NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 18: Eddie Gray of the original Shondells attends the "Me, The Mob & The Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells" book release party at Gibson Guitar Studios on November 18, 2009 in New York City. 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. Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They recruited their longtime friend and drummer Mike Wilps to replace the late Peter Lucia. Written-By - Ed Gray*, Mike Vale, Tommy James. While touring that year in Alabama, James collapsed onstage. We open our Top 10 Tommy James And The Shondells Songs list with a great album track from their Crimson and Clover. 2023 Trib Total Media | All Rights Reserved. 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. He had two other children, Cari and Traci Vucish. In early 1966, a rock n' roll song called "Hanky Panky" went to the top of the charts in Pittsburgh after a Steel City dance promoter and DJ named Bob Mack gave it a spin. The other part of that story is that a year before our first appearance (on the Sullivan Show) I was sitting at home watching the Rolling Stones on The Ed Sullivan Show and thinking to myself My God, I cant imagine what that feeling would be like. . We had our own connotations of what the word Mafia meant and all of a sudden it became real. In his book, Me, The Mob and the Music, James credits Pittsburgh dance promoter Bob Mack and never mentions Metrovich. Gray on label B1 credits add Bob King on label, who does not appear on cover credit After first considering taking a job outside of music, James decided to form a new band, the Koachmen, with Shondells guitarist Larry Coverdale and members of a rival group called the Spinners (not the hit-making group from Detroit). Tommy James & The Shondells - Crimson And Clover (LIVE) 4:41; Tommy James and The Shondells - Crimson and Clover. A year went by and James wasnt ready to start working again. 12 on the U.S. It was frightening at times, said Vale. And, at times, they found themselves involved in situations never before then imagined like touring the country with then Vice President, Hubert Humphrey in support of his 1968 Presidential CampaignSince the group initially disbanded in 1970, Mike Vale has written and recorded 7 albums both as a solo artist and for others. In 2009 James and the surviving Shondells, Gray, Vale and Rosman, reunited to record music for a soundtrack of a proposed film based on James' autobiography, Me, the Mob, and the Music, released in February 2010. Musicians from a Latrobe band called The Raconteurs were signed on to perform with James and the rest is history. "Crystal Blue Persuasion" has been used in numerous media and entertainment properties, both onscreen and off. I picked up a guitar which I couldnt play at all because Im a bass man, chuckled Vale. 4:01: A3: Mony, Mony. Crystal Blue Persuasion - Wikipedia How much is a biblical shekel of silver worth in us dollars? Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images. That album was followed up in 1970 with their last album for Roulette Records entitled Travelin. Vale and Gray co-wrote Crystal Blue Persuasion with James, a song that prominently featured Vales bass guitar between the bridge and the third verse of the song. More images. Find seedlings and local growing tips at one of Penn State Extension's many plant sales, Steelers trade up, draft Georgia tackle Broderick Jones. 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 - SR42040, Roulette - SR 42040: . 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. 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? . Tommy James . wpxi.com The Shondells 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! Continuing with our top 10 Tommy James And The Shondells songs list we turn to their Cellophane Symphony album. 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. [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. 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. The record was released in 1969. Vale, who grew up in the coal mining town of Salemville, was studying to be a mechanical engineer. 40 Years: The Complete Singles Collection (1966-2006) surveys that great career, hitting every major peak -- from "Hanky Panky" to "Mony Mony" to "I Think We're Alone Now," "Crystal Blue Persuasion" to "Ball and Chain" to "Draggin' the Line" -- with a two-disc set that may end up being close to the most Tommy James & the Shondells ever offered in one package (not that they don't deserve the full box treatment). Eddie Gray, the guitarist of the band Tommy James and the Shondells using a Sho-Bud pedal steel guitar during a recording session for their track 'Crimson and Clover', 30th October 1968. We would hear guys say to Morris Hey, I took care of that guy, I broke his legs and stuff like that. The song was nowhere as successful as the title track. [5] Composer. 1 in 1968. Also, it's a strict singles compilation, which means that many great songs are bypassed simply because they weren't judged worthy of a single -- and the Shondells pumped out some excellent B-sides. More images. Top 10 Tommy James And The Shondells Songs 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 We would have to be hidden.. Gray, Ed. "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. For single release, the Shondells shortened the title cut to their 1969 album. On their first Sullivan appearance, James and the Shondells performed Mony Mony and Crimson and Clover on a split-level stage with Vale positioned on the highest platform. He completed his engineering studies and started his own company called Stellar Precision Components in Jeannette, which services the nuclear and aerospace industries. 