Reunion Sing Their Lettermen Hits, Jim & Gary Pike + Ric de Azevedo
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- Опубликовано: 7 окт 2024
- Take JIM PIKE, founder and creative force of the FAMED vocal group "THE LETTERMEN" plus GARY PIKE, also of the Capitol Records recording artists The Lettermen, Then add RIC de AZEVEDO of the famous "KING FAMILY" who had their long running ABC Prime Time Television Variety Show during the 70's as well as numerous ABC Christmas Specials. Put the three guys together and you have "THE REUNION".. Check out their web site at: reunionthesingingroup.com (One g between singing and group)
As a friend of Jim's, his loss was a loss of a great musician and a great man.
Rest in Peace, Jim Pike... Your voice is the golden voice of the Lettermen.
The Pike brothers made the Lettermen! There is no band called the Lettermen without them!
Jim Pike's falsetto, absolutely the signature "The Lettermen" sound.
With all due respect and no offense to Tony Butala, the Reunion sounds better than the Lettermen of today. Keep it up, "REUNION"!!!!
Wow! Reunion's old Lettermen songs are sung bettter than today's Tony Butalla's new Lettermen.
RIP Jim. One of the great guys.
Sir GARY PIKE our life will come to an end, but your group songs will live for ever to the next generstion, sir thanks
This sounds better than the current Lettermen.
I’ve been a Beatles fan but I grew up, heard and learn to sing harmony from listening to The Lettermen. They are the first group whom I admire and copied with my friends when we are together or going to serenade someone. We happen to have their 33 LP album and I especially admire Jim Pike on his rendition of the Impossible Dream. So sad he is gone now. RIP Jim you will be missed...
Woww ,i really really love their voices...the one and only THE LETTERMEN....!Then and now...no one can beat.
Jim is truly Gary's Big Brother. I love how they communicate without being obvious. I love these brothers !!
Still, i love the old The Lettermen, Jim and Gary Pike, Tony Butala and Bob Engemann. For me, they’re the best. Still hoping for their real reunion.
THEERE IS NO POWER ON EARTH STRONGER THAN THE POWER OF LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
RIP Jim Pike.
Rest in peace Ric de Azevedo always loved you and will miss you always!!
I wish that I could of seen them perform in person, their voices were fantastic and nothing today compares to them.
They were incredible!
@@bethlearyhegedus839 We were blessed to be able to listen to the Letterman and thanks to them will have many years of enjoyment.
Wow seems nothing change, sounds good as they were before. Perfect melidy and harmony. So gifted from our creature.
great palceto of Jim Pike. he maintain his singing voice even of his age. Very powerful voice.
Thank you my love
❤️
These guys are right on top of every note, like every recording they made together with Tony. Like satin.
Im having a REAL GOOD TIME hearing these guys!!! Simply,Terrific!!! I HOPE YOU WILL HAVE A CONCERT IN THE PHILIPPINES! It will surely be a BLAST!!!
Amazing Phil, those 'boys' are SO good and what a peerless pedigree with those wonderful ex Lettermen Jim and Gary Pike. Their harmonies and timing have not diminished one iota, with Ric filling in admirably. It has been imagined what it would be like if Tony Butala slotted back in there and I think the answer would be sheer bliss for those of us who bought the first Lettermen record back in 1961.
This comment is not meant in any way to demean the current Lettermen line up who are also great.
2/3 of the Real Lettermen! I love these guys! I wish they would come around to Vegas like the 'other' Lettermen. Come on! Come to Vegas!
I SO want to see you guys. I wish you would get within 8 hrs of Indiana again!. It is like I am listening to The Lettermen of my teenage years and early college days. Ahhhh...memories.
A truly great group who i've seen in person..
Great to see Ric, Jim and Gary... Love this!
The BEST ever!
One word FANTASTIC !!!
Magnificent performance!
Reunion was better than the new edition of Lettermen...
They sound magnificent🥰
Thanks for uploading. Simply one of the best performers of our time!!!
This is my fifth rewind,gosh SSShannngrilaaa is really making my hair stand! WOW as in WOW
2 LETTERMEN + 1 KING COUSIN = REUNION!!!
Rest in peace my idol jim
Amazing
It's because of Jim Pike's falsetto , there's nothing like it
Agreed. He had the gift.
Ric passed away last year.😢Will Jim and Bob be singing in heaven?
