The Box Tops - The Letter (1967)

[SuperMiro73]

he is so young.... rip alex

[Musicmania1968]

worked out this came out around the time I was first conceived or invented before born.LOL

[oldsoul4475]

would much rather have been a teen in the 50s/60s

[jimboshizz]

What the hell is that guitar?!?!

[sa65cn1]

The girl at the end is Patti Boyd, famous for being an ex of Eric Lapton and george Harrison. Someone please verify.

[farelane460]

The girl at the end looks like actress Susan George but she's gotta be older than that at the time of this video.

[MelleElle]

Asl& aime...............

[sa65cn1]

Great voice, great song, thanks Alex. RIP

[Marmitel]

Drummer playback epic fail 1:15

[gerladiant]

Brilliant song and what a great video , love it, thank you for posting!!!!!!!

[dadoten1]

This is such a good song. I don't miss the bad ol days of miming to playback though.

[BOSTONBUCK]

CRAZY AINT IT ALEX CHILTON IS A 16 YEAR OLD BOY HERE, HIS VOICE IS AMAZING. TODAY WE HAVE A 16 YEAR OLD WHO IS SUCH A CORN BALL JUSTIN BEIBER!!! WOW

[hotmn4u]

alex rip

[needtolooselots]

Great sound quality!!

[dpramirez66]

This is onmy summer of hits cd! I heard it and jumped up and started dancing.

[burnie85561980]

Wow! Check out the white guitar! Pretty cool for 1967 I guess.

[Cali4yaDreaming]

Great song, but it looks like Alex Chilton went to the library to recruit nerds to play in his band

[anoopdesaifan]

Is the audience sleeping with their eyes open? They look dead, lol!

[NaughtGinger]

@anoopdesaifan I know like "hey dumb S _ _ ts! You are getting to see a live performance of this great song by original group and awesome lead singer? Hello! Wake up and smell the greatness! LMAO over these uptight folks.

[bakednfried]

fucking awesome song.

[Pukeman44]

is that eddie money singing ?

[digitalwatcher]

"My baby just wrote me an E-mail .......... "

[txdemon666]

That head bobbing girl looks like she would be cool to hang out with.

[Bloodelfmoonkin]

I just think the audience is enjoying the incredible voice of Alex.

[ishredu]

@Bloodelfmoonkin no actually they're just watching him lip sync

[Bloodelfmoonkin]

@ishredu No way... Siriously?

[ppaulmorris]

Just great pop music

[mrtonyrach]

the shortist number one song 1min.56sec

[ChopstickBrando]

where's the horn section?

[ishredu]

@ChopstickBrando they're just lip syncing bro

[juliejazz]

I don't know which is lamer, the audience or the lettering on the drum kit.

No matter, Alex Chilton had an incredible voice for a 16 year old boy.

[ahitler1000]

@juliejazz yes he did ,  only reinforces my belief that some people have the ability to come back , to live again and again , hmmmm,

[Staszu13]

@juliejazz Yes, reefer does dull the senses. :-)

[elwood180]

@juliejazz They're all on 'ludes. And you should be slapped for calling the lettering on the drum kit lame.

[allsberries]

@juliejazz the lettering is badass

[dweebcentric]

@juliejazz - he was only 16?! holy cow!

[Lifeinthemix]

@juliejazz that where cutting edge in its time....lol

[MrBodyeuh]

@juliejazz lettering the drum kit is lame? dude where you coming from? Mars? here on earth we regard it as a coolest thing to do by a rock n roll band.

[merk56]

The people in the crowd are definately bent. They must have thought they were coming to see The Doors or something. Very cool song though hey.

[DrinkEmBeer]

way before my time but my fav song, i laughed so hard at the crowd

[manland1]

they're all stoned

[somethingdiffereable]

I was around during that era. I'd have been about 9 or 10 at that time. I remember when the song was on the charts. The rumor going around in those days was that the lead singer in that (1 hit wonder band) was only 15 or 16.

[koldbludded]

@somethingdiffereable The singer, Alex Chilton, was 17 when The Letter was realeased in 1967. I wouldn't say they were a one hit wonder, though. They had 10 top 100 songs in the US between 67- 70 and 7 of them were top 40.

[flyingfishsurf]

goodbye my friend.

[digitalwatcher]

Thats how the audience sat back then it was a way of being polite, look at the style the drummer looks like a mannequin by todays standards .

[liwtumrn]

yea trains suck... all about air

[mlovmo]

I like the guy sitting there with his mouth open, like, "hunh???" at 0:54.

