In the mid to late '60s, Tommy James & The Shondells put together a pretty impressive string of hits that have now become oldies station staples -- "Hanky Panky," "I Think We're Alone Now," "Crimson and Clover," "Mony Mony," and "Crystal Blue Persuasion," to name a few. Between 1966 and 1969, the band had 14 Top 40 hits in the U.S., including 7 Top 10s and two Number Ones ("Hanky Panky" in 1966 and "Crimson and Clover" in early 1969).
After not wanting to be pegged as a "bubblegum" artists, James decided to take the band in a new direction in 1968, writing "Crimson and Clover" -- a decidedly psychedelic and heavier song than the band's previous work. A rough mix of the song was played on WLS radio here in Chicago, which recorded the song and then kept on playing it, much to the Chagrin of James and the record label. However, it was so well received that the rough mix ended up being made into the official single, and the rest is history. It went on to sell over 5 million copies and hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (and #1 in several other countries and Top 5 in several more).
It's my favorite song by the band, and I have always particularly enjoyed the trippy, tremoloed vocals that start about a minute before the song ends. This is one of several Tommy James & The Shondells songs that was later covered with great success. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts covered the song in 1982 and got up to #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their version.
One of my favorite rock and roll trivia nuggets is this: I believe that Tommy James & The Shondells is the only rock and roll act who had cover versions of their songs go #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 back-to-back. In November 1987, Tiffany's cover of "I Think We're Alone Now" held the top spot on the charts for two weeks before it was taken over by Billy Idol's cover of "Mony Mony." Feel free to use that tidbit at your next cocktail party.
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