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.
The Way You Look Tonight
The Lettermen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the world is cold
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
And the way you look tonight
Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm
And your cheeks so soft
There is nothing for me but to love you
With each word your tenderness grows
Tearing my fear apart
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
It touches my foolish heart
Lovely, never, ever change
Keep that breathless charm
Won't you please arrange it?
'Cause I love you
Just the way you look tonight
Mm, Mm, Mm, Mm,
Just the way you look tonight
The Lettermen's song "The Way You Look Tonight" is a beautiful love song that speaks of the power of love to brighten even the darkest moments. The song starts with an acknowledgement that everyone has low moments when the world seems cold and harsh. However, just thinking of the love of your life is enough to bring a warm glow to your heart even during the darkest moments. The song then goes on to describe the physical beauty of the person being thought of, with special attention paid to their smile and soft cheeks. The singer is unequivocal about his love, stating that there is nothing that he can do but love the object of his affection, no matter what.
The next verse, however, delves deeper into the emotional aspect of the relationship, with the singer acknowledging that his lover's tenderness makes him feel alive, tearing apart his fear and making him feel vulnerable in the best way possible. The final verse is a plea to his lover to never change, to always retain her breathless charm, and to keep looking just as she does tonight, forever. The song ends with an affirmation of this love, the singer repeating once again that he loves the way she looks tonight.
Line by Line Meaning
Some day, when I'm awfully low
At times when I feel extremely down
When the world is cold
When everything around me seems uninviting
I will feel a glow just thinking of you
I will feel comforted by the thought of you
And the way you look tonight
Your appearance and demeanor in this moment
Yes you're lovely, with your smile so warm
You are quite beautiful with a friendly smile
And your cheeks so soft
Your face is so smooth to the touch
There is nothing for me but to love you
I cannot help but feel affection towards you
And the way you look tonight
Your current appearance and personality
With each word your tenderness grows
Every time you speak, your kindness becomes more apparent
Tearing my fear apart
Easing my anxieties with your gentle nature
And that laugh that wrinkles your nose
The charming way you laugh and scrunch your nose up
It touches my foolish heart
It causes my silly heart to flutter
Lovely, never, ever change
Please always remain who you are
Keep that breathless charm
Continue to possess that captivating quality
Won't you please arrange it?
Can you please promise me that?
'Cause I love you
Because I am in love with you
Just the way you look tonight
In this exact moment, with this specific appearance and conduct
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jerome Kern
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lisastiles8656
This generation today has no clue when it comes to meaningful music...THIS is music...
@phillipgreenfield8120
Recently, I got on a U-Tube kick of watching the old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodger’s movies, and up comes Swing Time in 1936. Saw it was revived about 25 years later by The Lettermen. What a rendition. I agree with all those comments about how lucky we were to be living during the era of ‘real’ music and the romantic ballads . I’m 85 , was married for 53 years before I lost the love of my life in 2014. This was one of our favorites. It will live forever. An interesting sidebote. The music was written by Jerome Kern for the movie Swingtime in 1936. The lyrics by Elizabeth Field. She said , ‘ When Jerry played it for.me , I stared to cry and couldn’t stop. When it won the Academy Award for best song I started to cry. What a song!!
@rozwalanka6626
Wow. The original Letterman were the best. One of my favorites in my teens. Beautiful memories. Also, saw them in Vegas in the '70's.
@sandraciarmella924
There is NOTHING like the older groups singing. Best ever!! Such memories and class.
Oh, the good old days!
@TUBULETD46
Brother, did these guys ever truly - forever - capture the phenomenal story line, the motion of love, in this classic.
@cf1934
Yes!
@hillroberts1311
I fell in love with Jim Pike when I was 12 years old. He has a special place in my heart.
@overundersidewaysdown7010
Easily the best version of this beautiful song.
Those days are so long gone, as anyone who lived them well knows.
I'm glad I was alive to briefly see them.
@patrarus6097
You are so right! Love this song, which brings back fond memories all the way back to 1961-62.
@MrDaiseymay
Quite---but FREDS version is on a diferent plain and setting, so we have two great versions of one of the best romantic songs EVER written. thanks to the incomparable Jerome Kern.