The crowd is dead, but yeah, back then I guess you sat and LISTENED to the music, and didn't "participate" in a musical "event" like nowadays (ie, scream your head off, crowd surf/mosh, throw clods of dirt at the band that's playing, etc). I've been in both kinds of crowds, and enjoyed both(!)

[Scotttyist]

Freaky looking 12 string!

[ShelbyTN1]

@RP50 You are correct, this was dubbed. Luckily, there is another video here of this exact performance with the original audio intact. :)

[elcamman50]

Thanks Lifeinthemix for the nice comments. I know what you mean. I live here in San Diego. Whenever I go to the Veterans Hospital, I see these poor kids coming back after there 2nd and 3rd tours. They went over with great expectations and didn't know they were sold a bill of goods like I was 42 years ago. Eventually the bill comes due, but by then no one cares anymore. You become just a page in history.

[elcamman50]

This was one of my favorite songs when i was in bootcamp in 1968. We used to play this and Deep Purple's song Hush at the enlisted mans club. We would listen to them all night and just get wasted. It was great to be 18 or 19 and no you were on you way to vietnam, but the music followed us all the way over there. For that we were thankful.

[Lifeinthemix]

@elcamman50

Unlike the soldiers of today who have taken over the gangster garbage to fuel their rage.... nice post bro

[strebis6]

Great song! I can listen to this song over and over. I was born in 1967 and grew up listening to the Beatles because that's all mom and dad ever played in the home. I'm going to mention it to mom how much I missed out on some great rock n roll back then.

RIP Alex

[MrWitch101]

This audience suck lmfao love the song!!

[RP50]

To the poster who pitied the group for having to lip sync - they didn't on this song at this gig. This is from the Live At The Bitter End collection and they played and sang live and sounded great. For some reason, whoever uploaded this chose to wipe the audio and sync in the record. Too bad.

[digitalwatcher]

Should be titled "The Mannequin's performing at a rest home" but I agree they were just being polite the crowd , love the Box Tops though.

[gborn70]

back in those days you were expected to sit quietly and listen to the music and politely applaud at the end. that's no shit!

[stapledtodeath]

rip a. chilton

[xqueenxofxspadesx]

hurry lets do a close up of the only person rockin out a little bit

[CarrollGazette]

LOL! can't help but laugh at the audience. that one chick at the end has the look like, "geez, I dropped acid for this" LMAO! ... but on a serious note, (no pun intended) what kind of guitar is that dude playing? A modified Flying V or some kind of weird Mosrite?

[ggreenwood4]

The poor kids had to Lip-Sync everything, the instruments weren't even plugged in. The studio stage they were on was small & cramped. The audience was expecting a live performance and were let down when they heard a tape of the song playing. Can you imagine even Big Brother & the Holding Company with Janis Jopin or the Doors lip-sync and pretend to play instruments that weren't even plugged in! So give the kids a break!

[3ADesigner]

It look likes people does not like so much...the band doesn´t have a performance on the stage.

[Skullface880]

for all the people being negative about the performace, in that time they didn't really do a lot on stage except sing

[BeatleJaynumber9]

highly overrated tune- it's a drag

[PatrickMcBride65]

who died?

[AviatorAndyK]

interesting i hear trumpet and violin...yet i dont see them....

[kramet87]

nor i see keyboardist's hands move

[deanfransen]

Zalig nummer ! Zoveel klassiekers !

[zathael1]

zzz, who was the headlining act?

[smokiebird06]

Will you look at those deadass motherfuckers!!

[tom1995w]

@smokiebird06 its about the sound wanker.

[normenta]

awesome!



[Tunafish157]

to beentheredonethatb4: sometimes band will "lack enthusiam" or pull small stunts when they Know they're going to have to lipsync the song.....

[grenadier789]

WALL OF DEATH!

[shir1999]

tough audience ... great song though

[bornjaded]

This was a nice YouTube find. That said, this is possibly the worst broadcast footage I've ever seen of a major band. The camera focuses its attention on the bewildered, disconnected-looking audience members for inordinately long periods of time, spends too much time on peripheral band members, and just completely saps any excitement or energy from a performance that's obviously pantomime to the studio version of the song.

[63striker]

@bornjaded I like your humor. Yea, the cameraman seems to have fixated on one broad in the audience, then questioned what else he should possibly be doing.

