Box Tops - The Letter (Live!, 1967)

[SunnBurn]

One of my all time favorite songs. Love this rendition.

[86538513]

i just love this song

[1957pinup]

Two minutes, pop-rock perfection, no bull added.

[BCRSIX]

.What kind of guitar is that guy playing on the right - the white one? It looks kind of like a Flying V. I can only see the headstock of the one to his right, but it looks like a Mostite. Note the Vox Super-Beatles

[LOKISlog7]

Zombie audience???

[thew]

are you sure this is 67" styes look like a year or so earlier. look at the clip of this song from the show upbeat - thats also supposed to be 67, and its quite different



[SixtiesPopGold]

@thew The Upbeat clip is most likely from 1969, because they do one of their 1969 hits too on that performance.

[SunDrops4U]

This is Very Very Hot indeed!

[Playbyplaymedia]

Thanks for posting. The live performance shows a functioning band, playing in a less-than-ideal setting and not hiding behind any effects.

[SuperMiro73]

wow rip alex!!!!

[berky1]

WOW! What a post! Fantastic!!!

[1957skeeter]

You r all bitchin about how bad they were and none of you are fit to shine his shoes. You all probably were in diapers then. No respect for the real thing. Sorry you missed it. Every performance isn't perfect. But they are one of the top 10 of 60's greats! The teen agers in the audience weren't methed out. Guess everyone has forgotten what sober people look like.

[mangledinal]

Alex Chilton died in 2010 -heart attack, not quite 60 y.o.

[TQGraham11]

thats a good drummer

[robertemmet321]

Chilton aside, this is really bad. The band sounds like it's made up of middle schoolers who were allowed to play at the school dance. Even the band's name on the kit looks like kids stuck it on there.

[ibanezgeorge]

Really bad performance. 

[mojotwang]

hey.. anyone know what that guitar is the blonde player has?

[MattWhatsGoinOn]

@mojotwang A Piece of Junk, is my best guess.

[Moshpith]

@MattWhatsGoinOn Believe me, it doesn't help when you're playing solid state Vox Super Beatle amp on 1. Those sounded bad turned up, when they were low you were better off using the speaker built into your guitar case from Sears.

[325v64]

@mojotwang The head stock looks Mosrite. If it is - it could be a Mosrite Celebrity Combo Bass. Google Images mosrite bass CELEBRITY.jpg

What do you think?

[gaspo2180]

BRAIN-DEAD audience had to be paid to sit thru this song !!

[denizenboy]

The audience looked bored because they were. This was a tired rendition of the exciting studio version I'm quite sure they were all expecting. Incidentally, did you happen to notice the cigarette smokers? Sure was a different world back then.

[cmmwiz]

Use to like this song alot.

[KyBoy2999]

no wonder the audience is asleep, these guys are terrible...back up singing is pathetic how in hell did I ever like this song...maybe it was the recorded side of the song cause these dudes suck live....

[SixtiesPopGold]

@KyBoy2999 They had the studio maffia on their recordings. The group, except for the wonderful voice of Alex Chilton. was just a vehicle for songwriters and producers.

[gymnastix]

@SixtiesPopGold Not every group was fortunate to have had a James Burton or a Johnny Johnson in it.

But some groups perceived as largely studio concoctions, such as Herman's Hermits, had musicians, such as Dereck "Lek" Leckenby, who could actually play their instruments in a live context, at least.

[MOSKII58]

@SixtiesPopGold  exactly..

[bplumser]

@KyBoy2999

you get up there and do better

[TheLovie999]

@KyBoy2999 look, matey.. there is no back up singer..this is live... from the sixties... simple techniques.. but: grand ..

[written12]

@KyBoy2999

Hold on there, KyBoy.

I'm not arguing the studio version isn't better, but this is a damn good pop song- good melody, strong, simple lyrics- and Chilton's voice is strong- not some creation of studio tampering. Also, the drumming here propels the songs decently enough.

[englishsandy]

@KyBoy2999 you just suck anyway.

[pisspot55]

@KyBoy2999 ...funny though, I've actually heard of the "Box Tops", whereas I've never heard of you. ;-)

[TheBassfresh]

@KyBoy2999 see "the wrecking crew" about the studio band from LA that recorded most if not all of the west coast AM radio rock music. the crew included guitarist glen campbell, keyboardist leon russell, bassist carol kaye and others.

[patrickb5197]

I think he's 16 or 17 yrs. old.

12-1-11

[NobbyOlder]

How old is Alex Chilton there?

[FairDealDan]

I think the girl at 1:47 is wondering WTF is that guitar just like I am

[tmsconst]

at 0:16, doesn't the drummer look like Patrick Carney?

[DougPatton1]

Hotsticks Holly !

[musemilk1]

Chilton looks like Steve Jobs of a certain age, esp. in profile. Not bad-looking; wonder why didn't feature him in close-up more.

[circusguy]

What's with THAT guitar??? Cool real live clip, thanks for posting!

[hillbillymoon]

@circusguy My question precisely. WHAT is that guitar?? Answers please!!!

