A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton, From Box Tops to Big Star to Backdoor Man (46 page)

Onstage with Big Star at Little Steven’s International Underground Garage Fest, Randall’s Island, New York, August 14. 2004.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL COSTON

Alex’s last gig with the Box Tops: the Bear’s Den, Seneca Niagara Casino, Niagara Falls, New York, November 27, 2009.

PHOTOGRAPH BY BOB SILVESTRI

For the assistance I received over three-plus years researching and writing this book, my gratitude runs soul deep: Thanks to my agent and fellow 10-10 Libra Sarah Lazin, who commiserated with me while I grieved over Alex’s sudden passing. She convinced me that to write a book about him would be the best way to honor his legacy. It was a dream come true to work with Viking’s Rick Kot, my insightful, encouraging, and very patient editor. Thanks, Rick, for your support and guidance—and astute cuts, I mean, edits (!)—and your terrific colleagues at Viking: Nick Bromley, Sharon Gonzalez, Marlene Glazer, Francesca Belanger, Lindsay Prevette, and Catherine Boyd, as well as jacket designer Matt Dorfman and copy editor Candy Gianetti.

In the early days of the project, I spent time in Memphis with Cecelia Chilton, who graciously shared her memories of the Chilton family with me. I also met several of Alex’s longtime friends, among them Gordon Alexander, who gave me a tour of every dive, house, and hangout of Alex’s he could find. Calvin Turley helped connect me with several of his and Alex’s pals dating back to junior high school. Ardent’s Adam Hill and Jody Stephens provided a tour of that esteemed studio and their archival materials. Lisa McGaughran helped a great deal with her insights and network of Alex associates. Kent Benjamin, Bruce Eaton, Parke Puterbaugh, Randy Reeves, and Paul Williams shared their own substantial Chilton archives with me.

Thanks so much to all those in Memphis, New Orleans, Nashville, Chapel Hill, Los Angeles, New York, Texas, and other far-flung places who participated in lengthy interviews, many patiently answering a string of follow-up questions. I am especially indebted to all of Alex’s bandmates who spoke with me. I heard so many great stories—from humorous to harrowing—from so
many people who crossed paths with Alex over five decades. I wish I could have included them all! (Some will eventually land on this book’s Facebook page.) Interviewing Alex’s acquaintances—not to mention Chilton fans—could have gone on for another three years. Though Laura Chilton chose not to participate in this project, I thank her for making Alex’s final months so happy.

One of the best parts of writing this book was constantly listening to Alex’s diverse music, which I’ve been collecting since I bought my first Box Tops 45 in 1968 (but which picked up steam in the 1970s). Alex’s joy in discovering obscure recordings was mirrored by his friends and fans who shared with me their own collections (and knowledge) of Alex’s live performances, radio appearances, rare vinyl, bootlegs, video footage, never-released tracks, and other recordings. My undying gratitude to: Ted Barron, Kent Benjamin, Stephen Burns, Rick Clark, Gail Elise Clifton, Drew DeNicola, Bruce Eaton, Doug Garrison, Michael Gray, Nancy Heidel, Jesse Jarnow, Ross Johnson, Jim Lancaster, Joe Lauro at Historic Films, John Lightman, Steve Lorber at Metro Music, Lisa McGaughran, Ron Miller, Glenn Morrow, Bernie Kugel, Nick Knox, Robert K. Oermann, Melinda Pendleton, Spike Priggin, Parke Puterbaugh, Randy Reeves, Jamie K. Sims, Amy Gassner Starks, Chris Stamey, Jody Stephens, Keith Sykes, Steve Weiss, Bob Williams, Paul Williams, and Max Wisley.

I was blessed with the generosity of those who shared their own recorded Q&As with Alex and others important to this story; nothing beats
listening
to an interview: Daniel Coston, Bruce Eaton, Barney Hoskyns, Bernard Kugel, Parke Puterbaugh (recorded in Alex’s home studio!), and Jonathan Valania, I am forever indebted to you!

