The lettermen
The Lettermen was an American vocal trio.
history
Jim Pike and Bob Engemann played independently in small clubs in Utah . They got to know each other, got on right away and from then on appeared as a duo. In 1960 they met Tony Butala , who had been a nightclub singer for several years at a performance in Los Angeles , and decided to move through the country as a trio in the future .
They got a record deal and after a couple of flops they had their first big hit The Way You Look Tonight in September 1961 . The lettermen were very successful by the end of the 60s , with Bob Engemann leaving in 1968 and being replaced by Jim's brother Gary Pike .
In 2001 the group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame .
Members
- Bob Engemann (born February 19, 1936 in Highland Park , Michigan )
- Replaced by Gary Pike in 1968
- Tony Butala (born November 20, 1940 in Sharon) , Pennsylvania )
- Jim Pike (born November 6, 1938 in St. Louis , Missouri - † June 9, 2019 in Prescott , Arizona )
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
|||
| 1963 | In concert |
US76 (10 weeks) US |
|
| 1964 | A lettermen kind of love |
US31 (32 weeks) US |
|
| Look at love |
US94 (10 weeks) US |
||
| She cried |
US41 (20 weeks) US |
||
| 1965 | You'll Never Walk Alone |
US73 (13 weeks) US |
|
| Portrait of My Love |
US27 (23 weeks) US |
||
| The Hit Sounds of The Lettermen |
US13 (24 weeks) US |
||
| 1966 | More Hit Sounds of The Lettermen |
US57 (17 weeks) US |
|
| A New Song for Young Love |
US52 (15 weeks) US |
||
| 1967 | Warm |
US58  (17 weeks)US |
|
| Jump! |
US31 (26 weeks) US |
||
| The Lettermen !! ... And Live! ' |
US10 (48 weeks) US |
||
| 1968 | Goin 'out of my head |
US13 (44 weeks)US |
|
| Special request |
US82 (14 weeks) US |
||
| Put your head on my shoulder |
US43 (21 weeks) US |
||
| 1969 | Hurt So Bad |
US17th (30 weeks)US |
|
| I have dreamed |
US74 (18 weeks) US |
||
| 1970 | Traces / memories |
US42 (23 weeks) US |
|
| Reflections |
US134 (11 weeks) US |
||
| 1971 | Everything's Good About You |
US119 (10 weeks) US |
|
| Feelings |
US192 (6 weeks) US |
||
| Love book |
US88 (13 weeks) US |
||
| Lettermen 1 |
US136 (6 weeks) US |
||
| 1973 | Alive Again ... Naturally |
US193 (7 weeks) US |
More albums
- 1962: A Song for Young Love
- 1962: Once Upon a Time
- 1962: Jim, Tony and Bob
- 1963: College Standards
- 1966: For Christmas This Year
- 1972: Live in Japan
- 1972: Spin Away
- 1972: A Time for Us
- 1974: Now and Forever
- 1975: There Is No Greater Love
- 1975: Make a Time for Lovin
- 1975: The Time Is Right
- 1975: Lettermen Live in Japan, 1975
- 1976: Kind of Country
- 1977: To a Friend
- 1979: Love Is ...
- 1979: Lettermen Live with New Japan Philharmonic
- 1985: Evergreen
- 1986: Why I Love Her (re-released 1993 and 2006)
- 1987: It Feels Like Christmas
- 1991: Close to You
- 1991: Live in Concert
- 1991: The Lettermen ... Then & Now
- 1992: Sing We Noel
- 1993: Love Is All
- 1995: Christmas with The Lettermen
- 1995: Deck the Halls
- 2000: Greatest Movie Hits
- 2001: Today
- 2006: Live in the Philippines
- 2006: Why I Love Her
- 2008: The Lettermen: Best of Broadway
- 2008: The Lettermen: Favorites
- 2010: The Lettermen: New Directions 2010
- 2014: The Lettermen: It Feels Like Christmas - Special Edition
- 2014: The Lettermen: It Feels Like Christmas - Deluxe Edition
- 2014: The Lettermen: Christmas Classic Collection
- 2015: The Lettermen: The Classic Christmas Album
- 2016: The Lettermen: Golden Classic Christmas
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
|||
| 1966 | The best of the lettermen |
US17th (27 weeks)US |
|
