The Box Tops
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2012) |
The Box Tops | |
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Background information | |
Also known as | The Devilles |
Origin | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 1967–1970, 1996–2010, 2015–present |
Labels | |
Members |
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Past members |
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Website | boxtops |
The Box Tops is an American
The Box Tops' music combined elements of soul music and light pop. Their records are prime examples of the styles made popular by Moman and Penn at American Sound Studio in Memphis. Many of their lesser known Top 40 hits, including "Neon Rainbow", "I Met Her in Church", and "Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March", are considered minor classics. As rock critic Lester Bangs wrote in a review of the group's Super Hits album, "A song like 'Soul Deep' is obvious enough, a patented commercial sound, yet within these strictures it communicates with a depth and sincerity of feeling that holds the attention and brings you back often."
History
Foundation and Early Years as The Devilles
The Box Tops began as The Devilles, playing in Memphis. By January 1967 the group was composed of founding member Danny Smythe (drums, background vocal) along with newer arrivals John Evans (guitar, keyboards, background vocal), Alex Chilton (lead vocal, guitar), Bill Cunningham (bass guitar, keyboards, background vocal; son of Sun Records artist Buddy Blake Cunningham and brother of B.B. Cunningham Jr., lead vocalist for 1960s Memphis group The Hombres), and Gary Talley (lead guitar, electric sitar, bass, background vocal).[1] They would soon change their name to The Box Tops to prevent confusion with another band recording at the time, The DeVilles of New York.
"The Letter" and international success (1967–1969)
As the Box Tops, they entered the studio under the guidance of
The band followed up "The Letter" with "
By January 1968, John Evans and Danny Smythe returned to school, thereby avoiding the draft. They were replaced by bassist Rick Allen (born January 28, 1946, Little Rock, Arkansas) from the Gentrys and drummer Thomas Boggs (born July 16, 1944, Wynne, Arkansas, died May 5, 2008, Memphis, Tennessee) from the Board of Directors.[1] [3]
"Cry Like a Baby" was a million-seller in 1968, peaking at #2 on the Hot 100.[2] It has been covered by the Hacienda Brothers and Kim Carnes. "I Met Her in Church" and "Choo-Choo Train" were smaller hits released later that year. Towards the end of 1968, the band switched producers, with Dan Penn being replaced by the team of Cogbill and Chips Moman. This team was responsible for producing the band's final 1968 hit, "Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March" (which debuted on the Hot 100 on Chilton's eighteenth birthday) and all the band's future releases through 1970.[1]
Personnel changes and winding down (1969–1970)
In the summer of 1969, Thompson's decidedly upbeat "
Cunningham left the Box Tops to return to school in August 1969 and was replaced by Harold Cloud on bass (died July 10-2018, Memphis, Tennessee). Eventually the group's tolerance for the disrespect and fleecing they had endured as teen musicians from managers, lawyers, and promoters came to an end. According to a 2004 article in Puremusic.com by Talley, a December 1969 British tour was canceled by the band after arriving in London to discover that instead of respecting the rider agreement, the local promoter insisted they play the tour with the opening reggae act's toy drums, public address system amplifiers (instead of proper guitar amplifiers), and a keyboard with a broken speaker.
Finally, in February 1970, the remaining founding members, Talley and Chilton, were ready to move on and disbanded the group. However, the Bell record label kept releasing new Box Tops singles through early 1970, such as "You Keep Tightening up on Me" (#92 on the Hot 100 on March 21–28, 1970), using material that had already been recorded.
"The Box Tops" brand name continues (1972–74)
The Box Tops name (which was under the control of a management company) still had a certain amount of cachet and sales potential in the early 1970s. Lacking original band members, beginning in 1972 new studio groups (whose members remained anonymous) were assembled to record new Box Tops material in Memphis.
These later Box Tops records used some of the same production personnel that had produced and played on the group's earlier recordings, but no original group members. Willie Mitchell's Hi Records released two singles credited to the Box Tops, one in 1972 ("Sugar Creek Woman") and one in 1973 ("Hold On Girl"). In 1974, Tommy Cogbill co-produced one final single credited to the group, "Willobee and Dale", which appeared on the Stax label. None of these singles charted, or received much airplay, and they are generally not included in Box Tops retrospectives.
