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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.

The Letter/Neon Rainbow
Studio album by The Box Tops
Released	November 1967
Studio	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)

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).[1][2]

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.[3]

The Letter/Neon Rainbow was re-released on CD in 2000 on the Sundazed label (SC 6158) with four additional tracks. These included the mono single versions of "The Letter" and "Neon Rainbow"; the 1969 single "Turn on a Dream"; and the previously unreleased track "Georgia Farm Boy".

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]

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."[2]

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

CD bonus tracks

13. "Turn on a Dream" (Mark James) – 2:50
14. "The Letter" (Thompson) – 1:58
15. "Neon Rainbow" (Thompson) – 3:00
16. "Georgia Farm Boy" (Mickey Newbury) – 3:48

Personnel

The Box Tops

• Alex Chilton – vocals, guitar
• Bill Cunningham – bass guitar
• John Evans – keyboards
• Danny Smythe – drums
• Gary Talley – guitar, backing vocals

with:

• Dan Penn – backing vocals
• Unnamed session musicians

Production notes

• Produced by Dan Penn
• Engineered by Chips Moman
• Remastered by Bob Irwin at Sundazed Studios, Coxsackie, NY
• Original cover photo by Frank Lerner
• Cover art by Rich Russell
• Original cover design – Steven Craig Productions
• Liner notes by Jud Cost and Hal Smith (original and re-issue)
• Re-issue photos & graphics courtesy of Bill Cunningham, Danny Smythe, Clark & Steve Besch, Ric Zannitto, and the Sundazed Archive

References

External links

• Official Box Tops web site entry for The Letter/Neon Rainbow
• Classic Rock Bands: Box Tops
• Interview with Box Tops bassist Bill Cunningham

На других языках

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- [en] The Letter/Neon Rainbow

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[ru] The Letter/Neon Rainbow

The Letter/Neon Rainbow — дебютный студийный альбом американской группы голубоглазого соула The Box Tops, выпущенный в 1967 году. Вслед за успехом сингла «The Letterruen», достигшего верхних строчек чартов[1], The Letter/Neon Rainbow был быстро дозаписан для скорейшего выпуска. В 1968 году альбом достиг 87 места в чарте Billboard Pop Albums[2].

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