[radioman66]

I don't know what was going on in my world back in March but for being a radio DJ I should have known that Lolly Vegas and Alex Chilton both passed away in March two guys I've always enjoyed since I was a kid, Don't know how I missed them both, kind of ashamed, but most of all sad! RIP both you guys as lead vocalists to groups that were part of our pop/rock culture of the 60's and 70's. :-(

[1560438]

tHE GUY KIND OF LOOKS LIKE STEVE PERYY

[Pravindaswani74]

the aduience look very intelectual people,like analyzing Alex and his band too much lol

[Lifeinthemix]

rockin



[Lifeinthemix]

makes you realise that what is presented as music today is absolutely not..

Good year anhow

[jsilence418]

@creekycookie yeah well clean up your goddam mess creaky' you pissed outside of the litter box again !

[skatten123]

Listen to this voice.

So simpel and still the best

[abbb350]

this is one of my altime fav songs, they are a one of a kind band , there will never be another band like them, and i have noticed that the guy in the crowd with his mouth open i reackon he is a bit speechless

[Ezdduf4kuZ]

I have to remember this one! The letter turned e-mail. I'm about to send a comment & as well an e-mail. I'm a man of wm word I'd like to think. " I met her in Church", that's another hit by these guys..a most unique song, you can even hear what I'm to believe is the choirboys in the background. It is sunday, the last time I went into the church, I wasn't alone, what a feeling it was(felt good about it)! I'll send this off as I would an e-mail, and that's next...not church! Thx4 postin'

[cafe9802]

@Ezdduf4kuZ Your'll never go to church alone, if your're with a friend. It's a nice felling to know you've got a friend, but it's also a nice feeling to know you got a friend in jesus... alot of people go to church out of lonliness, but the vast majority don't! thamks for posting this video/song, a #1 classic...I'll have to search out that hit by the Boxtops, now that I think of it.

[shoah42]

such a groovy song..had to use that expression felt it kept in keepin with the song..anyway that chick with the hoop ear rings is an absoulute fox...

[lulu8332]

what-the-fuck is wrong with the audiens!..think they have got a depression lol

[PatrickStumpBeast]

I would give anything to be born back in this age. Would definitely appreciate the music more than that shallow crowd. >:I (Except the head-bobbing girl.)

[crownroyal111]

@PatrickStumpBeast Maybe they were just intent on listening to the song? Not jumping and gettin crazy to a song thats actually kinda wrote about a sad subject.

[PatrickStumpBeast]

.@crownroyal111 :b Lol I wouldn't be expecting people to be happy, this song isn't at all pure happiness. No, I meant there's no emotion whatsoever. No genuine interest can be picked from here besides a few exceptions. I mean the people in the last 4 sec come off as bored and unappreciative. Plus the lack of applause sort of strengthened this impression.

[PatrickStumpBeast]

@crownroyal111 I'm not someone who finds that reactions can only come off as positive if people are going :D. I'm just saying that I genuinely couldn't find anything pertaining to this great song

[jsilence418]

@PatrickStumpBeast no you wouldn't have.

[jordylox]

@PatrickStumpBeast yeah but when you was born in that time maby your music taste were different

but great Freaking Music It Is :D

[grannycandy1]

@PatrickStumpBeast Honey, if you were born back then you would be old now (50s) like me...and the Box Tops! ;) Don't wish your youth away!!!

[EmpoleonMasterSword9]

@grannycandy1 ... I'd rather be old now so I could live in the 60's! Hell, The Beatles, The Box Tops, and anything else... xD

[superbeavo]

@EmpoleonMasterSword9 No You tube, DVDs etc, You'd rarely see this stuff and of course that pesky Viet Nam! The Draft! Nah your better off today, take my word for it I lived through it!

[EmpoleonMasterSword9]

@superbeavo Hm , I''ll take your word xD I mean, it'd still be better I mean, everything is so politically correct, I'm 12, and the doctor says im not old enough to get out of a carseat! It wasn't like that 3 years ago.

[Biotektan]

@EmpoleonMasterSword9 It's funny that our parents did and our children will say the exact same thing when they were/are in our age :)

[tyme4mike]

The dude beside that pretty girl is about three sandwiches short of a picnic. It looks like he's about to drool on himself. What a loser looking gearbox.

[timfloodmusic]

0:18 is that Kenny Wolleson?

[TheNonabalona]

miss u robinnnn

[musicadeloslocos]

aaah i enter this video of the song i love and expecting to hear some cool comments from other fans, instead i just read a whole page with some discussion. Youtube is flooded with annoying discussions, personal vendettas and so one. Pisses me off.