RIP Ric de Azevedo March 14, 2023
"God Bless The USA"
Amen✨️
Mike said he wasn't using it anymore so they grabbed it. Tony and Jim met in a lounge group called Bill Norvis and the Upstarts and Jim asked Tony to join him and Bob to start a new group. Jim and Bob went to college together prior to the Lettermen. Jim had a group before the Lettermen that recorded for Warner Bros. and he went back to them with the Lettermen and got them their first record contract, but later of course moved on to Capitol with the help of Bob's brother Karl who worked there..
This is great degarmome ! When was this? Also ... Thanks Phil, for the share!
I have to agree that the present lineup just doesn't have the smoothness of the original group although I felt that Bobby Poynton was an upgrade over Mark Preston in that respect. I feel that Reunion featuring Rick De Azevedo, Jim Pike and Gary Pike sound much more like the original group than the present Lettermen. Whar really made the harmonies of the original Lettermen was Jim Pike's voice.
I totally agree. I miss the origal 3 of them. I wish they get together again. It is very different the new one. I saw them in the Philippines not the same.
Hope you could visit the Philippines.
Just wondering if the Reunion that Jim created and set up after his passing continues to this day? It's another legacy of his but should it really be continued or pursued by a new set of vocalists? I wonder if Degarmome Channel could reply to this question?
The durable lettermen
This was a benefit show and the others on the program were Johnny Rivers, Rita Coolidge and Donnie Brooks who only had one hit in his career, "Mission Bell". He also was the MC of the show. He passed away not to long ago sorry to say.
So the RUclips people put commercials right in the middle of songs. About their speed.
"Show me that you love me too"
RES IPSA LOQUITOR,Jim Pike is the Man!
"When I fall in love with you"
Actually, Karl was at Warners when the guys went there. When he went to Capitol, they followed him and hooked up with Nick Venet who produced their hits. I'm still curious about your age as you'd have to be in your '70s to have been around for all of this. I met them in 1963 when they'd just returned from Hawaii and have been a fan since '61. I don't find the current version singing "choppy" versions of the hits. In fact, I'd say both groups are pretty spot on. Their phrasing is nearly identical
Does anyone know if Reunion is planning on touring again, or just doing any live performing. I'd seriously travel to see these guys together just one more time. There's nothing on their web site regarding upcoming performances.
Hey Franklinman, To answer your question, yes we are still doing shows. I don't know if you would call it touring because we hopscotch all over the country and don't put tours together like we used to do in the Lettermen. We just had a show here in the LA area last Saturday but only do maybe about one show a month now. It's a long story why we don't publish our up and coming shows but I'll try to keep as short as possible. After Jim lost his voice he sold all his rights to the Lettermen name to Tony in 76. Jim got his voice back in the early 80's and wanted to sing again. He knew he couldn't use the Lettermen name so the next best name to use, as generic as it was, was the Reunion because it would bring up the question, reunion of who!
Anyway, Tony sued Reunion and the Judge threw it out of court and said you can't keep these guys from working, they're not using the Lettermen name in their logo. What do you want them to do, have plastic surgery so not to look like the old album covers or surgically alter their voices so they don't sound like the Lettermen albums. But still even today, if Tony hears about a show we're doing he calls the promoter and gives them grief. Even though we are allowed legally to say biographically that we use to be in the Lettermen, Tony is fighting us all the way.. He claims in the current Lettermen bio that he started the Lettermen and that's just not the case. he did sing in a Lettermen group headed up by Mike Barnett back in the late 50's but that has nothing to do with the famed Lettermen group which Jim was responsible for putting together. Jim met Tony in a lounge group in which they sang together called Bill Norvis and the Upstarts and the old Mike Barnett Lettermen were not even around anymore. Jim invited Tony to come join him and a singer friend named Bobby Engemann to start a new group and when they got together they had not decided on a name yet. Bobby suggested the Lettermen and Tony said that the name belonged to Mike Barnett. They called Mike and he said he wasn't using it anymore so they used it and the rest is history.. I told you it was a long story and probably more than you wanted to know, but that's the way it happened. Tony has a much different spin on it since he now has complete control of the Lettermen name.