Chilton activity (1976)
In 1976, Pickwick Records recorded new versions of "The Letter" and "Cry Like a Baby" using lead vocalist Alex Chilton backed by studio musicians. These tracks were credited to The Box Tops, though Alex Chilton was the only group member involved. Both recordings were released in the UK on a various-artists LP set called The Heart Breakers and Tear Jerkers Collection.[5]
Post-Box Tops careers
Each of the original members went on to work in the music industry in subsequent years after leaving the Box Tops. Chilton's career path included work performing with
One-off & reunion (1989 & 1996–2010)
There was a one-off Box Tops charity concert in Nashville, Tennessee, at a venue called Ace of Clubs in 1989 for Harold Cloud's family member. The lineup for this show comprised Chilton, Evans, Talley, Harold Cloud (bass), and Gene Houston (drums). At this show the group was also augmented by backup singers Tracy Nelson, Jonell Mosser, and Kim Morrison and a full horn section.
America's Freedom Festival, in conjunction with Wilsonwood Promotions, presented the Drifters and the Boxtops in concert at the Utah Lake State Park on Friday, June 29, 1990. The concert was sponsored by Food 4 Less, KZOL Oldies 96 FM, and Fred Meyer.
Cunningham next organized a reunion of all the band's original members, including Chilton, in 1996. The group subsequently released a self-produced album of new material recorded at Easley McCain Recording, Tear Off! and resumed performing concerts internationally. The Tear Off! album included a new original by guitarist Talley ("Last Laugh"); covers of Bobby Womack's "I'm in Love", Eddie Floyd's "Big Bird" (often covered in solo concerts since the 1980s by Chilton), and The Gentrys' "Keep on Dancing"; and a new recording of "The Letter". Other songs on the album reflected the band members' varied soul, novelty, rock-and-roll, and country music influences. B.B. Cunningham Jr. played a guitar on the album version of "Trip to Bandstand", his 1959 Memphis novelty single. The album also featured horn arrangements and performances by The Memphis Horns, who subsequently participated in some of the group's concerts. By 2000, John Evans was no longer in the band and was replaced by Nashville session man Barry Walsh. Evans is employed by the University of Memphis.
In 2001 the group contributed a Blondie cover tune to a various artists collection of "songs you never thought you'd hear" called When Pigs Fly.
Sold-out Box Tops concerts in Germany in 2003 were aired on German radio, and the group's 2005 tour schedule showed a number of American dates planned despite the group members' busy careers outside the band. The Box Tops did their last Memphis concert on May 29, 2009, at The Memphis Italian Festival.
On March 17, 2010, lead vocalist Alex Chilton died of a heart attack.
On July 28, 2010, the remaining Box Tops, Bill Cunningham, Gary Talley, and Ron Krasinski, plus an added Terry Manning played a tribute show in honor of Alex Chilton at The City Winery in New York City.
Return of The Box Tops
In mid 2015, Bill Cunningham and Gary Talley reformed The Box Tops in response to continued requests by fans.[7]
On July 6, 2016, Danny Smythe died, aged 67.[8]
September 23, 2017, marked the 50th anniversary of "The Letter" reaching #1. Cunningham, Talley, and Rick Levy joined the Happy Together Tour, performing to sold out shows across the U.S., together with Flo and Eddie of The Turtles, Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night, The Association, The Cowsills, and Ron Dante of The Archies.
In 2018, the Box Tops were inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.
