The Box Tops – The Letter
‘The Letter’ by The Box Tops is one of my all-time favourite songs. It’s 1 minute and 53 seconds of greatness and still sounds absolutely amazing. I never tire of this track no matter how often I play it. It was released as a single in the UK in August 1967 and on 19 September entered the UK Singles Chart at No. 45. It stayed in the Chart for 12 weeks and on 18 October it reached its highest chart position of No. 5. In Ireland it spent five weeks in the Singles Chart reaching No. 11 on 28 October. In the US it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and it also topped the chart in Canada. A worldwide hit, it eventually sold over four million copies.
My own copy of this 7’’ is a 1974 French pressing of ‘The Letter’ backed with the band’s fourth single ‘Choo Choo Train’ in a beautiful picture sleeve with the band standing on train tracks literally waiting for “a fast train”. But it’s not my only copy of the single.
‘The Letter’ was written by Wayne Carson Thompson. Thompson also wrote the band’s second single, ‘Neon Rainbow’ but he is probably best known for co-writing, alongside Mark James and Johnny Christopher, ‘Always on My Mind’.
‘The Letter’ was released in a variety of picture sleeves in different countries - you can see some of these sleeves in a gallery below. But it’s a 4” flexi-disc that is perhaps the most unique version of this song.
Photograph by Paul McDermott.
Hip-Pocket Records were marketed as, “the most portable form of music”. Hip-Pocket Records were 4” flexi-discs produced by Philco (a division of Ford Mortors) between 1967 and 1969. Each flexi-disc was double-sided and came housed in a 5” x 6.25” picture envelope. In total 41 different titles were produced and ‘The Letter’ by The Box Tops was No. 27 in the series. A children’s series of 12 flexis was also produced.
“Buy the hits you missed - 25 to 50 hip pocket records can be carried in pocket or purse - Hip pocket records can be mailed with greeting cards as a gift - They will outlast a regular 45 - Drop them or sit on them...they are almost indestructible - Take them to parties or to the beach or picnic...they are the most portable form of music - Don't let the small size fool you... the sound is amazingly big - Start your collection of hip pocket records today.”
HP-27 4'' Flexi-disc (‘The Letter’/‘Happy Times’). Photograph by Paul McDermott.
“Alex Chilton - One of the most distintive voices in pop music. He sounds rough and gravelly most of the time, but when he sings a ballad he reveals an unexpected tenderness and sensitivity. He has the mischievous and subtle charm of a young tiger who still doesn't realize his full strength” - from the sleeve of Stiff's 1978 reissue of ‘The Letter’.
The Box Tops – ‘The Letter’ b/w ‘Choo Choo Train’ (1974, Bell Records - France). Photograph by Paul McDermott.