Fanzines and various U.K. zines covered Alex’s career more than mainstream U.S. publications, especially in the 1970s, but were harder to track down. Many thanks to Barney Hoskyns and the fantastic archive www.rocksbackpages.com, as well as the following folks who unearthed articles, books, and URLs: Peter Aaron, Diane Loring Aiken, Gordon Alexander, John Beifuss, Nancy Breslow, Pat Day Cobb, Ben Fong-Torres, Robert Gordon, Jesse Jarnow, Chris Junior, Randy Reeves, Antonio Rodriguez, Josh Rosenfeld, Joe Sasfy, Andy Schwartz, Brian Sprouse, Brad Tolinski, Dan Tyler, Jaan Uhelszki, and Ben Vaughn, among others. Mary Lindsay Dickinson shared her late husband Jim Dickinson’s unpublished memoir,
In Search of Blind Lemon
, a scintillating read. I’m especially grateful to Italy’s Box Tops authority Bruno Ceriotti, who has worked for years compiling a comprehensive tourography and archive of the band and put me in touch with several members of the group. Additional
thanks to other authors who’ve researched and written about Alex, Big Star, and the Box Tops—particularly Martin Aston, Bruce Eaton, Robert Gordon, Russell Hall, Barney Hoskyns, Rob Jovanovic, the late Cub Koda, Bob Mehr, Ken Sharp and Doug Sulphy, and Keith Spera. I’m grateful to Mark Kemp, Josh Jackson, and Roger Hodge, who each assigned me to write magazine features on Alex, in 1991, 2005, and 2013, respectively. And muchas gracias to Albert Garzon for hiring Alex to produce my band Clambake.

Numerous people shared their photos with me—enough to create a whole book of images. Thanks to: Bruce Alexander, Gordon Alexander, David Arnoff, Ted Barron, Bruno Ceriotti, Stephanie Chernikowski, Maude Clay, Rene Coman, Daniel Coston, Alain Duplantier, Richard Dworkin, Mitch Easter, Tav Falco, David Godlis, Adam Hill, Elizabeth Hoehn, Dan Howell, Peter Jesperson, Paul Jobe, Robert Johnson, Chris Junior, Louise Leffler, Robert Matheu, Mary Mihelakos, Michael O’Brien, Will Rigby, Ebet Roberts, Ben Sandmel, Joe Sasfy, Robert Schiffer, Andy Schwartz, Bud Scoppa, Bob Silvestri, Danny Smythe, Gary Talley, Carol Whaley, and Frank White. Special thanks to artist Bill Buffett, photographer Mark Loete, and Sony archivist Tom Tierney.

Others who helped in various ways include Kim Alexander, Tim Anderson, Judi Bachrach, Eamonn Bowles, Karla Buhlman, Jean Caffeine, Dub Cornett, Cathy Crane, Jud Cost, Anthony DeCurtis, Winston Eggleston, Alison Fensterstock, Jonathan Greenfield, Randy Haecker, Maxine Hansen, Will Hermes, Dr. Ike, Manuela Jessel, Connie Kirch, Steve Koester, Andy Leach, Mary Lucchese, Danielle McCarthy, John McCormick, Olivia Mori, Ellen Nygaard, Cheryl Pawelski, Michael Randolph, Meredith Rutledge-Borger, Philip Rupp, Rob Santos, Barry Simons, Dana Spiotta, Heather West, and Shirley Winters.

My Woodstock-based writers group proved invaluable with their editorial expertise, just as on past projects. Thanks so much to Laura Claridge, Richard Hoffman, and John Milward. Also indispensable was Judy Whitfield, who tirelessly transcribed hundreds of hours of interviews, and ace researcher Liz DeSiena, who pitched in with transcribing, and editorial assistant Quinn Ferris. Providing much-needed hospitality as I traveled the country were Ebet Roberts, Melinda Pendleton, Penny Stallings and Barry Secunda, Katy K and Curtis Hawkins, Mary Bassel, the late Amy Hoban, Julie and Robert Keely, Rachel and Vito DeSario, Nancy Breslow, Beck Underwood and Larry Fessenden, and Bob Oermann and Mary Bufwack.

