Alex Chilton is gone, but the blue-eyed Memphis soul of the Box Tops lives on.
Chilton, who died six year ago, was the lead singer of the Box Tops, one of the most underrated and significant bands of the late 1960s.
Bill Cunningham and Gary Talley of the original Box Tops captured all of Chilton’s spirit and the band’s soulful sound Saturday at the Savannah Center. The two concerts raised money for the Chapter 1036 Vietnam Veterans of America.
Watch video of the band’s performance here:
“We’re proud to be here and play for Vietnam veterans,” Cunningham said from the stage. “We’re going to play a song they will remember, and it’s an honor to do it for them.”
Cunningham and Talley then rocked the place with a thumping version of the Box Tops’ all-time classic, “The Letter.”
Talley sang lead and while he couldn’t match Chilton, Talley turned in a fast-paced, spirited performance on the former No. 1 hit from 1967.
Cunningham brought a softer sound to another Box Tops’ standard, “Neon Rainbow.”
“That song came out during the Summer of Love,” Cunningham said of that long ago time of 1967. “Sometimes, it’s hard to remember all the things we did back then, but I hope you remember this song.”
The Box Tops possessed a glossy, smooth sound, deeply influenced by the Memphis music scene.
Hits such as “Soul Deep” and “Cry Like A Baby,” echoed a variety of Memphis artists,. The list includes such acts as Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, Booker T and the MGs, Isaac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, Bobby Womack and B.B. King.
These Box Tops offered a musical tour of that time and those artists during the concert.
The set list featured r&B and rock and such numbers as “Treat Her Right,” “Rock Me Baby,” “Walking the Dog,” “It’s All Over Now” and “I’m Your Puppet.” There was also a touch of bluesy, psychedelic sounds with a cover of Procol Harum’s “Whiter Shade of Pale” and Cream’s “Born Under a Bad Sign.”
Cunningham played bass and Talley was on lead guitar as the band paid tribute to new Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan. Cunningham said lead on Dylan’s introspective, “I Shall Be Released
Cunningham, like the rest of the Box Tops, grew up in Memphis. His father was a musician at Sun Studios and the family lived near Sam Phillips, who founded Sun and gave Elvis Presley his first break.
“One day, Elvis parked his Cadillac in the driveway,” Cunningham said. “Elvis couldn’t get it started and he needed a push to get the car in gear. So I, along with my brother and a couple of other guys pushed the car.
“Elvis was pushing, staying close to the driver’s seat door. The car kicked into gear, and Elvis jumped in the front seat and drove away.”
Then Cunningham added, with a smile: “I like to tell people, I helped Elvis get his start.”