[nintendovspcuniverse]

80s is the best music but gosh i wish music could be this instead of autotuned junk. its sad that there will be no more real music like this ever agian ):

[gietek]

It is absolutely fascinating to me... I've never heard this song before but for a long time in my head there have been a few chords that are exactly the chorus of this song... I even tried to compose something using those chords, I've got the drums and the bass figured out but now I'll just have to abandon that idea forever lol.

[kennyplay]

HA, THE CHICK AT 1:45 LOOKS SOOOO INTO IT

[17865329]

The crowd seems to be deeply pondering what Alex has to say.

[MissBrianrodman]

Great tune- good to see a non-lipsynching version.... at 0:15 the drummer looks a lot like Patrick Carney of the Black Keys- could he be time-traveling to some of the cooler drumming gigs throughout the history of rock? Just a thought...

[RangRing68]

Where is that bass player!?!?

[nevetsffen]

I enjoy watching live videos that are actually live. Great post thanx!

[MrRodnas1]

its not a guitar,,its a garden tool,,,,,,, yes you are right,,in the 60,s we listen to the music,,,,,forget the people for a second,,,dont get me wrong i love the box tops,,but the band look like shit,,,just look at there faces,, and theres no movement on stage,,, i hate the guitar,,i hate the way thay dress,,not one smile,,its all wrong,,,when i played in my band we get f,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ing told off big time for not smiling on tv,,,this band is a great band with songs like the letter etc,,,

[blueticecho]

@MrRodnas1 That looks like Gibson Flying V the right one today worth about 1/4 million today. No joke !

[MrRodnas1]

very funny hhahahahhahahahahhahahah!!!!!! guitar looks like a bad designed garden tool hahahahahhahahahhahahahah!!!! i love it,,,thank you for making me laugh so much,,thay dont look good on stage,,,thay all look scared,,,,the way thay dress as well dont look good

[irishace11]

Pat from The Black Keys on drums.

[Junk3t]

Does anyone know what guitar Gary Talley has there?

[CLH68521]

".. what's that song?"

[unhooked25]

The late Alex Chilton had such a great voice for a 17 year old.

[gittahfiend]

this just proves that Alex Chilton WAS the box tops.

[a96xz003]

I think it may have been one of their first recordings of the song or they were stoned well I can't see their eyes but the audience should have been drunk or stoned .

[TheOldNetminder]

This is vintage. Probably their first eastern tour, right after they did that Halloween dance party.

[zarivad4]

Dude's guitar looks like it started life as a badly - designed garden tool...

[brickbat44]

@zarivad4

WHAT LIKE FUCKING GREENDAYS BOUGHT BY A FUCKING RECORD COMPANY

I THINK YOU`LLE FIND OUT THEY HAD SAVED UP AND BOUGHT THIER OWN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

fFUCCK OFF YOU PRICK

[ILoveLauriePartridge]

Dig the Vox Super Beatle Amps. Vox, Fender, Kustoms were the norm.

[videogize]

I know this is NOT the best known rendition, but look at the venue, the acoustics, the inspiration for this. Even bands, sometimes, have bad hair days!

[TheBluesguy62154]

You little farts dont understand..in the 60s they actually listened to the music.

[strebis6]

One lady is smoking 2 seats from the hottie with the big ear rings. She is actually getting into it and moving her head. I don't get it, they should all be dancing. Who is she?I would love it if she would respond. She's probably 60 now?

This is good rock 'n' roll

[bjaymo3]

That's a pretty bored looking audience. Did someone spike their drinks with novacaine?

[SixtiesPopGold]

@bjaymo3 They're probably stoned.

[jcmamcknight]

@SixtiesPopGold You sound like my Dad ! LOL

[ruudje35]

@SixtiesPopGold yes i like it ,smoke it for 25 years and i still like it

[brickbat44]

@bjaymo3

GO AND FUCK CLEAN OFF  YOU FUCKING PRICK IN WORDS

[ChiroQuacker]

@bjaymo3

now you know why producers insisted on using professional session muicians on the recordings

[charfman84]

@bjaymo3

they look dumbfounded, lol, acid will do that

[vibroluxor]

what a ridiculous guitar.

[dfriend111]

all time great song. I've loved this song from the time it came out but this is the first time I have ever seen them or heard them live. Thanks for the post SixtiesPopGold

[kimjenkins123]

wat the fuck guitar is that!?

[fiddyfater]

probably just had their draft letters?

[Dayga]

You can tell the audience was really enjoying this performance. NOT!!

[Zippertheslipper]

Hot babes in the crowd. 

[ankuszyn]

fantastic song

[PixieDust19962]

He was a good lookin' 16 year old, I'd tap that. x)

1:47, she looks like Pattie Boyd.

[lfceleven]

gotta get back to my babe in Baltimore. That's what I thought they said. Jeez.

[17865329]

@lfceleven No, you didn't. He very clearly says "once more", and you know that, just as someone who's heard the song hundreds of times, has known it upon every listen, without a lyrics sheet.