Song:Mony Mony
Album:Anthology
Tommy James & The Shondells were one of the most popular groups of the late 60s. Mony Mony was one of several big hits. And the fact that many of their songs have been covered successfully says a lot about their durability. Tommy James was born Thomas Jackson Apr. 29, 1947 in Dayton, OH. His family moved to Niles, MI and by 1959 he was lead singer of Tom & The Tornadoes. Then he changed it to The Shondells after his idol guitarist Troy Shondell. In 1964 they had a regional hit in the midwest with Hanky Panky. But they were unable to get national distribution and they split up. Two years later, a Pittsburgh radio station started playing Hanky Panky. James went to Pittsburgh to promote the song. He saw a band in a Pittsburgh club and hired them to be The Shondells. They signed with Roulette Records and Hanky Panky was #1 in 1966. Mony Mony reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. It was their biggest hit since Hanky Panky. James wrote the song with his regular songwriting partner Richie Cordell after seeing a sign for the Mutual Of New York insurance company (MONY). They had several more hits including the #1 hit Crimson and Clover. Billy Idol had a big hit in the 80s with Mony Mony. You can get all the group's hits on this 1990 Rhino comp. James collapsed on stage in 1970 and the group split up. He has recorded occasionally and reformed The Shondells a few years ago. Here's the video for Mony Mony by Tommy James & The Shondells.
His autobiography is coming out in Feb. Word is a movie is also in the works.
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