The Box Tops-The Best Of (1976)

Hailing from Memphis, The Box Tops were one of the biggest acts of the 1960s with worldwide hits like "The Letter" and "Cry Like a Baby". Formed in the first half of the 1960s by Alex Chilton, Gary Talley, John Evans, Bill Cunningham, and Danny Smythe, their debut single, "The Letter" (1967), was a massive hit in both the US and the UK. It topped the charts, remaining there for four weeks and selling over four million copies, earning them two Grammy nominations. Following this monumental success, the producer began using studio musicians to back Chilton, the band's most talented member. This decision led the other guitarists to leave the group. They were replaced by two new guitarists, and after recording the tracks "Neon Rainbow" and "Everything I Am", the album was largely unsuccessful. A year later, in 1968, they returned to the charts with "Cry Like a Baby" and "The Door You Closed to Me", which reached number two on the pop charts and sold over a million copies. After a couple of less successful tracks like "Choo Choo Train", "Fields of Clover", "I Met Her in Church", and "People Gonna Talk", Chilton was dissatisfied with the results and decided to record his own compositions. Some time later, after a fourth LP and several other unremarkable tracks, the group disbanded in 1970. However, in 1971, the record company released songs that had been recorded but never officially released. After the band's breakup, Alex Chilton joined Big Star, one of the most prominent bands in the 1970s underground power-pop rock scene.