The Box Tops came out of Memphis in the 1960s with Alex Chilton singing lead. Their 1967 single 'The Letter' went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and Chilton's voice on that track, a little rough, a little urgent, gave the song its pull. They recorded it with producer Chips Moman after changing their name from The Devilles.
They followed 'The Letter' with songs like 'Cry Like A Baby' and 'Fields Of Clover,' working in a soul-pop vein that kept them on the radio for a few years. Chilton grew restless with the band's direction and left in 1970. The group carried on into the early 1970s before disbanding.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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