The Box Tops ‎ The Letter/Neon Rainbow 1967 Original Monarch Stereo Vinyl LP

$

30

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Jump to navigationJump to search The Letter/Neon Rainbow Studio album by  The Box Tops Released November 1967 Recorded American Sound Studio, Memphis, Tennessee Genre Blue-eyed soul, rock Length 34:56 (LP)
45:33 (CD reissue) Label Bell Producer Dan Penn The Box Tops chronology The Letter/Neon Rainbow
(1967) Cry Like a Baby
(1968)

The Letter/Neon Rainbow is an album by American blue-eyed soul band The Box Tops, released in 1967. Following "The Letter" reaching number one on the singles charts, The Letter/Neon Rainbow was quickly assembled for a follow up. The album peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart in 1968.

History

Most of the backing tracks were performed by session musicians, however the original group played the hit "The Letter". The session musicians likely consisted of Reggie Young and Bobby Womack (guitars), Tommy Cogbill (bass), Bobby Emmons (piano, organ), and Gene Chrisman (drums).

Although lead singer Alex Chilton (16 at the time) had already written a number of songs, none were included on the Box Tops' debut LP, perhaps due to his relative inexperience with songwriting. Chilton later had a significant songwriting role in the cult power pop band Big Star, and after the dissolution of the group continued to develop his career as a solo artist.

Reception

Writing for Allmusic, music critic Richie Unterberger noted Chilton's strong vocals but called the album "a spotty affair showing every indication of having been assembled very quickly in the wake of "The Letter" soaring to number one."

Track listing

1. "The Letter" (Wayne Carson Thompson) – 1:55
2. "She Knows How" (Thompson) – 3:08
3. "Trains and Boats and Planes" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 3:48
4. "Break My Mind" (John D. Loudermilk) – 2:29
5. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (Gary Brooker, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher) – 4:34
6. "Everything I Am" (Spooner Oldham, Dan Penn) – 2:20
7. "Neon Rainbow" (Thompson) – 3:04
8. "People Make the World" (Bobby Womack) – 2:31
9. "I'm Your Puppet" (Oldham, Penn) – 2:54
10. "Happy Times" (Oldham, Penn) – 1:46
11. "Gonna Find Somebody" (Womack) – 3:02
12. "I Pray for Rain" (Oldham, Penn) – 2:26