Nite, Conor! (((hugs)))
Have a lovely weekend with your family...get rest! :)
In 1967, Dan Penn, songwriter of “I’m Your Puppet”, teamed with Chips and began looking for local bands to record. He hit pay dirt with the Box Tops.
Box Tops lead singer Alex Chilton was only 16 but had the voice of an old grizzled Negro blues singer. Chilton had his own distinguished lineage, for his father was a respected jazz sideman. Besides being a brilliant musician, Alex Chilton was wilful, pigheaded and a pain in the ass, which was to lead to a musically significant but financially ruinous career later on. Chilton enjoyed giving the finger to his fans.
Penn and Moman found a song for Chilton and his band, and so Wayne Carson hit the jackpot.
Note how Penn sets up Chilton with a mere two bar intro. He knows just how startling Chilton’s voice is, and he wants to give it maximum impact.
”The Letter” was recorded over the years by over a dozen artists, which made Wayne Carson a rich man. The most notable cover of this song was by Joe Cocker in 1970.