Tommy James and the Shondells are a well-established rock and roll band that experienced the zenith of their success during late 1960s. They gained much prominence in the United States with two of their Number One singles titled Crimson and Clover and Hanky Panky. Tommy James is better known as the artist who has sold more than a hundred million records worldwide and has achieved twenty-three gold singles, alongside nine gold and platinum albums. Some of most popular songs that climbed on the Top 40 hits with five stepping making it to the top ten, include Mirage, Sweet Cherry Wine, Mony Mony, I Think We’re Alone, Persuasion and Crystal Blue. The Michigan based band has also been noted for creating six gold records that sold on the million-basis. The group’s outstanding commercial success has made those Tommy James and the Shondells tickets a legendary opportunity for rock fans.
Tommy James and the Shondells were created in 1959, when they first gathered attention under the names of Echoes, or Tom and the Tornadoes with Tommy James as their twelve year old lead vocalist. By 1964, James considered renaming the band and decided on calling it Shondells because of its strong sound. At the time, the group comprised of James on the vocals and guitar, Larry Wright on the bass, Larry Coverdale on the lead guitar, Jim Payne on the drums and Craig Villeneuve on the keyboards. It was later in 1964 that the Shondells recorded their hit track Hanky Panky which had been sung before by the New York pop group, Raindrops. The song was released through Snap Records and had enormous sales in the areas of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, but could not go any further since the records label could not distribute nationally. The group then toured on the eastern Midwest side, but no other market responded to their track, so that it failed in getting charted. The Shondells then disbanded in 1965, just after high school graduation.
Hanky Panky, the initial song by Tommy James and the Shondells, was rediscovered in 1966 by a radio station in Pittsburgh, which called it an exclusive track. Response from the listeners prompted the station to pay the tune frequently, while another disc jockey from the same region played the single on several parties, so that the demand for this particular single skyrocketed. James was informed about such activity by a disc jockey who invited him to perform the track. Eventually, James went alone, making appearances on local TV and in nightclubs for the radio station. Since his group members were not available he quickly put together a new set of Shondells’ members and went on to perform. The group performed a sing b y Ritchie Cordell called I Think We’re Alone Now, which took the fourth spot on song charts.
By 1968, Tommy James and the Shondells started writing their songs themselves, with Lucia and James creating the psychedelic treasure Crimson and Clover, which was mixed and recorded with the help of Bruce Staple, alongside James playing the required instruments and performing vocals. The track featured the use of innovative electronic gadgetry like phasers and vocoders. The band then went on a tour with Hubert Humphrey, the then Vice President, for his presidential campaign. The group’s later hits include Sweet Cherry Wine, Ball of Fire and Crystal Blue Persuasion, all three of which were recorded in 1969. Sugar on Sunday was also sung during the same time, and was later re-produced by The Clique.
Over many years, Tommy James and the Shondells’ music have been used in many movies, advertisements and television shows. In addition, it was reported in 2011 that several different versions of several Tommy songs have been produced by big act musicians such as Prince, Tom Jones, R.E.M., Concrete Blond and Cher. This legendary band has made its name and created an impact on the music industry like none of its kind, so get hold of Tommy James and the Shondells tickets, and experience the charisma of their sound for yourself.