Harold Cloud died on July 10, 2018, in Memphis. John Evans died in December 2020 aged 72.[9] Swain Schaefer died on February 16, 2023, aged 70.[10]
Band member history
Bold indicates an original member of the band
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1967–1968 |
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1968–1969 |
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Sep. 1969–1970 |
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1996–1999 |
Return of the original lineup
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2000–2010 |
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2015–present |
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Timeline
Selected discography
Albums
Original studio albums
- The Letter/Neon Rainbow (October 1967) – US #87
- Cry Like a Baby (April 1968) – US #59
- Non-Stop (July 1968)
- Dimensions (September 1969) – US #77
- Tear Off! (1998)
Compilation albums
- Super Hits (December 1968) – US #45
- The Box Tops' Greatest Hits (1982)
- The Ultimate Box Tops (1987)
- The Best of the Box Tops – Soul Deep (1996)
- Playlist (2013)
- The Best of the Box Tops (2022) 2xCD
Singles
US Release Date | A-Side / B-Side Both sides from same album except where indicated |
Label & Cat No. | Chart Positions | Album | |||||||
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Cashbox | US Hot 100 | Australia[11] | Canada | UK[12]
| |||||||
July 1967 | "The Letter" b/w "Happy Times" |
Mala 565 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | The Letter/Neon Rainbow | |||
October 1967 | "Neon Rainbow" b/w "Everything I Am" |
Mala 580 | 24 | 24 | 30 | 17 | 57[A] | ||||
February 1968 | "Cry Like a Baby" b/w "The Door You Closed to Me" (Non-album track) |
Mala 593 | 2 | 2 | 46 | 3 | 15 | Cry Like a Baby | |||
May 1968 | "Choo Choo Train" b/w "Fields of Clover" (from Cry Like a Baby) |
Mala 12005 | 17 | 26 | 96 | 18 | — | Non-Stop | |||
August 1968 | "I Met Her in Church" b/w "People Gonna Talk" |
Mala 12017 | 41 | 37 | 32 | 27 | — | ||||
November 1968 | "Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March" b/w "I See Only Sunshine" (Non-album track) |
Mala 12035 | 29 | 28 | 82 | 16 | — | Dimensions | |||
March 1969 | "I Shall Be Released" b/w "I Must Be the Devil" |
Mala 12038 | 72 | 67 | — | 51 | — | ||||
June 1969 | " Soul Deep "b/w "(The) Happy Song" |
Mala 12040 | 13 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 22 | ||||
September 1969 | "Turn on a Dream" b/w "Together" (from Dimensions) |
Mala 12042 | 36 | 58 | — | 29 | — | Non-album tracks | |||
February 1970 | "You Keep Tightening up on Me" b/w "Come on Honey" |
Bell 865 | 74 | 92 | — | 68 | — | ||||
August 1970 | "Let Me Go" b/w "Got to Hold on to You" |
Bell 923 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
March 1971 | "King's Highway" b/w "Since I've Been Gone" |
Bell 981 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
1972 | "Sugar Creek Woman" b/w "It's All Over" |
Hi 2228 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
1973 | "Hold on Girl" b/w "Angel" |
Hi 2242 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
February 1974 | "Willobee and Dale" b/w "It's Gonna Be O.K." |
Stax 0199 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released to that territory |
Notes
- ^ Chart position is from the official UK "Breakers List".
References
- ^ a b c d "History of Rock, The/The Box Tops: Perfectly Packaged Pop That Sold A Million". rocksbackpages.com. 1983. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
- ^ a b Huey, Steve. "The Box Tops Biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ISBN 0-89820-074-1.
- ISBN 978-0-670-02563-3.
- ^ "Fish Heads & Rice Discography and Music at CD Universe". Cduniverse.com. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
- ^ "Box Tops: What's New". Boxtops.com. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ Doc Rock. "The Dead Rock Stars Club 2016 July – December". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
- ^ "John Arthur Evans's Obituary (1948–2020) The Commercial Appeal". Legacy.com. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Memorial tribute set March 3 for musician Swain Schaefer". Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Forum – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989, part 2 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". australian-charts.com. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
- ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
Other sources
- "Box Tops Biographies." Box Tops official website. Accessed June 16, 2005.
- "Box Tops Frequently Asked Questions." Box Tops official website. Accessed June 16, 2005.
- Editors of Rolling Stone (1971). The Rolling Stone Record Review. New York: Pocket Books, pp. 425–426. ISBN 0-671-78531-1(December 31, 1969, review by Lester Bangs of Box Tops' LPs Super Hits, Dimensions and Non-Stop.)
- "Gary Talley Discography." Gary Talley website. Accessed June 16, 2005.
- Goldfein, Josh. (September 8–14, 1999.) "Box Bottom." Village Voice.
- Gordon, Robert (1995). It Came From Memphis. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-7434-1045-9.
- Smythe, Danny and Evans, John. "Box Tops: The Devilles Story." Box Tops official website. Accessed June 16, 2005.
- Talley, Gary (March 2004). "The Box Tops – Setting the Record Straight: a Firsthand Account." Puremusic.com. Accessed June 16, 2005.
- Whitburn, Joel (1983). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. New York: Billboard Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-8230-7511-7.
- "The Box Tops Biography" IMDb. Accessed April 2, 2019.
- "The Box Tops" Rate Your Music. Accessed April 2, 2019.
- "The Box Tops" Simple Wikipedia. Accessed April 2, 2019.
- DRIFTERS, BOX TOPS TO JOIN IN PROVO CONCERT FRIDAY
External links
- Official website
- The Box Tops at AllMusic
- The Box Tops at Curlie