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.
I Wanna Be Free
The Lettermen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like the bluebirds flying by me,
Like the waves out on the blue sea,
If your love has to tie me,
Don't try me, say good-bye.
I wanna be free,
Don't say you love me, say you like me
But when I need you beside me,
Confide in me, whoa-oh-oh.
I wanna hold your hand,
Walk along the sand,
Laughing in the sun,
Always having fun.
Doing all those things
Without any strings to tie me down.
I wanna be free,
Like the warm September wind, babe,
Say you'll always be my friend, babe,
We can make it to the end, babe,
Again, babe, I've gotta say...
I wanna be free,
I wanna be free,
I wanna be free.
The Lettermen's song, "I Wanna Be Free," is a romantic ballad that conveys the desire for freedom in a relationship. The lyrics express the singer's longing to be able to fly like the bluebirds, in a way that suggests a yearning for independence. The verses convey a sense of wanting to be free from the constraints of love and the demands of a relationship. The first stanza articulates the sentiment that the singer would rather part ways than to be constrained by the demands of a relationship. He would prefer to be free like the bluebirds and waves out on the sea.
The second and third stanzas of the song express that he still wants to be with his lover, but on his own terms. He would rather hear the simple admission from his lover that they like him instead of the more complicated and heavy "I love you." He still wants his lover to be near him to help guide him, but he wants the freedom to be himself and live autonomously.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna be free,
The singer desires to be free
Like the bluebirds flying by me,
The singer desires to be free like the bluebirds that fly by, unrestricted and unburdened
Like the waves out on the blue sea,
The singer desires to be free like the waves that move freely on the open sea
If your love has to tie me,
The artist does not want to be constrained or restricted by the love of another
Don't try me, say good-bye.
The artist would rather end a relationship than be controlled by love
Don't say you love me, say you like me
The singer values their freedom and would prefer not to be tied down by declarations of love
But when I need you beside me,
Desiring freedom does not mean the singer does not want companionship and support
Stay close enough to guide me,
The artist wants a close relationship that allows for guidance and support without being controlling
Confide in me, whoa-oh-oh.
The artist desires emotional intimacy where they can share secrets with their partner
I wanna hold your hand,
The artist desires physical affection without being forced into a serious relationship
Walk along the sand,
The singer desires romantic moments without being tied to commitments and expectations
Laughing in the sun,
Being carefree and happy is a priority for the artist
Always having fun.
The singer desires a relationship that prioritizes having fun over obligations and responsibilities
Doing all those things
The singer enjoys being spontaneous and living in the moment
Without any strings to tie me down.
The singer wants to avoid commitments that would hold them back from living freely
Like the warm September wind, babe,
The artist wants to be free like the wind, constantly moving and changing with the seasons
Say you'll always be my friend, babe,
The artist would rather have a partner who is a supportive friend than be tied down by romantic expectations
We can make it to the end, babe,
The singer desires a long-term, committed relationship, but on their own terms
Again, babe, I've gotta say...
The singer is reiterating their desire for freedom
I wanna be free,
The artist desires to be free
I wanna be free,
The artist desires to be free
I wanna be free.
The artist desires to be free
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian McNabb
I've always loved The Lettermen. When I was younger I only had three of their records. Now I've got thirty five and still enjoy their music. it is something I'll never get tired of. Thanks for putting this on.
dra1000
Thank you, thank you for this clip! Beautiful song, great video! Very much appreciated!! :)
Elena Schmitt
The song has special meaning for me, Phil. Sort of a "theme" song for me at one time (although it has nothing to do with the lyrics). Thanks for uploading. :)
Jodi Embly
I've never heard this version, but it's lovely.
Dale Schneider
The Lettermen did do a lot of great covers.
SQDLVR
Awesome Phil! This is my Mum's favourite Monkees song! However she likes the Lettermen version better! She says both versions remind her of when I was 4 years old and would do nothing but sit in front of our old stereo and listen to the Monkees and Lettermen over and over..
Sharon Pribble
Haven't heard this one in a very long time. Thanks Phil.
roger simmons
Excellent Phil, well done.
grooverunner
Andy Williams does a great version of this song, too.
jsbach15
What a glorious video you made to a wonderful song. KUDOS, my friend!