The Box Tops - The Letter (1989)

One of the best blue-eyed soul groups of the 1960s, the Box Tops rode Alex Chilton's big voice to the top of the charts with "The Letter" in 1967 (when Chilton was only 16) and followed that success with another Top Ten hit a year later with the Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham composition "Cry Like a Baby." The Box Tops were largely a studio construct tightly controlled by producer (and fine songwriter) Dan Penn, much to Chilton's dismay. The group broke up in 1970 after four uneven albums and a handful of brilliant singles. "The Letter" and "Cry Like a Baby" are included here, along with Chilton's interesting take on "I'm Your Puppet," a hit originally for James and Bobby Purify. Chilton teamed up with fellow Memphis musician Chris Bell to form the ill-fated and much revered Anglo-pop group Big Star, whose three '70s albums are now considered classics. Alex Chilton is one of rock's most interesting enigmas, and his sporadic solo records still exhibit his Memphis soul roots.