[patriotfan2]

@musicadeloslocos what from you tube bunch of stupid morons stuck on stupip

[musicadeloslocos]

@patriotfan2 did not understand anything....

[lchelsoi]

@creekycookie ... that's very funny but you are wrong. I live in the US, but I was born and raised in Eastern Europe. You're obviously illiterate since you don't know the difference between "your" (the possesive form of you) and "you're" (the contraction between you and are). Canada has the exact same unemployment rate, which would actually be higher if the US wasn't there for Canada to leach on. :)

[mckessa]

So what your saying is Americans are eating themselves to death. Why would there mortality rates be any different than Canada, they share the same continent and the cultures are similar. Maybe it's because everyone is packing a handgun in the States and like to use them, there is one difference.

[lchelsoi]

@mckessa. The mortality rates are not that different (78 and 81). Are you expecting the data to be the exact same? That would be an idiotic expectation on your behalf. There are variations in every statistic, but I don't expect you to understand that, seeing how illiterate you are. You don't even know the difference between "their" and "there", "too" and "to".

[lchelsoi]

@mckessa By the way. Canada might as well just become the 51st state. LOL

[jsilence418]

@lchelsoi I thought there already were 51? you mean 52nd state.

[problem49]

@lchelsoi There will be hockey in Hell before that happens. And yes, the alliteration was deliberate.

[mckessa]

If you multiply 3.5 years times millions of people it is not miniscule, you really have no argument....

[lchelsoi]

@mckessa Wow, what a comeback ... you kill me with your rationale (or lack thereof). It proves that you have a double digit IQ. I just gave you examples of 2 countries WITH gov't run healthcare, that have a lower life expectancy than the US. The main factor that decreases US life expectancy is eating habits Bubba.

[lchelsoi]

@mckessa Also, no government entity is more efficient than its counterpart in the private sector. That's not to say that anything private will always be efficient, but the private sector goes out of business when it is inefficient, whereas the gov't will always survive on your taxes.

[mckessa]

The average Japanese citizen lives till 82, the average Canadian lives till 81, both countrys have government health insurance. Americans life expectancy is 78, main reason, no government health insurance. I think it's time to support government health insurance, it would have helped Alex Chilton.

[lchelsoi]

@mckessa ... What a dumb argument! The gap in the data you provided (78, 81 and 82) is too minuscule to prove a point. FYI: The US life expectancy is 18% above world average. The US has a higher life expectancy than Finland, The Czech Republic and Portugal, which all have gov't run healthcare.

[surfercrow]

Can't believe Alex is gone. Dammit!

I've always wondered what that little peep sound is at the very end where the plane takes off. Anyone? Also, that dude in the video with his mouth open looks really stoned. The camera op had his eye on the girl (who is slightly grooving to the song), but sheesh, this looks pretty somber/boring, at least in the audience shot, which doesn't support a great pop song. This is a dance song for chrissakes! This looks like about when people stopped dancing to RnR

[soundsarama]

it's really worrying when all the great voices are dying...Lux Interior, alex Chilton..I want to see them all..should never have missed any of their gigs....

[jon5148911]

slick tom dotcom turned me on.....

[jon5148911]

slick tom dot turned me on.....

[sa65cn1]

There's a long article about Alex in today's New Orleans news paper, the Times Picayune. He lived there since 1993. He was rescued by helicopter followig Katrina. According to his wife he would not see a DR. about his heart problem because he had NO HEALTH INSURANCE. He died of a heart attack at his home on St. Patrick's day.

[kurt11110]

what's wrong with that audience ... did they hand out thorazine at the door?

[Waldocounty]

Alex Chilton, 1950-2010, RIP.

[antonios76]

teleio..gamato..bravo..

Greece..

[grasspa]

Grew up with Box Tops while in high school & they were always great to listen to...........

Sam

class of 69'

[mrjazzy1700]

RIP Alex!! Is the Crowd here Stones or What? The only think moving is the girls earrings. And one guy mouth is wide open, Is he breathing!!!??? Still great Song!

[soundsarama]

@mrjazzy1700 THE beauty is..people were more reserved then in a cute way

[cyndym2001]

I loved the Box Tops but didn't know much about them. Hadn't a clue who Alex Chilton was but was saddened to hear this great voice had passed away. RIP Alex & thanks for the good memories.

[amadovel]

J'aime

[TRANZEURO]

I have to be honest and say that I didn't really know too much about Alex Chilton. I knew he was in the Box Tops in the 60's and in Big Star in the 70's but that's it really. I do know that this is one of my favorite songs from the 60's. It's short sweet and emotional with a uniquely mature voice for the singers' age. I favorited this video just about two weeks ago, and was sad to hear of his passing. RIP Alex.