4:01: A3: Mony, Mony. Learn how your comment data is processed. When one looks at the songwriting credits on both our hits and album cuts you will see the names of the original Shondells on many of them. The record was released in 1969. Eddie Gray The Guitarist Tommy James And The Shondells 1968 OLD - eBay At the Bitter End (2000)", "Michigan Rock and Roll Legends - TOMMY JAMES AND THE SHONDELLS", "TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS - full Official Chart History", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tommy_James_and_the_Shondells&oldid=1152332494. But it seemed to go together, it's my favorite of all my songs and one of our most requested. Eddie Gray, the guitarist of the band Tommy James and the Shondells, during a recording session for their track 'Crimson and Clover', 30th October 1968. Tommy James and the Shondells is an American pop and Rock n Roll group that was most active in the 60s. James had recorded the tune two years earlier with the short-lived original Shondells lineup. 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. Eminem's first hit was "My Name Is," which introduced his alter ego, Slim Shady. They disbanded in 1970. In 2015, he and former Shondells members Ron Rosman and Eddie Gray, along with Mike Wilps, formed the Crystal Blue Band and released an album called Legacy. 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. While attending Niles High School in Niles, Michigan, the group released its first single, "Long Pony Tail", in 1962.[5]. "The group's reunion tour will begin around April 1st of the coming year in or around Pittsburgh at a site to be announced after the first of the year.For information regarding the group or its upcoming itinerary please email mvucish@aol.com. Written-By - Ed Gray*, Mike Vale, Tommy James. That quite frankly (ticked) us off to the extent that we decided it was over between us and thats what broke up the group, said Vale. It features the #1 hit "Crimson and Clover" [2] as well as the #2 hit "Crystal Blue Persuasion". The band The Echoes formed in 1959 in Niles, Michigan, then evolved into Tom and the Tornadoes, . Seiten: Artist: Tommy James | SecondHandSongs He has since retired and two of his children, Mike Vucish Jr. and Lori Albright, have been running the company. Former Amazon exec wants to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., starting in New Kensington, Polio vaccine pioneer Jonas Salk's archives 'come home' to the University of Pittsburgh, Sto-Rox School District seeks public input on financial recovery plans, Its May 1 your last chance to register to vote in the Pennsylvania primary, Home gardeners prepare: the invasive spotted lanternflies are returning. So, lets thank God for the time and go forward and spend the rest of our days with our family and friends.. In a 1970 side project, James wrote and produced the No. The song is also referenced in the title of the season 30 finale Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion, in which a segment of the song is played. Eddie Gray of the original Shondells attends the "Me, The Mob & The 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. (Photo by Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) Embed PURCHASE A LICENSE Standard editorial rights Custom rights How can I use this image? Ron Rosman has remained very active recording and performing Gospel Music including his latest album, "My Offering". The album was a blazing success. It was not only the result of Tommy being a good musician and singer. Tommy James and the Shondells is an American rock band formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1964. . They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing. Email news@wesa.fm. That leaves Rhino's excellent single-disc Anthology as the best Tommy James for the money, with 40 Years: The Complete Singles Collection (1966-2006) being content to open up the career of these hitmakers beyond their '60s prime. 4 Connect with Mike Vale on Facebook Log In or Create new account 3 hit with "Mony Mony". Tommy James And The Shondells - Getty Images Songs written by Tommy James | SecondHandSongs Gray, Gray Artist [a614489] Edit Artist 1,439 For Sale Vinyl and CD Discography 73 Credits Eddie Gray and Mike Vale, are back at it. 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". View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 1970 Vinyl release of "The Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells" on Discogs. They were replaced by Eddie Gray (guitar) and Peter Lucia (drums); Magura departed as well.[7]. Written-By - Ed Gray*, Mike Vale, Tommy James. Otis Day And The Knights, the fictional band created to perform "Shout" in the movie Animal House, became a real band, performing the song at colleges and other venues. Tommy James & The Shondells - The Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells. The song was released on the Crimson and Clover album in 1968. "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. Is Brooke shields related to willow shields? Did Billy Graham speak to Marilyn Monroe about Jesus? In 2015 Gray, Vale, and Rosman decided to reunite and form their new group, The Crystal Blue Band.