gene Puerling assembled a new group, Singers Unlimited, recruiting Shelton as well as newcomers Len Dresslar and Bonnie Herman.
As the Hi-Lo's were celebrated as a seminal influence on West Coast harmony pop acts including the Beach Boys and the Mamas & the Papas, Singers Unlimited went on to cut a series of LPs for the German label MPS, which in 1977 suggested Puerling organize a Hi-Lo's reunion: Back Again hit retail a year later, its release announced with an appearance at the 1978 Monterey Jazz Festival. Now followed in 1980, and the group continued touring throughout the decade to come, finally calling it quits in 1994. Bob Morse died in 2001.
~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Afterward, Puerling, Shelton and Burroughs still appeared very occasionally as the Hi-Lo's in and around Southern California. An accomplished reed player, Shelton has been a member of Clare Fischer's bands. Clark Burroughs is semi-retired and can sometimes be heard on film soundtracks.
On March 25, 2008, Gene Puerling died just shy of his 79th birthday.
Just The Way You Are
The Hi-Lo's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make the stars look like they're not shinin'
Her hair, her hair
Falls perfectly without her trying
She's so beautiful and I tell her everyday
Yeah, I know, I know
And it's so, it's so
Sad to think that she don't see what I see
But every time she asks me, ""Do I look okay?""
I say
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause girl you're amazing
Just the way you are
Yeah
Her lips, her lips,
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
Her laugh, her laugh
She hates but I think it's so sexy
She's so beautiful, and I tell her everyday
Oh, you know, you know
You know I'd never ask you to change
If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same
So don't even bother asking if you look okay
You know I'll say
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause, girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are
The way you are
The way you are
Girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are
When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
'Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
'Cause, girl, you're amazing
Just the way you are
Yeah
The lyrics of "Just The Way You Are" by The Hi-Lo's celebrate the beauty and perfection of the singer's love interest. The first verse highlights the captivating qualities of her eyes and hair, emphasizing how they outshine the stars and fall perfectly without any effort. The singer finds her incredibly beautiful and expresses his admiration for her on a daily basis.
Despite his constant compliments, the next verse reveals that the woman struggles to believe his words. It saddens the singer to think that she doesn't see herself the way he does. Whenever she questions her appearance, asking if she looks okay, he reassures her by emphasizing that she is perfect just the way she is.
The chorus repeats this sentiment, emphasizing that there is nothing about her face that needs changing, as she is already amazing. Her smile has the power to captivate the whole world, causing everyone to stop and stare. The singer continues to express his admiration, reinforcing that she is incredible just as she is.
The bridge of the song delves deeper into the singer's appreciation for his love interest. He reveals that he could happily spend all day kissing her lips and finds her laugh sexy, even if she dislikes it. He continues to emphasize her beauty, assuring her that she doesn't need to change for him. The singer doesn't want her to feel the need to be perfect because he believes she already is.
The chorus is repeated once more to highlight the singer's unwavering love and adoration for the woman. It reinforces the message that she is amazing just as she is, without needing to change anything. The song concludes with the repeated affirmation of her greatness and the acknowledgment that she is loved and appreciated for exactly who she is.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, her eyes, her eyes
Her eyes are so captivating and beautiful.
Make the stars look like they're not shinin'
Her eyes shine brighter than the stars themselves.
Her hair, her hair
Her hair is effortlessly perfect and stunning.
Falls perfectly without her trying
Her hair naturally falls in a flawless way, without any effort.
She's so beautiful and I tell her everyday
I make sure to compliment her beauty every single day.
Yeah, I know, I know
I am aware that she doesn't believe me when I compliment her.
When I compliment her she won't believe me
She finds it hard to believe that she is truly beautiful when I say so.
And it's so, it's so
It's disheartening and saddening.
Sad to think that she don't see what I see
It hurts to realize that she doesn't see herself the way I see her.
But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?"
Whenever she seeks reassurance by asking if she looks good.
I say
I always respond.
When I see your face
Whenever I look at your face.
There's not a thing that I would change
There is absolutely nothing about you that needs improvement.
'Cause you're amazing
You are truly wonderful and extraordinary.
Just the way you are
Exactly as you are, without any alterations.
And when you smile
When you have a smile on your face.
The whole world stops and stares for a while
Your smile is so captivating that it captures the attention of everyone around.
'Cause girl you're amazing
Because, dear girl, you are truly remarkable.
Her lips, her lips
Her lips are incredibly enticing.
I could kiss them all day if she'd let me
If she allowed me, I would happily kiss her lips all day long.
Her laugh, her laugh
The way she laughs is so appealing to me.
She hates but I think it's so sexy
Even though she dislikes her own laugh, I find it irresistibly attractive.
You know I'd never ask you to change
You are perfect just the way you are, and I would never request any changes.
If perfect's what you're searching for then just stay the same
If you are in search of perfection, know that you already possess it by being yourself.
So don't even bother asking if you look okay
There's no need to question whether you look fine or not.
You know I'll say
You can be sure that I will tell you.
The way you are
The way you exist and present yourself.
Girl, you're amazing
My dear girl, you are truly exceptional.
And when you smile
And when you have that beautiful smile on your face.
Yeah
Indeed
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Khari Cain, Peter Gene Hernandez, Philip Martin II Lawrence, Ari Levine, Khalil Walton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind