Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
      • Playlists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Music»Artists - A to K»Artists - B
    Artists - B Music - 1960s 4 Mins Read

    Box Tops, The

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Born in Memphis in 1950, Alex Chilton quit school at the age of 16 to join Ronnie and the De Villes, a local group who had recently lost the services of their singer. Chilton’s musical tastes leaned more toward rock’n’roll and R&B than the white soul of the De Villes, but the group had built up a large local following.

    The De Villes became the Box Tops and were soon spotted by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, who, though more impressed by Chilton’s enigmatic presence and forceful voice than the talents of his colleagues – Bill Cunningham (bass), Gary Talley (guitar), Danny Smythe (drums), and John Evans (organ) – secured the group a contract with Mala Records.

    Clocking in at just under two minutes, The Letter – the work of a hitherto unknown writer, Wayne Carson Thompson – is one of the shortest #1 hits in rock history.

    And the gruff, raspy vocals heard on the song belong not to some grizzled veteran of the chitlin circuit but to a young kid on his first visit to a recording studio – Alex Chilton was only 17 when he sang on The Letter.

    The single was recorded at American Recording Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, in March 1967. Though it was launched against the prevailing winds of psychedelia in the summer of 1967, the single would not be denied its place on the charts, holding down the #1 position for four weeks.

    The follow-up single, Neon Rainbow (also a Thompson composition), lacked the verve and immediacy of its predecessor, and it became obvious to the other band members that Penn and Oldham were only really interested in the voice and face of Alex Chilton.

    John Evans and Danny Smythe left to be replaced by Rick Allen of The Gentrys – Memphis’ other successful white soul outfit – and Tom Boggs.

    For the third single, Penn and Oldham came up with Cry Like A Baby, a brilliantly conceived blend of pop, soul and country – with a hint of psychedelia – featuring an immaculate, rasping vocal delivery from Chilton. The record went to #2 in February 1968 and became the group’s second million-seller.

    Following this success, however, Penn and Oldham seemed hard-pressed to find material of equal strength; though Choo Choo Train and I Met Her In Church both made the Top 40, both were sluggish and half-hearted efforts. On album too, the producers could not channel Chilton’s vocal talents into a definable style.

    The Letter, Neon Rainbow and Super Hits were padded out with fillers, including lame covers such as A Whiter Shade Of Pale, Burt Bacharach’s Trains And Boats and Planes and a bizarre re-working of You Keep Me Hangin’ On. The subsequent Nonstop revealed a similar lack of direction, veering between soul, the blues of Rock Me Baby and Chilton’s I Can Dig It, and the country and western of I’m Movin’ On.

    The novelty tune Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March  (a US #28 in January 1969) was followed by a feeble version of Bob Dylan’s I Shall Be Released, which crawled to #67 in May, but a third Wayne Carson Thompson composition, Soul Deep, restored some of the magic, deservedly reaching #18.

    But the album Dimensions, released soon after, showed that ideas were still thin on the ground.

    Early in 1970, Alex Chilton – tired of playing the (now somewhat fading) teen idol and fronting a hostile band – stormed off stage during a Box Tops performance, never to return.

    The Box Top were together just three years, long enough to give us two classics and long enough for frontman Alex Chilton to begin one of the most remarkable journeys in American music, beginning when he formed the critically acclaimed Big Star with old school friend Chris Bell.

    Alex Chilton died of a heart attack in New Orleans on 17 March 2010.

    Alex Chilton
    Vocals, guitar
    John Evans
    Organ
    Gary Talley
    Guitar
    Bill Cunningham
    Bass, piano
    Danny Smythe
    Drums
    Rick Allen
    Organ
    Tom Boggs
    Drums
    Jerry Riley 
    Guitar
    Swain Schaefer
    Piano
    Harold Cloud
    Bass

    Related Posts

    • Spectrum, The
      Spectrum, The
      The Melody Maker had this to say about the band in 1967; "This fast-rising group with their chart-chasing success Samantha is…
    • Noeleen Batley
      Noeleen Batley
      Australian Noeleen Batley was born on Christmas Day 1944 and made her show business debut singing on a Sydney radio station…
    • Johnny Rivers
      Johnny Rivers
      Born John Henry Ramistella in New York in November 1942, his family moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where - influenced…
    • Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
      Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers
      Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers started out in 1959 playing Rock & Roll but added saxes in the early sixties…
    • Maggie Bell
      Maggie Bell
      Margaret "Maggie" Bell was born on 12 January 1945, at Maryhill, Glasgow, in Scotland. She began singing in her teenage years and…
    • Metros, The
      Metros, The
      Big on the Northern Soul scene but little-known outside of it, The Metros from Detroit honed their exquisite harmonies in…
    • Delaney & Bonnie and Friends
      Delaney & Bonnie and Friends
      Delaney Bramlett was born in Mississippi and Bonnie Lynn O’ Farrell in Illinois and their whirlwind romance resulted in the…
    • Rivieras, The
      Rivieras, The
      The Rivieras formed in 1962 at South Bend Central High School in Indiana. Originally called The Playmates, they were forced…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleBob Marley (& The Wailers)
    Next Article Boys, The

