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.
Love
The Lettermen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My eyes are wide open
Oh my love for the first time in my life
My eyes can see
I see the wind
Oh, I see the trees
Everything is clear in my heart
Oh, I see the sky
Everything is clear in our world
Oh my love for the first time in my life
My mind is wide open
Oh my lover for the first time in my life
My mind can feel
I feel the sorrow
Oh, I feel dreams
Everything is clear in my heart
I feel life
Oh, I feel love
Everything is clear in our world
Oh my love for the first time in my life
My eyes are wide open
Oh my love for the first time in my life
My eyes can see
The Lettermen's song "Love" is a beautiful, poetic expression of falling in love and seeing the world in a new light, with clear eyes and an open heart. The repeated refrain of "Oh my love for the first time in my life, my eyes are wide open, my eyes can see" sets the tone for the whole song, with the singer expressing a sense of wonder at the newfound clarity and depth of feeling that love has brought them.
The first verse focuses on the visual aspect of this new awareness, with the singer seeing the wind, trees, clouds, and sky in a new, clearer way. The imagery is vivid and evocative, conjuring up a sense of being fully present in the natural world. In the second verse, the focus shifts to the emotional aspect of this newfound love, with the singer feeling both sorrow and dreams, but ultimately experiencing a sense of clarity and connection to the world around them.
Overall, "Love" is a touching and heartfelt tribute to the transformative power of love, an ode to the way that falling in love can open our eyes and hearts to the wonders of the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my love for the first time in my life
It's the first time in my life that I have such a strong love.
My eyes are wide open
I am seeing things more clearly than ever before.
Oh my love for the first time in my life
This is truly a new experience for me.
My eyes can see
My vision has expanded and I see the world in a new light.
I see the wind
I can now perceive things that were previously invisible to me.
Oh, I see the trees
I am able to appreciate the beauty in things I previously took for granted.
Everything is clear in my heart
My emotions are now more transparent and understandable.
I see the clouds
I am able to recognize the nature of things that are normally ephemeral and hard to grasp.
Oh, I see the sky
I am able to appreciate the vastness and beauty of things that are often overlooked.
Oh my love for the first time in my life
This truly is a transformative experience.
My mind is wide open
I am now more receptive to new ideas and perspectives.
Oh my lover for the first time in my life
This person has opened my eyes to new possibilities and ways of being.
My mind can feel
I am now able to more fully experience and understand my emotions and thoughts.
I feel the sorrow
I am now more aware of the pain and suffering in the world.
Oh, I feel dreams
I am able to more fully appreciate and imagine the possibilities in my life.
I feel life
I am now more alive and engaged in the world around me.
Oh, I feel love
I am now able to experience and express love in a deeper and more meaningful way.
Everything is clear in our world
Our relationship and connection to the world has been transformed for the better.
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lennon, Yoko Ono
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind