|
Perform Blondie's "Call Me"   
|
 In
the tradition of the Rascals and the Righteous Brothers, the Memphis-based
Box Tops were one the finest blue-eyed soul groups of the sixties.
Lead singer (and former Big Star honcho) Alex Chilton had a tough, swaggering
voice that belied his teenage years, sounding at times as if he were in
a cutting match with the young Steve Winwood. Producers Chips Moman and
Dan Penn surrounded Chilton with a crack American studio band, giving the
music more muscle and deep funk than you'll ever find in "Mary Mary."
Instead of knocking off pimply, lightweight teen-fodder, the Box Tops managed to add another link in the Memphis soul chain, mixing blues, Beatlesque pop, and the sound of Stax, Hi, and Goldwax. And unlike the Monkees, the Box Tops benefited from top-notch material: Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham's "Cry Like a Baby" and "I Met Her in Church"; Wayne Thompson's "The Letter" and "Soul Deep"; and the occasional Chilton-penned nugget, such as "I Must Be the Devil." The group's heyday was brief -- two years, tops -- but their music remains a staple on oldies stations and has retained its vitality for over three decades. John
Floyd
|