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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 attending Niles High School in Niles, Michigan, the group released its first single, "Long Pony Tail", in 1962.
Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947) is an American musician, [1] singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, [2] who were known for their hits including "Mony Mony", "Crimson and Clover" and "I Think We're Alone Now".
Dec 22, 2023 · Upon arriving in New York, Tommy James and his band, the Shondells, were met with offers from pretty much every record label in the city. That night, they went to sleep and woke up to every offer being retracted—all but one.
Tommy James, an iconic figure in rock music, rose to fame during the 60’s and 70’s with his compelling vocals and unforgettable performances. Known for hits like ‘Crimson and Clover’ and ‘Draggin’ the Line,’ Tommy’s innovative approach helped shape the sound of a generation.
- 'Me, The Mob and The Music: One Helluva Ride'
- Tommy James on Roulette Records: 'It Was Also A Good Little Label'
- When 'Hanky Panky' Topped The Charts in Pittsburgh
- Tommy James on 'The First Offer I Couldn't Refuse' from Roulette
- Tommy James on The Freedom It Took to Make 'Crimson and Clover'
- Parting Ways with Roulette Records in The '70s
- From Billy Idol to Prince, The Shondells Have Been Covered 300 Times
- Tommy James and The Shondells
James shared the often terrifying details of his days on Roulette Records in a memoir published in 2010, “Me, the Mob and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James and the Shondells.” The Denver Post said it “reads like a music-industry version of ‘Goodfellas.’” Now, there’s a film of his life story in the works that James says is being produced...
"The reason it was crazy and scary is because unbeknownst to us when we signed the deal, Roulette was basically a front for the Genovese crime family in New York," James says. "Of course, we didn't know that. It was also a good little label. They had a lot of hits.” They’d heard stories, he says, but didn't realize they were true until he started s...
James was in his junior year of high school when he cut the song that would become his breakthrough single in a radio station studio. He’d forgotten all about it by the time the phone rang two years later. “We were playing this dumpy little bar in Janesville, Wisconsin, in March of '66,” he says. “And right in the middle of my two weeks, the IRS sh...
By then, the Shondells he’d recorded “Hanky Panky” with had broken up, so James recruited “the first decent band I could get,” a Pittsburgh group known as the Raconteurs, to be the new Shondells, and left for New York City, where he hoped to sell the master to a major label. “We got a yes from RCA, a yes from CBS, Atlantic Records, all the major la...
The reason James assumes he would've been a one-hit wonder if he’d wound up on a major label is he feels he had the "total freedom" at Roulette to make the kind of records that became his greatest hits. “Getting paid was a whole other story," he says. "Crime doesn't pay. But we were the kings. If we had gone with one of the majors, I can tell you r...
It could get pretty scary at times. “There was a gang war in New York in '71,” James recalls. “The Gambinos were taking over as top dogs. And Morris was with the wrong family. He was associated with the Genovese family. So there was this terrible mob war, over 300 murders of different mob guys, and Morris left the country. We were all there stuck a...
In the ‘80s, three of James' biggest singles got a second lease on life when Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Tiffany and Billy Idol all had Top 10 hits with their covers of “Crimson and “Clover,” “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Mony Mony,” the latter two of which hit No. 1. More than 300 artists have covered his songs, from R.E.M. to Dolly Parton. “I...
When:8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3. Where:Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix. Admission:$35-$95. Details: 602-267-1600, celebritytheatre.com. Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
- Ed Masley
- Pop Music Critic
Tommy James & The Shondells is an iconic American rock band that rose to prominence during the mid-1960s. Their music, characterized by its catchy melodies and pop rock sensibilities, has left a lasting imprint on the landscape of popular music.
Landing an impressive 14 top 40 hits between 1967 and 1969, many of which, 30 years later, are still played on the radio, the group is considered an important contributor to 1960s pop. Tommy James was born Thomas Gregory Jackson on April 29, 1947, in Dayton Ohio.
