Were a couple of coal miners kids from Pennsylvania. It was frightening.. The album and single were both released in 1967. Our Top 10 Tommy James And The Shondells songs list takes a look at the bands 1960s period when they were a mainstay on the music charts and one of the most loved bands in the world. Ad. It was at a Raconteurs show at the Thunderbird Cafe in Greensburg that they were approached by James and Mack about becoming the new Shondells. MTV, EMA and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. Bop Shop: Songs From Thundercat And Tame Impala, Aiza, Honey Revenge, And More, Jessie Ware Understands That Dancing Is Freedom, On her new album 'That! Mike Vale, Ron Rosman, Eddie Gray -- Former original members of Tommy James and The Shondells November 11, 2014 at 4:53 pm EST Mike Vale, Ron Rosman and Eddie Gray, former original members. [15] On January 6, 1987, original drummer Peter P. Lucia Jr. died of a heart attack while playing golf at the age of 39. More images. Vale said there were times when Levy would have to have the band go into hiding in the mountains of upstate New York for their own safety. Eddie Gray / Tommy James / Mike Vale. Joan Jett had a top 10 hit with a cover of Crimson and Clover, in 1982. At this time, the band included Tommy James (vocals and guitar), Larry Coverdale (lead guitar), Larry Wright (bass), Craig Villeneuve (keyboards) and Jim Payne (drums). The companys co-founder and owner Morris Levy worked for New Yorks Genovese crime family. The song was released on the Crimson and Clover album in 1968. Vales bandmates, guitarist Eddie Gray, keyboard player Ron Rosman and drummer Pete Lucia, were concerned because they were still in college, but they decided to take a year off and go to New York with Tommy James. By 1966, however, when they began their chart career, high-energy pop was for kids (the Monkees, Paul Revere & the Raiders) and two paths -- heavy studio experimentation or a soft pop sound -- were the ways to get heard by the young music-listening public. There remains disagreement over the role of Metrovich in the recording. The following year, "Hanky Panky" received national distribution and topped the Billboard Hot 100. We took a long ride, and it was very successful, said Vale. In 1987 the U.S. and UK pop charts had something of a Shondells renaissance: Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" was bumped off the top of the Billboard Hot 100 by Billy Idol's take on "Mony Mony." How much is a biblical shekel of silver worth in us dollars? [1], According to James's manager, James was actually inspired by his readings of the Book of Ezekiel, which (he remembered as) speaking of a blue Shekhinah light that represented the presence of the Almighty God, and of the Book of Isaiah and Book of Revelation, which tell of a future age of brotherhood of mankind, living in peace and harmony. Vale's bandmates, guitarist Eddie Gray, keyboard player Ron Rosman and drummer Pete Lucia, were concerned because they were still in college, but they decided to take a year off and go to New. He has spent thirty years in the music business often working with many of the people who have appeared on this site. Is Brooke shields related to willow shields? My mom was with him. The song Sweet Cherry Wine, was a top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number seven. In 2015, Vale and the other former Shondells reunited and formed the Crystal Blue Band after his grandchildren and great-grandchildren asked about the gold records displayed on the basement walls of his house in Deep Creek Lake, Md. Once we spent time with Morris at the offices in New York and saw who was coming in and out and saw weapons being handled, we started to realize the world we were getting into. What is wrong with reporter Susan Raff's arm on WFSB news? Tommy James, Ed Gray, Mike Vale: Tommy James and The Shondells: May 1969: Covered by : Draggin' the Line: Tommy James, Bob King [CA1] Tommy James: December 1970: The record was released in January of 1969. (Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Embed PURCHASE A LICENSE Standard editorial rights Custom rights How can I use this image? A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs, Writer/s: Eddie Morley Gray, Mike Vale, Tommy James, More songs from Tommy James & the Shondells, More songs the author denied was about drugs, More songs about spirituality or religion, Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be), Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition. In 1967, Tommy James and the Shondells released two more albums entitled I Think Were Alone Now and Getting Together. 