The Letter (Box Tops song)

Wayne Carson wrote "The Letter", built on an opening line suggested by his father: "Give me a ticket for an aeroplane". The other four members of the group that played on the session were Danny Smythe on drums, Richard Malone on electric guitar, John Evans on keyboards, and Russ Caccamisi on bass. Penn gave the group Carson's demo tape for some songs to work up. He later explained, "[Chilton] picked it up exactly as I had in mind, maybe even better. I hadn't even paid any attention to how good he sang because I was busy trying to put the band together... I had a bunch of greenhorns who'd never cut a record, including me". About thirty takes were required for the basic track. Then Penn had Mike Leech prepare a string and horn arrangement to give it a fuller sound. The DeVilles were renamed the Box Tops and "The Letter", at only 1 minute, 58 seconds, was released by Mala Records, a subsidiary of Bell Records. ==Personnel==

The Box Tops • Alex Chilton – lead vocals • Gary Talley – guitar, backing vocals • John Evans – keyboards • Bill Cunningham – bass • Danny Smythe – drums Other personnel • Dan Penn – backing vocals • Mike Leech – horn and string arrangements ==Chart performance==

"The Letter" reached number one on the Hot 100 singles chart published by Billboard magazine on September 23, 1967. It remained at the top position for four weeks and Billboard ranked the record the number two song for 1967. The single sold more than one million copies and the RIAA certified it as gold. ==Certifications==

}} English singer Joe Cocker recorded "The Letter" during the rehearsals for his upcoming American tour on March 17, 1970. Leon Russell and the Shelter People provided the back up; Russell and Denny Cordell produced the recording. "The Letter" became Cocker's first top ten single in the US. In the UK, the single reached number 39. Reviewed in Billboard, it was described as having a "blockbuster blues arrangement that has all the ingredients to up the number back in the Top Ten once again." Cashbox chose the single as a "Pick of the Week" and wrote that this "extended, weighted rendering of the first Box Tops hit adds Joe Cocker's underground-blues spice to the teen material giving it a power for comeback singles energy. Bright find for comeback activity from 'She Came In Through the Bathroom Window.' Explosive top forty effort." Record World wrote "Joe has a real feeling for this Box Tops hit. Good stuff period." Chart performance ==Other charting renditions==

In 1979, a version by country singer Sammi Smith reached number 27 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. A year later in the UK, Amii Stewart's version reached number 39 on the UK Singles Chart. The American vocal group The Arbors released their version of “The Letter” on Date Records in January 1969. It combined their usual smooth vocal performance with semi-psychedelic studio effects, and charted at a peak position of #20 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the spring of 1969. ==References==