Spotlight: Capitol Collectors Series (The Lettermen)

The Lettermen were one of the premier pop vocal groups of the 1960s and 1970s. Their harmonies were simply amazing. No fan of harmony groups should be without a Lettermen CD in their collections. The only one I currently own is Capitol Collectors Series, a 23-track collection that compiles most of their major hit singles which I was in the mood to revisit tonight.

Perhaps one of the reasons I love the Lettermen so is that they sound convincing on a wide range of material. Their hit remake of "Come Back Silly Girl" is just as quality as their beautiful rendition of "Put Your Head on My Shoulder." They handle John Lennon's "Oh My Love" flawlessly, taking the song to a whole new level.

Their biggest hits: "When I Fall in Love," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You," and "Hurt So Bad." All of these songs have been recorded by many artists, but they all hold up very well in their Lettermen versions.

Perhaps spurred by the success of the GooMH/CTMEoY single, the Lettermen would release a few more medley singles throughout their careers. One of my favorites is the only other present on this disc, combining "Traces" and "Memories," two songs which seem like they were destined to be together when you hear the way they've been woven.

One of the most interesting song selections is a Motown remake: "Everything Is Good About You." I believe the Supremes version is the original one, although I show others by Barbara McNair and Chris Clark. I don't know those very well, but this rendition is good. It's not one of the best tracks on here, but it's still high quality.

The closing track, "If You Feel the Way I Do," is one of those that I find inexplicable as a non-hit. It's really a great song, in my opinion. Offhand, I can't find if there were any other recordings before The Lettermen's from 1975. The only other version I can find, by Love Generation, was released in '76.

To conclude, I'll simply say that every track on here has some merit and is worth hearing at least once. If you like vocal harmony, you'll be playing most of them more than that.

Tracks:
1. The Way You Look Tonight
2. That's My Desire
3. When I Fall in Love
4. Come Back Silly Girl
5. How Is Julie
6. Turn Around, Look at Me
7. Silly Boy (She Doesn't Love You)
8. Be My Girl
9. Theme from "A Summer Place"
10. Sealed with a Kiss
11. Secretly
12. I Only Have Eyes for You
13. Our Winter Love
14. Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You
15. Sherry Don't Go
16. Put Your Head on My Shoulder
17. Hurt So Bad
18. Shangri-La
19. Traces/Memories Medley
20. Everything Is Good About You
21. Love
22. Oh My Love
23. If You Feel the Way I Do