The Box Tops

On the face of it, The Box Tops should only have been remarkable in the respect that they were a sixties boy group - and one that, in the style of the era, very much looked clean-cut and sharp-suited - that also dabbled in psychy, poppy rock stylings here and there, despite the fact that their sound was primarily rooted in blue-eyed soul. The real reason they’re of note, though, is because they effectively served as the launch pad for the career of Memphis native Alex Chilton, who went on to found the band Big Star, with whom he’d carve out a lasting rock legacy before his premature passing in 2010. The Box Tops made four records during the sixties, and turned out a selection of hit singles, too, in their native U.S. at least; they never toured all that prodigiously, but when they did play live, Chilton sang with the soul and composure of a man twice his age, all the while backed tightly by his bandmates, who could flit between lively and reserved in the blink of an eye; live footage of the group on YouTube remains a real oddity, and a fascinating watch for fans of Chilton’s later work.