The Box Tops is an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in 1967. They are best known for the hits "The Letter", "Cry Like a Baby", and "Soul Deep" and are considered a major blue-eyed soul group of the period.

“ [The Box Tops’ sound represents] the highest kind of rock and roll, a music of such immediate appeal that I regard it as a litmus elimination for phony rock fans.”–Robert Christgau.

The Box Tops are a ground breaking 1960s group from Memphis Tennessee who first charted in 1967 with a song called ‘The Letter,’ which like most of their other songs from the 1960s was recorded at Chips Moman’s “American” recording studio and was produced by Dan Penn.

Watch The Box Tops perform their hit song "The Letter" from 1967 on YouTube.

Music video by The Box Tops performing The Letter. (C) 2012 Sony Music Entertainment

The Box Tops were a 1960s pop music group, from Memphis, Tennessee. Their best known songs are "The Letter" and "Cry Like A Baby".

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It was the group's first and most successful single, reaching number one on the record charts in the United States and Canada. It was also an international success and placed in the top ten in several other countries. The Box Tops lead vocalist Alex Chilton sang "The Letter" in a gruff blue-eyed soul style.

The Box Tops formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1963 as The Devilles. They became a popular band in the Memphis rock scene. In 1967 they changed their name to The Box Tops to avoid confusion with another local band called The Devilles.

Born January 23, 1950, Memphis Tennessee. Plays bass (both bass guitar and upright bass), cello, piano, and organ. Bill’s father was a SUN recording artist and worked with Sam Phillips at SUN studio intermittently from 1953-61. He first recorded under the name Buddy Cunningham and later under the name Buddy Blake.