The Lettermen: Once more...

If you find time, listen to the songs, The Way You Look Tonight, Theme From a Summer’s Place, Smile, Put Your Head on My Shoulder, Going Out Of My Head/Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, and travel to a time and place so gentle and where love rules.

There seems to be a renewed interest on pop classics. We have seen Peter and Gordon, Stylistics coming to town for concerts. Josh Groban and Michael Bublé are big fans of standards and have recorded songs their parents and grandparents grew up with. Michael Bublé who got to like the music of Frank Sinatra, in an article said that his grandfather would often bring him to clubs where music of Sinatra was played and he would be asked to sing Ol’Blue Eyes songs.

These songs have a certain "calming effect’ that relaxes the heart especially the troubled, confused ones.

I remember a friend of mine who would sneak out of the house to attend a jam session in a neighbor’s house. They would play the music of the Lettermen, Cascades, and they would dance "slow drag" (which in those days meant, romantic sensuous slow dance). Jam sessions then would become a venue and an excuse for young boys to court the girls especially when the music was "slow" because they could talk in hushed voices- whispering sweet little nothings to their partners.

To those who have grown to the music of the Lettermen, you will be delighted to know that the group is coming to Manila for concerts. And for five consecutive days this January, the Lettermen will be seen at the Manila Hotel on Jan. 26 (with the Three Tenors Angelo Reyes, Joey Lina and Bayani Fernando as special guests), at the Araneta Coliseum on Jan. 28, in Iloilo City on Jan. 29, in Cebu City on Jan. 30 and in Davao City, Jan. 31.

The Lettermen boasts of an outstanding record as singers, entertainers, recording artists and concert performers since it was formed 45 years ago. Tony Butala, the only original founding member left in the group, says, "We are the N Sync of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The Lettermen are the original boyband."

The Lettermen, after an impressive debut appearance in Las Vegas, launched its successful recording career when the hit song, The Way You Look Tonight, shot to No. 13 in the Billboard chart. The second single, When I Fall In Love, established the Lettermen as the most romantic singing group in the sixties. Several hit songs followed with Come Back Silly Girl, which reached No. 17, A Song For Love, which reached the Top 10.

And from among the 32 albums of the Lettermen which reached the Top 100 charts in the US, four became gold: The Lettermen…Live, (1967), Goin Out of My Head, (1968), Best of Lettermen (1969 and Hurt So Bad, (1970).

The group continued to rule the charts in the ’60s and early ’70s scoring over 25 hits including, Theme From a Summer Place, Goin Out of My Head, and Hurt So Bad. Butala’s signature breathy vocals made standards for romantic and inspirational songs as exemplified by Smile, Put Your Head on My Shoulder, Shangri-la, Love and many more.

Child-friendly album

Alpha Music releases a child-friendly album with Halina’t Magsaya Kasama si Teacher Cleo, an all-original composition of songs for children. The composer popularly known as Teacher Cleo in the academe, wrote 20 songs in the album.

These songs include Halina’t Magsaya, Kamusta Ka, Tayo’y Mag-ehersisyo, Bola Ko’y Bilog, Tayo’y Magkaibigan, Kaibigang Manggagawa, Masayang Pamilya, Alpabetong Pilipino, Umawit at Bumilang, Pito-Pito, Oras na ng Kwentuhan, Magpahinga Aking Mahal, Ang Panahon, Salamat Po Panginoon, Kalikasan at Ako, Batang Magalang, Tanong Ni Nanay, among others. The album also contains a minus one of Halina’t Magsaya Kasama si Teacher Cleo.

Teacher Cleo is Leonora Valera, a professor and kindergarten teacher at the Philippine Normal University. Teacher Cleo has 14 years experience as a teacher and she believes that learning through songs is an effective way of educating the unadulterated minds of pre-school kids.