Tommy James (b. 29 April 1947, Dayton, Ohio, USA) formed his first group Tommy And The Tornadoes at the age of 13, by which time he had already recorded his debut single, ‘Long Pony Tale’. The Shondells comprised James, Larry Coverdale (guitar), Craig Villeneuve (keyboards), Larry Wright (bass) and Jim Payne (drums) and were assembled to fulfil weekend engagements, but they secured a recording contract with the local Snap label in 1962. Their first release, ‘Hanky Panky’, was a regional success, but a chance discovery four years later by Pittsburgh disc jockey Bob Mack led to its becoming a national number 1 smash, selling in excess of one million copies. Now signed to the Roulette label, James assembled a new Shondells which, following defections, settled around a nucleus of Eddie Gray (guitar), Ronnie Rossman (keyboards), Mike Vale (b. 17 July 1949; bass) and Pete Lucia (drums). The addition of producer/songwriting team Ritchie Cordell and Bo Gentry resulted in a string of classic, neo-bubblegum hits, including ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’, ‘Mirage’ (both gold discs from 1967) and ‘Out Of The Blue’ (1968).
The group’s effortless grasp of hooklines and melody culminated with the pulsating ‘Mony Mony’ (1968), a UK number 1 which invoked the style of the classic garage band era. James then assumed complete artistic control of his work, writing, arranging and producing the psychedelic-influenced ‘Crimson And Clover’. This haunting, atmospheric piece, described by the singer as ‘our second renaissance’, topped the US charts and garnered sales of over five million copies. This desire to experiment continued with two further gold-selling singles, ‘Sweet Cherry Wine’ and ‘Crystal Blue Persuasion’ (both 1969), and Cellophane Symphony. In 1970 the group and singer parted on amicable terms, with Lucia and Vale going on to record with rock group Hog Heaven.
An exhausted James retired to a farm before launching a solo career. ‘Draggin’ The Line’ (1971) provided a US Top 5 hit although subsequent releases from the early 70s failed to broach the Top 30. In 1980 the singer had another million-seller with ‘Three Times In Love’, since when he has continued to record, albeit with less success. Tommy James And The Shondells’ power was encapsulated in their danceability and bracing fusion of soulful voices, garage group riffs, effervescent pop and occasional bubblegum appeal. This ‘pop-pourri’ legacy was picked up by younger artists over a decade on when Joan Jett charted with ‘Crimson And Clover’ and both Billy Joel and Tiffany took Shondells’ cover versions back to number 1 in the US charts.