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    You May Also Like
    • Unbearable Lightness of Being, The (1988)
      The problem of coming to terms with reality is the simplest […]
    • Jimmy Reed
      The master of down-home blues was, shockingly, turned down as an […]
    • Sir Francis Drake
      1 9 6 1 – 1 9 6 2 (UK) 26 x 25 minute episodes Terence […]
    • Spender
      1 9 9 1 – 1 9 9 3 (UK) 22 x 55 minute episodes This […]
    • Carrie’s War
      1 9 7 4 (UK) 5 x 30 minute episodes WWII evacuees Carrie Willow […]
    • Dawson’s Weekly
      1 9 7 5 (UK) 7 x 30 minute episodes Rubber-faced comedian Les […]
    Comments Box SVG iconsUsed for the like, share, comment, and reaction icons

    OUR LATEST FACEBOOK POSTS

    www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64418847 ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Mr Blobby costume sells for more than £62,000 on eBay

    www.bbc.co.uk

    The character, made famous by BBC show Noel's House Party, had been in storage since the 1990s.
    24 hours ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Put some beefiness into your mid-week menu with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the Radio Times on 30 September 1965.

    Put some "beefiness into your mid-week menu" with these recipe ideas published in a Birds Eye advertisement from the "Radio Times" on 30 September 1965. ... See MoreSee Less

    7 days ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    They were awful. An overpowering savoury flavour that lingered in your mouth for hours. Heaven knows what unmentionable parts of a bull went into making them 😳

    More sad news 😪

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    US rock legend David Crosby dies aged 81

    www.bbc.co.uk

    Crosby, who co-founded both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, had been ill for some time.
    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened? 

All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .

    This is what they promised us when I was a kid. What happened?

    All I have is 700 channels of rubbish on the TV in High Def, TikTok, Facebook and a phone I can take photographs with . . .
    ... See MoreSee Less

    1 week ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 54
    • Shares: 22
    • Comments: 7

    Comment on Facebook

    I thought we would have moving pavements by now when I was a kid 😂

    Totally agree!!!

    The new Tesla, 4.6 next century.

    We got transvestite story hour instead

    We appear to be going backwards

    There's actually a very good David Graeber essay on this very topic: thebaffler.com/salvos/of-flying-cars-and-the-declining-rate-of-profit

    The Jetsons strike again.

    View more comments

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

https://nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/

    Renowned Australian singer Renee Geyer is dead at 69 following complications from hip surgery. Such a fabulous voice. RIP😢

    nostalgiacentral.com/music/artists-l-to-z/artists-r/renee-geyer/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 0
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    That is so sad to hear 😥 rest in peace 🙏 🕊 xx

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026

    Gina Lollobrigida: Italian screen star dies at 95
    www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64292026
    ... See MoreSee Less

    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    😍😍😍😍

    Vale Jeff Beck. Dead at 78. 😢

    ... See MoreSee Less

    Link thumbnail

    Jeff Beck: British guitar legend dies aged 78

    www.bbc.co.uk

    One of rock's most influential guitarists, he was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
    2 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 1
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Hi everyone. Were in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes.

    Hi everyone. We're in the process of moving www.nostalgiacentral.com to new dedicated servers to better cope with the volumes of traffic. Please ignore any SSL security errors you may receive when visiting the site over the next 24 hours while the move completes. ... See MoreSee Less

    3 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 5
    • Shares: 0
    • Comments: 2

    Comment on Facebook

    Ironically, this post has jumped off the page at me. You'll probably get most traffic today because everyone will want to see what they might be missing!

    Martin Platt

    RIP Fred White, drummer with Earth, Wind and Fire, who has died aged 67. 😢

    RIP Fred White, drummer with Earth, Wind and Fire, who has died aged 67. 😢 ... See MoreSee Less

    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 4
    • Shares: 2
    • Comments: 1

    Comment on Facebook

    Great band

    RIP Dame Vivienne Westwood,  one of the most recognised and influential designers of the late twentieth century. 
https://nostalgiacentral.com/pop-culture/fashion/vivienne-westwood/

    RIP Dame Vivienne Westwood, one of the most recognised and influential designers of the late twentieth century.
    nostalgiacentral.com/pop-culture/fashion/vivienne-westwood/
    ... See MoreSee Less

    4 weeks ago
    View on Facebook
    · Share
    Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email
    View Comments
    • Likes: 3
    • Shares: 1
    • Comments: 0

    Comment on Facebook

    Load more
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Sport Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2023 Nostalgia Central
    • About Nostalgia Central
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.