4:01: A3: Mony, Mony. A blast of energetic rock & roll just as psychedelia and progressive rock were beginning their rise to the top, Tommy James & the Shondells harked back to an earlier era, specifically the late '50s and early '60s, when simple, high-energy rock and pop were twin tickets to the top of the charts. They had two number 1 hits in the United States and even more Top 40 hits. It was so much fun and was received so well that we kept on going until now.. Musicians from a Latrobe band called The Raconteurs were signed on to perform with James and the rest is history. He soon disbanded the group, though Gray and the others kept touring and recorded one LP under the name Hog Heaven. A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional. Do Eric benet and Lisa bonet have a child together? The track, "Crimson and Clover" (RealAudio excerpt), topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became the band's biggest hit (Joan Jett went on to hit #7 with the song in 1982). Tommy James & the Shondells on their 2010 tour, The Best of Tommy James and The Shondells, "Hanky Panky: The Raindrops | Listen, Appearances, Song Review", "Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells", "Tommy James & the Shondells Official Website", "Tommy James & The Shondells 'Crimson & Clover' - Classic Tracks", "Tighter, Tighter - Alive 'N Kickin' | Listen, Appearances, Song Review", "Tommy James & the Shondells: Live! He was not dead, however, and decided to move to the country to rest and recuperate, and left the band. Ron Rosman has remained very active recording and performing Gospel Music including his latest album, "My Offering". 1 singles in the U.S., "Hanky Panky" (July 1966) and "Crimson and Clover" (February 1969), and also charted twelve other top 40 hits, including five in the hot 100's top ten: "I Think We're Alone Now", "Mirage", "Mony Mony", "Sweet Cherry Wine", and "Crystal Blue Persuasion". Ad. Label: Roulette - 45-42040: . Were at an age now where the last thing we want to do is be running around the country for our own enjoyment and run into something thats going to take us away from the families that were trying to be more involved with.. They will be performing in DuBois on September 3 and at the Casino Theatre September 17 in Vandergrift. The upcoming shows aim to remind audiences of the unrecognized contributions of the less famous Shondells. Free shipping for many products! Tommy James and the Shondells sang Crimson and Clover released View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the Vinyl release of "The Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells" on Discogs. And were thinking What are we getting into? According to members Mike Vale and Ron Rosman, the band used bar gigs as their way of paying for schooling at St. Vincent College. A Greenwich Village nightclub appearance was filmed and released as Tommy James & the Shondells: Live! Born Feb. 27, 1948, in Scottdale, Pa., Gray joined the Shondells in 1965, in Pittsburgh, where Michigan-based James had moved the band when a local DJ picked up his song "Hanky Panky." Tommy James And The Shondells song Get Out Now, was the lead off single from their legendary Mony Mony album. The impact of the late 1960s psychedelic and progressive rock movements seemed to inspire the modest musical shift that was apparent on the Cellophane Symphony album. They said yes, and off we went. Mike Vale, Ron Rosman and Eddie Gray, former original members of Tommy James And The Shondells, will be rockin' the Parade this year when they perform "Mony Mony" and more! Have a tip for the WESA newsroom? The American rock and roll band "Tommy James and the Shondells" was formed in 1959. The Crystal Blue Band draws its name from the 1968 hit Crystal Blue Persuasion, a song that Vale co-wrote. Billboard Hot 100. In 1979, music writer Dave Marsh described it as "a transparent allegory about James' involvement with amphetamines."[3]. They recruited their longtime friend and drummer Mike Wilps to replace the late Peter Lucia. More images. Eddie Gray and Mike Vale, are back at it. View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1969 Vinyl release of "The Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells" on Discogs. The solo career of Tommy James post-Shondells is well worth investigating for those who focus only on the early material, but spending one-third of the set's running time on the mid-'80s and beyond smacks of hubris. Label: Roulette - CLVLXR 453: Series: . The band had not yet practiced, so the entire performance, music and vocally, was lip synced. The classic Tommy James And The Shondells song Hanky Panky, was the bands first number one hit. A music video was made which showed various scenes of late 1960s political and cultural unrest and imagery of "love and peace".[6]. Co-written by James, Cordell, Cordell's writing partner Bo Gentry, and Bobby Bloom, "Mony Mony" reached No. 1967's I Think We're Alone Now and 1969's trippy Cellophane Symphony were two of the strongest albums from the group's original run and the 2021 box set Celebration: The Complete Roulette Recordings 1966-1973 Three original members from Tommy James and the Shondells have gotten back together as The Crystal Blue Band.One member, Ron Rosman, was born and rais . We would have to be hidden.. Continuing with our top 10 Tommy James And The Shondells songs list we turn to their Cellophane Symphony album. Thank God, the stars have recently aligned in a way to bring us back together.Although The Shondells did get together with Tommy James in 2011 briefly to help write and record a Christmas album, the group will be touring without TJ who continues to perform with his own group of musicians.Mike, Ed and Ron, along with fellow Shondell, Peter Lucia, who has since passed away, were often guests on TV's most popular shows of the day like "The Ed Sullivan Show"(twice), "American Bandstand" (3 times), "The Dating Game", "Joey Bishop" and many more. Tommy James & The Shondells - Crimson And Clover (LIVE) 4:41; Tommy James and The Shondells - Crimson and Clover. Written-By - Ed Gray*, Mike Vale, Tommy James. We had our own connotations of what the word Mafia meant and all of a sudden it became real. The band The Echoes formed in 1959 in Niles, Michigan, then evolved into Tom and the Tornadoes, . At a concert in Birmingham, Alabama in March of 1970, an exhausted James collapsed after coming off stage from a reaction to drugs and was pronounced dead. And now, 56 years and a few incarnations later, the 82-year-old Vales Crystal Blue Band is bowing out with one final concert at Saturdays Banana Split Celebration on the Robindale Main Stage (320 Main Street) in Latrobe. The words jumped out at me, and they're not together; they're spread out over three or four verses. 2 [Realm], Entertainment Weekly: The Greatest Hits 1969, A Shot in the Dark: Tennessee Jive 1945-1955, The Best of Tommy James & the Shondells [K-Tel], 50 Years of Swing: 50 Great Years & Tracks, The Best of Tommy James & the Shondells [Rhino], The Very Best of Tommy James & the Shondells, Billboard Top Rock 'n' Roll Hits: 1968-1972, The Best of Tommy James & the Shondells [Roulette], A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum [Original London Cast], A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum [Original Broadway Cast], Party Tyme Karaoke: Instrumentals, Vol. During the process of recording a second album, which was never released, Vale said he and the others learned that Tommy James had decided to go back out on the road as a solo act with another band backing him up. The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song. Roger Daltrey stutters the vocal on "My Generation" by The Who. "We have been asked countless times over the years by friends and fans, when are you guys going get out and play together again", Mike Vale, Bass Player and songwriter with the group said. Brian Kachejian also holds B.A. Read Full Biography Overview Biography Discography Songs Credits Awards Related Share on facebook twitter tumblr Album Discography full condensed blue highlight denotes album pick Want to spend the night on the Gettysburg Battlefield? Gettin Together was the only single released from the album. 7 in 1982), Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" and Billy Idol's "Mony Mony" (back-to-back No. So, on occasion, we spent some time out of town. The next group of songs on this Top 10 Tommy James And The Shondells Songs list feature five of the bands biggest hits. What James had going on was an infectious song called Hanky Panky that he had recorded with his group the Shondells some two years earlier. Left to right: Ron Rosman, Peter Lucia, Tommy James, Mike Vale and Eddie Gray. James first learned of all this activity in April 1966 after getting a telephone call from Pittsburgh disc jockey "Mad Mike" Metro(vich) asking him to come and perform the song. It featured a number one single with the albums title track Hanky Panky. It would be the first of the bands two number one singles that they enjoyed throughout their entire career. 2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.Crystal Blue Persuasion,was written by Eddie Gray, Tommy James, Mike Vale. As they would discover later in their time with James, touring was their only income, as their label Roulette was owned by the mob and kept nearly all the money for itself. Gettin Together was released on the bands album of the same name entitled Gettin Together. The song reached the number four position on the Billboard Hot 100. Gray on label B1 credits add Bob King on label, who does not appear on cover credit Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Eddie Gray The Guitarist Tommy James And The Shondells 1968 OLD MUSIC PHOTO 1 at the best online prices at eBay! As to why us..and why now, it's simple! More images. At The Bitter End. It will be the bands final live public performance. Brian Kachejian was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. The album Hanky Panky also spawned a second successful single entitled Say I Am (What I Am).The song reached number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Ed Gray found success as lead guitarist for the hitmaking '60s pop group Tommy James and the Shondells. The song was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich. "Crystal Blue Persuasion" has been used in numerous media and entertainment properties, both onscreen and off. "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" was written for Doris Day to sing in the Alfred Hitchcock movie The Man Who Knew Too Much. (Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Embed PURCHASE A LICENSE Standard editorial rights Custom rights How can I use this image? Composer. Learn how your comment data is processed. That wasnt the music we listened to, said Rosman. Profile: Garage pop rock psychedelic band, formed in 1960 in Niles, Michigan, USA. Listener response encouraged regular play and demand soared. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. "Tomorrow People" by Ziggy Marley is the first song by a Marley to crack the US Top 40; the highest Bob got was #51 with "Roots, Rock, Reggae. It happened as a result of Bo Gentry accidentally putting the tape of the song on backwards in the recording studio . I picked up a guitar which I couldnt play at all because Im a bass man, chuckled Vale. Tommy James and the Shondells is an American pop and Rock n Roll group that was most active in the 60s. Other birthdays on Sunday: Robert Lee "Bobby" Balderrama (? Written-By - Ed Gray*, Mike Vale, Tommy James. [2], At the time of the song's release there were several popular types of high quality blue-colored LSD tablets in circulationsome listeners generally assumed James was referring to "acid". CREATIVE. We close out our Top 10 Tommy James And The Shondells songs list with a song that is probably one of the most played songs in the history of classic rock. He had two other children, Cari and Traci Vucish. Tommy James & The Shondells - The Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells. For single release, the Shondells shortened the title cut to their 1969 album. Written-By - Ed Gray*, Mike Vale, Tommy James. 6, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Composer. [4] In Canada, the song spent one week at number one. They had two number one singles in the U.S. "Hanky Panky" (1966) and "Crimson and Clover" (1968) but also released five other top ten hits, including "I Think We're Alone Now", " Mony Mony ," and "Crystal Blue Persuasion". In an attempt to capitalize on the success of the song,. They had a #3 smash with the rocking "Mony Mony," which James named after a sign bearing the financial institution Mutual of New York's initials. After a few more hits, the Shondells enjoyed a best-selling LP in 1970 with The Best of Tommy James and the Shondells. Did Billy Graham speak to Marilyn Monroe about Jesus? What are the qualities of an accurate map? It would be tough to argue against Crystal Blue Persuasion, standing as one of the most wonderful 1960s songs ever released. They also produced "Sugar on Sunday", later covered by the Clique. If we wanted to continue our music careers, we would have to form a new group.. "Crystal Blue Persuasion" has appeared in the films A Walk on the Moon (1999), The Secret Life of Girls (1999), Zodiac (2007), The Nanny Diaries (2007), and the TV show How to Make it in America (2010). Thats a number one in our book! James had recorded the tune two years earlier with the short-lived original Shondells lineup. 4:01: A3: Mony, Mony. Ad. Discography Tommy James & the Shondells Follow Artist + 1960s hitmakers who infused bubblegum-style AM pop with rock & roll energy and clever songwriting. The group still gets together from time to time for special video/TV events and nostalgia shows. In 1964 James renamed the band the Shondells because the name "sounded good" and in honor of nearby Fort Wayne's own Troy Shondell, famous for his 1961 release "This Time." Label: . Composer. We would hear guys say to Morris Hey, I took care of that guy, I broke his legs and stuff like that. Collections; Project #ShowUs; . In 1969, the band released the album Cellophane Symphony. MUSICIANS Guitars: Tommy James, Eddie Gray Moog Synthesizer, Electric / Acoustic Pianos, Hammond Organ, Harpsichords: Ron Rosman, Tommy James Bass Guitar: Mike Vale Drums & Percussion: Peter Lucia It also typified the album's embrace of psychedelic rock. Bob Mack made his dance club bands available to James for promotional appearances, but nothing seemed to fit until one of the bands' guitarists took James to the Thunderbird Lounge in Greensburg, where he recruited a quintet that was playing there called the Raconteurs -- Joe Kessler (guitar), Ron Rosman (keyboards), George Magura (saxophone), Mike Vale (bass) and Vincent Pietropaoli (drums) as the new Shondells. Get Out Now,only reached the forty eighth position on the Billboard Hot 100. [Chorus] I think we're alone now There doesn't seem to be anyone around I think we're alone now The beating of our hearts is the only sound [Outro] I think we're alone now There doesn't seem to be . "I was in a Greensburg, PA club one night, and I walked up to a group that was playing that I thought was pretty good and asked them if they wanted to be the Shondells. As the band embraced the sounds of psychedelia, they were invited to perform at Woodstock, but declined. It was the second single released from the album. 45 years have past since Mike Vale, Ron Rosman and Eddie Gray, original members of the group have shared a concert stage. Who makes the plaid blue coat Jesse stone wears in Sea Change? Tommy James listens to us, and he called me aside later on and said Ive got something going on, and I wonder if youd be interested? . Vale was a co-writer for many of the Shondells hits, but the Tommy Jones team has largely erased the members of the Raconteurs from the bands history. When released as a single in June 1969, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" became one of the biggest hits for the group, peaking at number two on the Billboard pop singles chart for three weeks behind Zager and Evans's single "In the Year 2525". Although James has continued to tour, singing his Shondells hits, Gray did not participate in the singer's brief, sporadic impromptu reunions with some bandmembers in the past few decades. Many hit songs later, one year turned into six. The song was nowhere as successful as the title track. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing. "The fact is that while we have all remained very active musically, the twists and turns within our individual lives have kept it from happening until now. 1 in 1968. In Britain, the tracks had similar success. More Images. The song is also featured in the movie The Expendables 2 (2012), while Barney (Sylvester Stallone) is flying his plane. Its as classic as Shout, or Louie Louie. It may not have been Tommy James And The Shondells biggest hit, but it easily has become the most popular song they ever released. 6, I Said, She Said, Ah Cid: The Exploito Psych World of Alshire Records 1967-1971, Billboard Karaoke: Top 10 Box Set, Vol. [Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 19552002], Tommy James & the Shondells - Crystal Blue Persuasion, "Tommy James and the Shondells/Hitch (Article)", "Crystal Blue Persuasion by Tommy James & the Shondells - Songfacts", Tommy James and the Shondells, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" Chart Position, "Tommy James & The Shondells - Crystal Blue Persuasion - 1969", "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 2, 1969", "Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969", "Cash Box Top 100 Singles of 1969, December 27, 1969", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crystal_Blue_Persuasion&oldid=1137506814, This page was last edited on 5 February 2023, at 00:25. Small $175.00 Medium $375.00 Large They were very proud, Vale said. These songs were massive hits for the band that cemented the legacy of Tommy James And The Shondells in classic rock history. Tommy James & The Shondells. Tommy rejects the "bubblegum" label for his music. Tommy James & The Shondells - The Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells. Tommy James & The Shondells - The Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells. 1 hit in July 1966. It was ne of three singles released from the I Think Were Alone Now album. In 1968, Tommy James And The Shondells released the album Mony Mony which contained their smash single Mony Mony. Three singles were released from the album. Also in 1968, the Shondells performed at rallies for many Democratic political candidates. [4], The band The Echoes formed in 1959 in Niles, Michigan, then evolved into Tom and the Tornadoes, with 12-year-old Tommy James (then known as Tommy Jackson) as lead singer. While James had a briefly successful solo career in the early '70s, Hog Heaven floundered and split. The LP, featuring liner notes by Democratic Presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey, yielded the top-10 "Sweet Cherry Wine" and the #2 smash "Crystal Blue Persuasion.". What are the duties of a sanitary prefect in a school? I Think Were Alone Now, was released on the album entitled I Think Were Alone Now. 7 hit single "Tighter, Tighter" for the group Alive N Kickin'. In Greensburg, PA at the Thunderbird Lounge he found The Raconteurs.. With four children at home, Vale decided to come back home to the Pittsburgh area and pick up where he had left off before going to New York. In 2012 "Crystal Blue Persuasion" was used in the eighth episode of Season 5 of Breaking Bad, "Gliding Over All", during a montage depicting the process involved to bring main character Walter White's methamphetamine operation and its signature blue crystal meth to an international level. [3] The album "Crimson & Clover", was released in December 1968 [4] and reached a peak of #8 on the Billboard 200 . [7] "I had no group, and I had to put one together really fast," recalled James. He completed his engineering studies and started his own company called Stellar Precision Components in Jeannette, which services the nuclear and aerospace industries.