Following my Ides of March post the other day someone emailed me saying that it wasn’t technically a “mob” who did in Caesar but a group of Roman Senators who wanted him gone (click here.) My e-mailer noted that perhaps mankind has made some progress through the years after all “as back then they knifed their leader when they disagreed with him while today they just write a letter.” Thought my e-mailer had a pretty good point even if I’m not so sure about that mankind-has-made-progress business.
Got me thinking about the rock and roll song The Letter. There is an interesting story as to how it was written and recorded (click here.) Lead singer Alex Chilton was only 16 when he and his bandmates the Boxtops recorded
it. In a sad footnote to all this I learned that Chilton died on 17 March at the age of 59 from a heart attack (click here.)
Less than two minutes long, The Letter had everything imaginable in a pop song with an orchestra, a plane taking off special effects, a catchy beat, a great story (“lonely days are gone, I’m a going home”) and of course Chilton’s vocals. Hard to believe he was only 16 at the time.
You know it well and here’s the link should you want to re-listen to it now (click here.) However, I found this other Letter song that you may not know as well. Even if it is lacking those Chilton-esque vocals, it too has some very worthwhile “qualities.”