| 1969 | Close up |
US90 (8 weeks) US |
|
| 1974 | All-time greatest hits |
US186 (4 weeks) US |
More compilations
- 1969: The Best of The Lettermen, Volume 2
- 1970: The Lettermen
- 1971: Let It Be Me / And I Love Her
- 1973: Best Now (CD: Capitol / Japan)
- 1974: Sings Old Rock'n Roll
- 1975: The Lovin 'Touch of The Lettermen
- 1977: With Love from The Lettermen
- 1988: Twin Best Now
- 1989: When I Fall in Love
- 1990: Best Now (CD: Capitol / Japan)
- 1990: Greatest Hits - 10 Best Series
- 1992: Collectors Series
- 1993: Best Hits
- 1993: 36 all-time greatest hits
- 1994: Their Greatest Hits & Finest Performances
- 1997: Super Now
- 1998: Memories: The Very Best of The Lettermen
- 2002: A Song for Young Love / Once Once Upon a Time
- 2003: Soft Rock Collection
- 2003: Greatest Hits: The Priceless Collection
- 2003: The Lettermen Collection: Beautiful Harmony
- 2004: Absolutely the Best
- 2006: Complete Hits
- 2007: Complete Hits Volume Two
- 2010: Lettermen Best
- 2014: The First Four Albums And More
Singles
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK
|
US
|
|||
| 1961 |
The Way You Look Tonight |
UK36 (3 weeks) UK |
US13 (13 weeks) US |
|
| When I Fall In Love |
- |
US7 (14 weeks) US |
||
| 1962 | Come Back Silly Girl |
- |
US17 (11 weeks) US |
|
| How is Julie? |
- |
US42 (8 weeks) US |
||
| Silly Boy (She Doesn't Love You) |
- |
US81 (4 weeks) US |
||
| 1963 | Where or When |
- |
US98 (2 weeks) US |
|
| 1965 |
Theme from "A Summer Place" |
- |
US16 (9 weeks) US |
|
| Secretly |
- |
US64 (6 weeks) US |
||
| 1966 | I only have eyes for you |
- |
US72 (6 weeks) US |
|
| Our winter love |
- |
US72 (4 weeks) US |
||
| 1967 | Goin 'Out Of My Head / Can't Take My Eyes Off You |
- |
US7 (15 weeks) US |
|
| 1968 | Sherry Don't Go |
- |
US52 (8 weeks) US |
|
| Put your head on my shoulder |
- |
US44 (8 weeks) US |
||
| 1969 | Hurt So Bad |
- |
US12 (21 weeks) US |
|
| Shangri-La |
- |
US64 (5 weeks) US |
||
| Traces / Memories Medley |
- |
US47 (8 weeks) US |
||
| 1970 | Hang On Sloopy |
- |
US93 (2 weeks) US |
|
| She cried |
- |
US73 (7 weeks) US |
||
| 1971 | Everything is good about you |
- |
US74 (7 weeks) US |
|
| Love |
- |
US42 (10 weeks) US |
||
More singles
- 1962: Son of Old Rivers
- 1962: A Song For Young Love
- 1962: Turn Around, Look at Me
- 1962: Again
- 1963: Heartache Oh Heartache
- 1963: Allentown Jail
- 1964: Put Away Your Tear Drops
- 1964: You Don't Know Just How Lucky You Are
- 1965: Girl with a Little Tin Heart
- 1965: Sweet September
- 1966: You'll Be Needin 'Me
- 1966: Chanson D'Amour
- 1967: Volare
- 1967: Somewhere My Love
- 1968: All the Gray Haired Men
- 1968: Holly
- 1968: Medley: Love Is Blue / Greensleeves
- 1968: Sally le Roy
- 1969: I Have Dreamed
- 1969: Blue on Blue
- 1970: Hey girl
- 1971: Morning Girl
- 1971: The Greatest Discovery
- 1971: Feelings
- 1971: Oh My Love
- 1972: Spin Away
- 1973: Sandman
- 1973: Summer Song
- 1974: The You Part of Me
- 1974: Touch Me in the Morning / The Way We Were
- 1975: Eastward
- 1975: You Are My Sunshine Girl
- 1976: If You Feel the Way I Do
- 1976: The Way You Look Tonight
- 1977: What I Did for Love
- 1979: World Fantasy
- 1980: In the Morning I'm Coming Home
- 1985: It Feels Like Christmas
- 1986: Proud Lady of America
- 1987: One More Summer Night
- 1988: All I Ask of You
literature
- Stambler, Irwin: The Encyclopedia Of Pop, Rock And Soul . 3rd revised edition, New York City, New York: St. Martin's Press, 1989, pp. 400f - ISBN 0-312-02573-4 .
- Warner, Jay: The Billboard Book Of American Singing Groups. A History 1940-1990 . New York City / New York: Billboard Books, 1992, pp. 410-412.