My husband and writing partner, Robert Burke Warren, offered more than his continuous support; his knowledge of music and his facility with language
helped so much. When I struggled to put certain ideas into words, he always came to my rescue with just the right turn of phrase. Our son, Jack, who fell in love with “Thirteen” and other Chilton songs, also assisted in many ways, never begrudging me the time I spent toiling away in the Nest or on the road.

Most of all, I thank Alex Chilton—it was an honor to know him, and writing the story of his life was immensely challenging, mostly enjoyable, and ultimately gratifying. What an adventure. . . . He left behind many lifetimes of brilliant music, a legacy that will inspire generations to come.

Holly George-Warren

January 2014

All releases are U.S. unless otherwise noted.

Box Tops

Singles

“The Letter”/“Happy Times” (Mala/Bell, 1967)

“The Letter”/“Happy Times” (Stateside/EMI, U.K., 1967)

“Neon Rainbow”/“Everything I Am” (Mala/Bell, 1968)

“Neon Rainbow”/“Everything I Am” (Stateside/ EMI, U.K., 1968)

“Cry Like a Baby”/“The Door You Closed on Me” (Bell, 1968)

“Choo Choo Train”/“Fields of Clover” (Mala/Bell, 1968)

“Choo Choo Train”/“Fields of Clover” (Stateside/EMI, U.K., 1968)

“I Met Her in Church”/“People Gonna Talk” (Mala/Bell, 1968)

“Sweet Cream Ladies”/“I See Only Sunshine” (Mala/Bell, 1968)

“I Shall Be Released”/“I Must Be the Devil” (Mala/Bell, 1969)

“Soul Deep”/“(The) Happy Song” (Mala/Bell, 1969)

“Turn On a Dream”/“Together” (Mala/Bell, 1969)

“You Keep Tightening Up on Me”/“Come On Honey” (Bell, 1970)

“Got to Hold Onto You”/”Let Me Go” (Bell, 1970)

“The Letter”/“Cry Like a Baby” (Stiff, U.K., 1978)

“The Letter”/“Cry Like a Baby” (Gusto, 1981)

“The Letter”/“Cry Like a Baby” (Juke Box, 1982)

“The Letter”/“Cry Like a Baby” (Old Gold, 1982)

Albums

The Letter/Neon Rainbow
(Bell, 1967)

Cry Like a Baby
(Bell, 1968)

Cry Like a Baby
(Stateside, U.K., 1968)

Nonstop
(Bell, 1968)

Nonstop
(Bell, U.K., 1968)

Dimensions
(Bell, 1969)

The Box Tops Super Hits
(Bell, 1969)

The Box Tops Super Hits
(Bell, U.K., 1969)

Greatest Hits
(Rhino, 1985)

The Best of the Box Tops
(Decal, U.K., 1988)

The Ultimate Box Tops
(Warner Bros., 1990)

Best Of
(BMG, U.K., 1996)

Soul Deep
(Arista, 1998)

Tear Off!
(Last Call, France, 1998)

The Letter/Neon Rainbow
(Sundazed, 2000)

Cry Like a Baby
(Sundazed, 2000)

Nonstop
(Sundazed, 2000)

Dimensions
(Sundazed, 2000)

Playlist: The Very Best of the Box Tops
(Bell/Arista/Legacy, 2013)

Big Star

Singles

“Feel”/“The Ballad of El Goodo”/“When My Baby’s Beside Me”/“Try Again” (Stax, Brazil, 1972)

“When My Baby’s Beside Me”/“In the Street” (Ardent, 1972)

“Don’t Lie to Me”/“Watch the Sunrise” (Ardent, 1973)

“Thirteen”/“Watch the Sunrise” (Ardent, 1974)

“O My Soul”/“Morpha Too”/“I’m in Love with a Girl” (Ardent, 1974)

“September Gurls”/“September Gurls” (Ardent, 1974)

“September Gurls”/“September Gurls” (Privilege, 1974)