[beentheredonethatb4]

not a whole lot of enthusiasm with the band or the audience.

[Lifeinthemix]

@beentheredonethatb4

I think they are in shock!!!!

[beentheredonethatb4]

@Lifeinthemix I think they were all on downers. That is the most wasted looking group of folks. 

[63striker]

@beentheredonethatb4 Cut them some slack - they didn't have many drugs back then.

[beentheredonethatb4]

@63striker Are you kidding? 1967 that is all they had.  I think that audience did qualudes before the performance. They all look like they took downers.

[63striker]

@beentheredonethatb4 You may be right! I spent '67 in Alaska where folks were high on moose, dolly varden, and the northern lights.

Did you also get a t-shirt? 

[tracksuitjim]

@beentheredonethatb4 they're all trippin balls. too many colors to move/

[theasdfpanda]

@tracksuitjim I just crapped myself.

[stoneagemom]

@beentheredonethatb4 Some one must have passed hands fulls of downers before they filmed this !!!

[dboyle778]

@beentheredonethatb4 they look stoned

[the13corinne]

Great song-i also have cry like a baby-but done by kiki dee!! RIP Alex Chilton!!

[jaydrakeuu]

Great song. I have to laugh at the crowd, could the audience look more bored?

[LTF6161]

RIP Luckily he didn't want fame. If he had, he would have stayed w/ this great voice instead of his natural one.

[LTF6161]

Mr. Chilton is the oldest looking sixteen I think I have ever seen. RIP

[millbrand]

The older this stuff gets, the better it sounds (and feels).

Proof that the arts of songwriting, arrangement and production have almost been lost.

[tubeadelic]

MAN WE SURE LOVE YA ALEX......I looked up cool, and right there was your picture man.....rest in peace my friend......maybe we can jam on the night shift when I get up there maestro ......two hearts are better than one you know.....BUT hey, we won't need old dusty hearts any ol' way..........just a little bit a soul baby.

[weidner6]

RIP

[bubba2215]

R.I.P.

[Purrrsuasive1]

I love how Alex sings AEROplane. R.I.P Alex Chilton. Gone too soon.

[SusannahK]

Love you Alex. Thanks for the tunes.

[BirthofCharlie]

Great voice. Truly an original. RIP Alex.

[houguerr]

rip alex

[mission507]

Great musician, wont forget ya man...you were so great.

[tikivenom]

Sweet Dreams Alex.. RIP

[chigalinaz]

His Baby wrote him a letter so he went HOME to Heaven

[UncleMike43]

Must have been a "dead letter". Another Central High Memphis alum gone. Damn shame... He'll be missed.

[chigalinaz]

ahhhh he got the letter so he went home to be with his baby.....

[chigalinaz]

And so he went home to his baby cause he got the letter

[wickedarianna]

Bright Blessings Alex!

[SuXuR]

rip

[cgpilk]

What's Moss doing on the drums!

[fullforce9]

r.i.p. great music!

[JUGAopet]

merci, hvala, ALEX, R.I.P.

[paulreyno]

RIP Alex

[andytnboy]

another southern boy gone to dam soon he will be missed as you know memphis and nashville is were all the great ones come to, tn is the music captial of the world not LA or new york the south has produced some of the greatest that there is ,we have lost to many in the last few years enjoy them while they are still around.

[marinade]

Goodbye, Alex.

[MFFilms815]

REST IN PEACE ALEX CHILTON!

[theMayfairWorkshop]

RIP Alex Chilton.

[ShelbyTN1]

RIP, Alex Chilton. Thanks for the great music and memories. You'll be missed.

[valh2000]

yeah right. the drummer from cheap trick. that is funny. the sound of the jet is actually a train sound. i heard that they were playing this at union station and they opened a back door or something when a train went by

[judo7975]

no, youre both wrong on the drummer. he isnt ernie from my 3 sons or the guy from honey i shrunk the kids. he actually went on to be the drummer for cheap trick. great tune though

[Purrrsuasive1]

judo..That's not Bun E Carlos from Cheap Trick.

R.I.P Alex Chilton. Thanks for the music

<3

[judo7975]

im not serious. just having some fun with that. I cant believe Alex chilton died yesterday. I have been listening almost exclusively Box Tops the last few days. Cant believe the coincidence. He was a real star*********

[donn205]

oooh check out the go go girls

[donn205]

oooh  check out the go go girls!!!