NEWTON FALLS -- Mike Talanca was one of the recording industry's top recording engineers, helping create the sound of the Rolling Stones, Foreigner, Michael Bolton, Billy Idol and others.

When he needed to leave New York to return to his hometown to care for his parents he opened Tune Town Recording here.

Tony Butala, founder and lead singer of the multi-million selling recording group The Lettermen was born in nearby Sharon, Pa. and moved to California at age ten. The Lettermen have recorded 75 albums and have had more Billboard top 40 albums than any other vocal group in history. The group performs 100 concerts a year coast-to-coast and in Japan and the Phillipines. Looking at his travel schedule a few years back, Butala realized he could live virtually anywhere and fly to Lettermen concerts, so he bought the home in Sharon where he was born.

The leader of an internationally-known vocal group and a top recording engineer establishing new home bases in the same area has made for a perfect match.

The Letttermen are recording the vocals for their 76th album at Talanca's studio.

The album is being produced by Les Brown, Jr., leader of the band founded by his father, Les Brown's Band of Renown.

"Tony came to my home base in Branson, Mo., where we recorded the instrumental tracks," Brown said. "This is Tony's favorite studio for recording vocals, so we are doing the vocals here. I love the studio and working with Mike."

Talanca is appreciative of having music industry heavyweights using his studio.

"They're the cream of the crop. It's as if I was working in New York again," he said. "These people are the top of the mountain. I'm fortunate to be there with them."

The album, due to be released in September, is a departure for the Lettermen from the romantic ballads on which they built their 48-year-career. It will include previous hits recorded by Willie Nelson, Earth Wind and Fire, Restless Heart and other outside the Lettermen's usual musical wheelhouse.

"We're always puting ourselves on the firing line, raising the bar for ourselves," Butala said. "With all the Lettermen's success, we've never had a #1 record on the Billboard charts--2's and 4's and 6's and 8's, so there's always a new goal to reach for. I hope this album will be our first #1."