The Letter

I heard Joe Cocker's cover of "The Letter" one foggy morning on the ride to work last month. It put in motion a host of realizations and memories that I am finally now committing to words. I hope these recollections provide some insight to the casual reader who would like to learn a little more about the subject.

First things first: even though I was a huge fan of Alex Chilton and Big Star two years ago, it wasn't until I played in a tribute show on Chilton's birthday that I found out that Chilton wrote "The Letter". He was in the Box Tops? I had no idea. I didn't even realize he was writing music, let alone producing hits, as far back as 1967. This is the original. You might know the melody from listening to oldies stations in your babysitter Mary Lou's car when she used to pick you up from 1st grade in Staten Island. Oh wait, that's me.



When I heard Joe Cocker's interpretation, it brought me back to another memory from my school days, this time from 9th grade, when my guitar teacher Jake Ezra let me borrow Mad Dogs and Englishmen. Listening to this album when you only know Joe Cocker as the guy who covered the Beatles for The Wonder Years theme and who also did a rather wallpapery version of "You Are So Beautiful"-- well, it blows your mind. I recommend everyone listen to this fiery roller coaster of a live album.

But to get a feel of the album, just watch the video of them doing "The Letter" from that tour in 1970. And from watching this footage I had my last few revelations. Like, for example, I didn't know that Leon Russell played piano in that band. And I also didn't know that all of Joe Cocker's appendages can move in different directions and different speeds at the same time. But, most importantly, even though I had always liked the catchy hook from "The Letter", I had never heard the groove and the blues in it -- until the Englishman showed me.