“Kizza Me”/“Dream Lover” (Aura, U.K., 1978)

“Jesus Christ”/“Big Black Car” (Aura, U.K., 1978)

“September Gurls”/“Mod Lang” (Stax, U.K., 1978)

“Mine Exclusively”/“Patti Girl” (NME, U.K., 1993)

“September Gurls”/“The Letter” (live; Norton, 1999)

“Feel”/”Mod Lang” (Rhino, 2009)

Albums

#1 Record
(Ardent, 1972)

Radio City
(Ardent, 1974)

3rd
(unlabeled promo, 1975)

Big Star: The Third Album
(Aura, U.K., 1978)

3rd
(PVC Records, 1978)

3rd
(Powderworks, Australia, 1978)

#1 Record/Radio City
(Stax, U.K., 1978)

3rd: Sister Lovers
(PVC, 1985)

#1 Record
(Big Beat, U.K., 1986)

Radio City
(Big Beat, U.K., 1986)

#1 Record
(Line, Germany, 1987)

Radio City
(Line, Germany, 1987)

3rd
(Line, Germany, 1987)

#1 Record
(Comet/Stax, Italy, 1987)

Radio City
(Comet/Stax, Italy, 1987)

3rd
(Castle, France, 1987)

Big Star’s Biggest
(Line, Germany, 1987)

The September Gurls EP
(Line, Germany, 1987)

Sister Lovers
(Dojo, U.K., 1987)

#1 Record/Radio City
(Big Beat, U.K., 1990)

#1 Record/Radio City
(Line, Germany, 1990)

#1 Record/Radio City
(Stax, 1992)

3rd
(Rykodisc, 1992)

#1 Record/Radio City/3rd
(Line, Germany, 1992)

Big Star Live
(Rykodisc, 1992)

A Little Big Star
(Ryko, 1992)

Columbia: Live at Missouri University
(Zoo, 1993)

Nobody Can Dance
(Norton, 1999)

The Best of Big Star
(Big Beat, U.K., 2000)

#1 Record
(Victor, Japan, 2003)

Radio City
(Victor, Japan, 2003)

Big Star Story
(Rykodisc, 2003)

In Space
(Rykodisc, 2005)

Big Star Third (Test Pressing Edition)
(Omnivore, 2012)

Keep an Eye on the Sky
(Rhino, 2009)

Nothing Can Hurt Me
(soundtrack; Omnivore, 2013)

Playlist: The Very Best of Big Star
(Zoo/Legacy, 2013)

Solo

Singles & EPs

The Singer Not the Song
(Ork, 1977)

“Bangkok”/“Can’t Seem to Make You Mine” (Fun, 1978)

“Hey Little Child”/“No More the Moon Shines on Lorena” (Aura, U.K., 1980)

“No Sex”/“Underclass”/“Paradise” (New Rose, France, 1986)

“Rubber Room” (Nineteen, France, 1987), given away with issue #23 of
Nineteen
magazine, June 1987

“Make a Little Love” (New Rose, France, 1988)

“Dalai Lama”/“Margie”/“Junkyard”/“Rubber Room” (New Rose, France, 1988)

“Margie”/“Hide and Seek” (Shoeshine, U.K., 1996), live at 13th Note Club, Glasgow

“All We Ever Got from Them Was Pain” (Omnivore, 2012)

Albums

One Day in New York
(Trio, Japan, 1978)

Like Flies on Sherbert
(Peabody, 1979)

Bach’s Bottom
(Line, Germany, 1980)

Like Flies on Sherbert
(Aura, U.K., 1980)

Like Flies on Sherbert
(Line, Germany, 1981)

Live in London
(Aura, U.K., 1982)

Live in London
(Line, Germany, 1983)

Live in London
(Creation, U.K., 1983)

Feudalist Tarts
(Big Time, 1985)

Feudalist Tarts
(New Rose, France, 1985)

Document
(Aura, U.K., 1985)

Bach’s Bottom
(Line, Germany, 1985)

