About this Record
Originally recorded by The Box Tops as a gritty blue-eyed soul rocker in 1967, “The Letter” underwent a dramatic, lush symphonic pop transformation at the hands of Michigan vocal quartet The Arbors. Released in early 1969 on Columbia’s subsidiary imprint Date Records, this 7-inch single reached #20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on the Easy Listening chart, becoming one of their signature crossover hits.
Produced by Roy Cicala and Lorie Burton for Demon Productions with sweeping orchestration arranged by Joe Scott, The Arbors deliver intricate, soaring vocal harmonies that elevate both the fast-paced A-side and the melodic B-side ballad “Most Of All”. A handwritten date (“4-5-69”) on the label evokes genuine radio station/library provenance from the spring of 1969.
Tracklist & Notes
- Side A: The Letter (Written by Wayne Carson Thompson) – 3:15 [Matrix: ZSP 150049]
- Side B: Most Of All (Written by J. Fulton, L. Irwin) – 3:33 [Matrix: ZSP 150050]
Produced by Roy Cicala & Lorie Burton for Demon Productions. Arranged by Joe Scott. 45 RPM US pressing on Date Records (catalog number 2-1638).
「日付の書き込みから、ラジオ局で流されていたのかなと思いを馳せる。夫のレコードの写真撮ってブログに載せているだけなのに。」
(Wife’s thought: Seeing that handwritten date makes me wonder if it was once spinning in a busy radio station back then—even though all I’m really doing is snapping photos of my husband’s record collection for this blog.)
