The Box Tops

The Box Tops were kind of like the Monkees in reverse -- they started off as a real band and then studio professionals took over. On their final album, Dimensions, teen singer (and future Big Star frontman) Alex Chilton got to take some control over the proceedings. The hand-clapper "Soul Deep" was the big radio hit, while the wonderfully weird "Sweet Cream Ladies, Forward March" shows what an innovative pop band the Box Tops could've been if they weren't so good at blue-eyed soul rock. The fantastic Chilton original "I See Only Sunshine" should've been a hit -- it's a real gem.