He then made a solo album and turned down the job of lead singer in Blood, Sweat & Tears (“too commercial”) before getting together with Chris Bell, his childhood friend from Memphis.
Inspired by their shared love of The Beatles, whom they had seen on their 1964 debut tour of America, Chilton initially saw his duo as a new Simon & Garfunkel. Bell, not so keen on that idea, invited Chilton to a performance by his own band Icewater instead.
Chilton showed them a song he’d written and they invited him to join them, adopting their new name and logo from a grocery store called Big Store Market that they visited during recording sessions.
This song, Thirteen, appeared on that debut album, #1 Record, Chilton and Bell writing songs in the alternating style of Lennon & McCartney. The album was well reviewed on its release in 1972 and appealed to radio DJs. But their label, Stax, failed to promote or distribute it successfully.
Five years after his husky vocal debut on The Letter, Chilton’s voice sounds completely different – younger even, and with a tremulous warble like Roger McGuinn.
In the intervening years Big Star have acquired a cult reputation, defining the genre Power Pop and cited as a major influence by bands from R.E.M. to The Posies.
They’re more than a cult band now. This song, summing up adolescent infatuation with poetry, precision and tenderness, has acquired an impressive 30 million streams.