Alex Chilton’s Lost Decade
(Fan Club, France, 1985)

High Priest
(Big Time, 1987)

High Priest
(New Rose, France, 1987)

Stuff
(New Rose, France, 1987)

Black List
(New Rose, France, 1989)

19 Years: A Collection of Alex Chilton
(Rhino, 1991)

One Day in New York
(Art Union, Japan, 1991)

Clichés
(Ardent, 1993)

Clichés
(New Rose, 1993)

Bach’s Bottom
(Razor & Tie, 1993)

High Priest/Black List
(Razor & Tie, 1994)

Feudalist Tarts
(Razor & Tie, 1994)

A Man Called Destruction
(Ardent, 1995)

A Man Called Destruction
(Ruf, Germany, 1995)

1970
(Ardent, 1996)

Like Flies on Sherbert
(Last Call, France 1996)

Top 30
(Last Call, France, 1997)

Like Flies on Sherbert/Live In London
(SFM, U.K., 1997)

Like Flies on Sherbert
(Peabody, 1998)

Loose Shoes and Tight Pussy
(Last Call, France, 1999)

Set
(Bar None, 2000), same release as above

Live in Anvers
(Last Call, 2004)

Free Again: The 1970 Sessions
(Omnivore, 2012)

Electricity by Candlelight
/
NYC 2/13/97
(Bar None, 2013)

Compilations and Soundtracks (selected)

Play New Rose for Me
(New Rose, France, 1986), includes “With a Girl Like You”

I Was a Teenage Zombie
(soundtrack; Enigma, 1987), includes “Stuff
”

Best of Mountain Stage Live Volume 3
(BPM, 1992), includes “Guantanamerika” (live)

Downtown Does the Beatles
(KFR, 1992), includes “I Want to Hold Your Hand”

Medium Cool: Imagination
(Rough Trade, U.K., 1991), includes “That Old Feeling,” “Look for the Silver Lining,” and “Like Someone in Love”

Who Covers Who
(Cargo, U.K., 1994), includes “Anyway Anyhow Anywhere
”

Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits
(Manifesto, 1995), includes “Downtown”

Caroline Now!
(MA, Germany, 2000), includes “I Wanna Pick You Up”

See My Friends
(Decca, 2012), includes “’Till the End of the Day” with Ray Davies

Bootlegs (selected)

Big Star
(Sherbert, 1986)

Beale Street Green
(Sykodisc, Germany, 1996)

Dusted in Memphis
(unlabeled, date unknown)

Pick Some Posies & Let’s Play
(Home, 1996)

Beale Street Breakdown
(Punk Vault, 1998)

What’s Goin’ Ahn
(Deep Six, Japan, 2000)

Live in New York ’95
(Bangkok, 2000)

Reading 1993
(unlabeled, 2000)

As Guitarist (selected)

Panther Burns,
Behind the Magnolia Curtain
(Rough Trade, 1981)

Alan Vega, Alex Chilton, Ben Vaughn,
Cubist Blues
(2.13.61/ Thirsty Ear, 1996)

Ben Vaughn, Alan Vega, Alex Chilton,
Cubist Blues Live at the Transmusicales
(Last Call, 2002)

As Producer (selected)

Chris Stamey, “The Summer Sun”/“Where the Fun Is” (Ork, 1977)

The Cramps,
Gravest Hits
(IRS, 1980)

The Cramps,
Songs the Lord Taught Us
(IRS, 1981)

Panther Burns,
The World We Knew
(New Rose, 1986)

Carmaig deForest,
I Shall Be Released
(New Rose, 1987)

The Gories,
I Know You Fine, but How You Doin’
(New Rose, 1990)

Koolkings.
Shocked and Amazed
(Marat, 1991)

Panther Burns,
Deep in the Shadows
(Marilyn, 1994)

The Royal Pendletons,
Oh Yeah, Baby
(Sympathy for the Record Industry, 1998)

Lorette Velvette,
Rude Angel
(Okra-Tone, 2000)

The Undesirables,
The Undesirables
(Yukky Records, 2007)