Gary Pike Hi Gary, Many thanks for your response. I'm so glad to hear that you guys are still performing together. Your explanation sort of verified something that I've long felt was going on "behind the scenes" so to speak. Some years back I attended a Lettermen show along with some friends. After the show I ended up getting a chance to talk with Tony while our friends were buying a CD and getting it autographed. He was very friendly at first and we talked a bit about his vineyard and winemaking, something that I'm also into. I then asked him if he'd ever consider doing a show or group of shows with you and Jim, just for us old fans that remember those days so fondly. His demeanor changed instantly and basically he just turned away and ignored me. While he didn't make any outright negative statements towards you guys, it was obvious that he didn't have "warm and fuzzy" feelings either. It's sad when personal jealousies can cause a person to act out like that, and unfortunately in your business it's somewhat common. Our son, who is a member of a pretty successful band, had to actually obtain a protection order against a former band member because of threats against him. It caused problems during tours and even with their recording label for a time. Well anyway, please give my best wishes to Jim and Ric, as well as to you and all of your families for Christmas and the New Year. While I live in Pennsylvania, we do travel quite a bit and I would have no problem hopping a flight to see you guys in person if our schedules would allow it. What would be the best way to find out when/where you'll be singing? Is there a way I could send you my private contact information so I could be sent a list of upcoming appearances, etc.? I look forward to hearing from you again. All the best, Bob
Gary Pike What a shame that Tony, who is in his mid 70's, still thinks that Reunion is somehow going to take business away from him. Does he think that Reunion is going to steal away his bookings and fans? Petty to say the least. Read Jim's book. It says it all. Tony is lucky he doesn't get sued now for causing problems now that his case was tossed. I have been a Lettermen fan since the start and my favorite combo always was Jim, Gary, and Tony -- I always wished there would have been the 3 Pikes. That would have been great. Reunion is great and is better than the current Lettermen lineup.
I too would like to hear the three Pikes.
@@mrgarypike Hey Gary, greetings from Utah!! Just discovering you and intrigued by the LDS bands like you and the Osmonds! Just curious why Tony wouldn't beg for the Pike Brothers to be back in the band as a unit back in early 80s? Which makes me wonder if that is why you left the band in 1981? Are things better now with Tony with the walk of fame Lettermen ceremony and your pictures taken with him? Am confused by bands like yours, The Beach Boys, LRB, and on and on where one member gets the name licensed like Mike Love or Tony and the rest of the members get tossed to the side.
Jim Pike was the catalyst in the formation of the Lettermen. Gary Pike was in the Lettermen for 14 years from the fall of 67 to 81. Donny was in the group from 74 to 82. There would have been no Lettermen if it weren't for the Hits, and how many hits is Donovan on ?? I don't know where your getting your information from but it sounds like their trying to rewrite history. Tony was invited into the group by Jim & Bob who went to college together and sang together prior to the Lettermen. Cont.
Would love to hear the three of them together.
By three of them, I mean the Pike brothers.
I'm almost afraid to make this comment, don't want any enemies. With the new star award on he Hall of Fame walk who will accept the award?
Should read Sue not she. She is Jim's widow.
The current active Lettermen accepted the award but all the Lettermen in attendance received an award..
They still wanted to sing, then why did they qiit the original Lettermen? Why were they disbanded? And still they love to sing as Lettermen ?
If you compare the Lettermen now with the original group it is nowhere close. The phrasing now is all wrong, it's choppy and the hits don't sound the same. Of course any new songs are theirs and some are pretty good but the hits don't even come close. When Jim, Tony and Bob first got together they hadn't even picked a name. Bob suggested The Lettermen and Tony said he used to sing a group with that name headed up by Mike Barnett and they couldn't use it. Jim and Bob had him call Mike. Cont..
but Bobby's voice is missing from both groups. I love hearing Donny, Gary, Donovan, Bobby Poynton, and Mark Preston sing, but not one of them was able to replicate what Bobby Engemann brought to the group. There was something with the original trio that sounded like three true brothers with their natural harmonies. And I wouldn't go accusing people of trying to rewrite history, it's demeaning to you and them. Suffice it to say both groups are excellent, but they're not the original group.
WE NEED PRESIDENT TRUMP TO GO ALONG WITH YOUR SONGS!!!!
A little to flashy. Just sing jim... his ego brought down the original line up then his ego along with Tony's deprived the fans of the only "reunion" that mattered.
Ric's not Tony...does have the soft sweetness of his voice. He's good, but not as good. Big difference. Also, can't really call Jimmy and Gary 2/3rds of the Lettermen as Jim was 3rd in terms of longevity with the group behind Tony and Donovan...I think Gary was 5th behind his brother, Donny. If you haven't heard the Lettermen recently, the two groups sound almost like the originals with Tony, Jimmy, and Bobby. They're both great and worth listening to.
Jim stills has it....way better than Gary sorry.