The group was formed in late 1950s by Mike Barnett, Dick Stewart and Tony Butala. 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 Norvas 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. Both had come to Los Angeles, California, and sang together in different combinations until Engemann had go into the National Guard for 6 months. At that point, Pike joined Bill Norvis and met Butala. This combination 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 "There 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 record 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, and their next, "When I Fall in Love," reached the Top 10 in late 1962. They had several other Top 10 hits, such as the 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 number 12. The last successful single was in 1972, "Love" a solo by Pike.
The Lettermen have had 32 consecutive Billboard Magazine chart albums, 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 concerts doing over 100 shows a year, an unbroken string that continues to the present now amounting to 46 years.
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, who (as of 2007) is still a member, has stated that the group ethos is that of three strong soloists that harmonize, and that the group encourages individual singing and songwriting.
They pride themselves in welcoming audience member photographs during the show, unlike many recording acts.
Ain't No Sunshine
The Lettermen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not warm when she's away.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
and she's always gone too long
anytime she goes away.
Wonder this time where she's gone,
wonder if she's gone to stay
and this house just ain't no home
anytime she goes away.
And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know
Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone,
but ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
only darkness everyday.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
and this house just ain't no home
anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away
The Lettermen's song Ain't No Sunshine is a poignant love song about heartache that is filled with raw emotion. The lyrics express the sorrow of a man who has been left by his love and how his life is missing the light of her presence. The first two lines, "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone. It's not warm when she's away," express how much the man misses his beloved and how he is feeling the absence of her warmth and light. The repeated phrase "ain't no sunshine when she's gone" emphasizes the emptiness that he feels when she is not around.
The lyrics also reveal that the woman has left for an extended period of time and the man is left wondering where she has gone and if she will return. He recognizes that his home is not the same without her and that it is not a comforting place, but rather a dark and lonely place. The repetition of the phrase "anytime she goes away" underscores the deep sadness he experiences every time she leaves. The repeated use of the phrase "I know" reveals the man's inner struggle and frustration with his feelings about the situation.
Overall, The Lettermen's Ain't No Sunshine is a heart-wrenching portrayal of love lost and the agony of missing someone deeply. The powerful emotions expressed in the lyrics are universal and resonate with anyone who has experienced heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
The absence of the woman causes a lack of joy and light in the singer's life.
It's not warm when she's away.
The woman's presence is comforting and her absence causes a sense of coldness.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone and she's always gone too long anytime she goes away.
The woman is frequently absent and her long absences make the singer's life feel bleak and empty.
Wonder this time where she's gone, wonder if she's gone to stay.
The singer is uncertain about the woman's whereabouts and fears that she may never return.
And this house just ain't no home anytime she goes away.
The woman's absence makes the singer's house feel empty and lonely.
Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone, but ain't no sunshine when she's gone, ain't no sunshine when she's gone, only darkness everyday.
The singer acknowledges that he should let go of the woman, but cannot bear the darkness and emptiness that comes with her absence.
Anytime she goes away.
The repeated phrase emphasizes the impact of the woman's absence on the singer's life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind