28 October 2011

The Box Tops: The Letter

Bizarre. Low-budget. This is the sort of thing bands had to do in 1967 to publicize their music. Alex doesn't seem to care if he's there or not. He's just a kid, but has already discovered better living through chemistry, leading to his hoarse voice. The fact that this meant-to-be-disposable show was recorded, and survived, is amazing. "The Letter" is heard twice (without any attempt to mime/lip-sync) and The Box Tops are informally interviewed.
In 1964 Zacherley hosted a teenage dance show at WNJU-TV in Newark called Disc-O-Teen, hosting the show in full costume and using the teenage show participants in his skits. The show ran for three years until 1967.

Apparently the sheet music publisher didn't have a photo of The Box Tops:
Wayne Carson Thompson is credited as songwriter on the sheet music; all the 45 rpm releases credit Wayne Carson:
Alternate label design:
As released on Sphere Sound:
Reissued in 1975 on Collectables: