Tommy James & the Shondells Crystal Blue Persuasion

One of the best from Tommy James & the Shpndells. Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson, 29 April 1947, Dayton, Ohio) is an American pop-rock musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as leader of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondell
In 1958, when Tom was eleven, his family moved to Niles, Michigan. That year he formed his first unofficial band "The Echoes" with four of his friends from school. In 1959, at the age of twelve, James formed what would be recognized as his first official band "Tom and the Tornadoes". A year later the band changed its name to The Shondells. By 1964, a local DJ at WNIL radio station in Niles formed his own record label, Snap Records. The Shondells were one of the local bands the DJ recorded at WNIL studios. One of the songs was the Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich ditty "Hanky Panky", which they recorded as The Raindrops. The song was a hit locally, but the label had no resources for national promotion and it was soon forgotten.
In 1965, a DJ in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found a copy of "Hanky Panky" and played it as a station "exclusive". Listener response was positive, with many wanting to know where they could get a copy of the "new" single. Another DJ started playing the song at local dance parties. Responding to the demand, a local bootlegger taped the song off the radio and began pressing copies of it. Eventual sales of the bootleg were estimated at 80,000. Pittsburgh DJ "Mad Mike" Metro tracked down Tommy James and informed him that his record was No. 1 in the city. James almost hung up on Metro, but was convinced to come to Pennsylvania and make appearances promoting the surprise hit. Soon, James was in New York, selling the original master of "Hanky Panky" to Roulette Records. By the late summer of 1966, it was the top selling single in the nation.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tommy
• James
• the
• Shondells

[lebarosky]

Tommy James had a knack, and it is rare, for combining simple rock ideas with profound spiritual ideas. He is a perfectionist, and his recordings remind me of Creedence Clearwater Revival in their attention to detail and almost superhuman production values. Like many who comment here, I can recall perfectly where I was and how I felt when I heard this tune for the first time.

[JustAFocus]

"Maybe tomorrow, when He looks down on every green field and every town, all of his children and every nation...there'll be Peace and Good, Brotherhood." Will tomorrow ever come? Love is the answer.

[Guideonbearer]

Summer of 1969, I think it was August, driving down the Pacific Coast Highway with a lovely green eyed red headed lady in her white Mercury Cougar, on our way to a romantic interlude.

[chilirich]

@dhcheresh Regarding the memory of Crystal Blue Persuasion: Wow...Summer of '69 and you were 19 years old. I do believe you timed it right; it was the height of the American Empire. Nice impressionism there...So, did you survive the insanity? I mean, it was pretty insane.

[somerandomdude82]

Can you upload " Groove To Go" by Patrick Yandall? It's very good and yet nobody has uploaded it.

[jwp10001]

Song was about Jesus written after Tommy found a bible in his hotel room, feeling a bit lost and starting reading a chapter or two. Never knew that about this song which is one of their finest pieces and one of the best of that era. The song never gets old.

[TheRetroDude1]

When music was real and rocked

[88frogdog]

beautiful :)

[dhcheresh]

@ericingilroy Thank you, my friend, and if you mean Gilroy, CA, you're much too close to Fort Ord, which is where I was shipped for AIT after Basic. Hoping you skated all the way through the '60s, and beyond.

Regards,

Dave

[oldshasta59]

TOO COOL 4 SCHOOL



[DanTruthSayer]

Born in the 90's but the Oldies are the only thing for me <3

[ericingilroy]

@dhcheresh

talk about painting a picture right on bro!