Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells [Hardcover]

Tommy James (Author), Martin Fitzpatrick (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 2010

Everyone knows the hits—“Hanky Panky,” “Mony Mony,” “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion.” They are nuggets of rock and pop history. However, few know the unlikely story of how these hits came to be..

Tommy James was discovered in 1966 at the age of nineteen, and was pursued by every record mogul in New York until, inexplicably, every offer but one quickly disappeared. James soon found himself in the office of Morris Levy at Roulette Records, where he was handed a pen and ominously promised “one helluva ride.” Morris Levy, the legendary “godfather” of the music business, needed some hits and Tommy would provide them..

Me, the Mob, and the Music tells the intimate story of the relationship between the bright-eyed, sweet-faced blonde musician from the heartland and the big, bombastic, brutal bully from the Bronx, who hustled, cheated, and swindled his way to the top of the music industry. It is also the story of this swaggering, wildly creative era of rock ‘n’ roll when payola and the strong arm tactics of the mob were the norm, and the hits kept coming..

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Tommy James's story is one of the most interesting of any of the 1960s rockers. . . . His story reads like a music-industry version of 'Goodfellas.'"--Denver Post

“A boisterous memoir . . . It’s high time that [Tommy James] had a book to himself.”

—Janet Maslin, The New York Times

"Tommy James' rock & roll education cost him millions, but at least we got this entertaining memoir."--Rolling Stone

"This is one helluva story."--Howard Stern

About the Author

Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson, April 29, 1947, Dayton, Ohio) is the pop-rock star best known as the leader of Tommy James and the Shondells. Performing locally in Niles, Michigan, from the age of 12, James went on to record many top hits, including "Hanky Panky," "I Think We're Alone Now," "Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Sweet Cherry Wine," "Mirage," "Do Something to Me," "Gettin’ Together," "Crystal Blue Persuasion," and "Draggin' the Line." He has sold over 100 million records, has been awarded twenty-three gold singles, and nine gold and platinum albums. His songs are widely used in television and film, and have been covered by Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Tiffany, Tom Jones, Prince, and R.E.M. Tommy James continues to tour the country and record.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; 1st ed edition (February 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439128650
• ISBN-13: 978-1439128657
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #458,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson, April 29, 1947, Dayton, Ohio) is the pop-rock star best known as the leader of Tommy James and the Shondells. Performing locally in Niles, Michigan, from the age of 12, James went on to record many top hits, including "Hanky Panky," "I Think We're Alone Now," "Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Sweet Cherry Wine," "Mirage," "Do Something to Me," "Gettin' Together," "Crystal Blue Persuasion," and "Draggin' the Line." He has sold over 100 million records, has been awarded twenty-three gold singles, and nine gold and platinum albums. His songs are widely used in television and film, and have been covered by Joan Jett, Billy Idol, Tiffany, Tom Jones, Prince, and R.E.M. Tommy James continues to tour the country and record.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Music Legend survives the hanky panky of a Roulette wheel!, February 16, 2010

By 

Crescenzo C. Capece "d'caborojo" (NYNJPR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells (Hardcover)

It's incredible, but not surprising that Tommy James has yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame;he's one of their inexcusable oversights. His music has endured far more powerfully than he's usually given credit for, and to this day his live show walks the walk of the true independent rocker.
Me,the Mob and the Music is the harrowing tale not only of Tommy and the Shondells entrance into the world of rock and roll, but the story of how he survived being employed by one of the most notorious record biz cartels that ever existed(the infamous Morris Levy's Roulette label).
Music history lovers will get a kick out of learning the origins of how Tommy came to be a major hitmaker, and those who enjoy biographies will marvel at how a simple kid with a guitar innocently winds up at the center of a Soprano's worthy operetta! You'll sweat it out with Tommy as he is forced to come up with hit after hit (for a label where the quietest place on earth exists: the accounts payable department).You'll relive the pressures of the travel demands,personal sacrifices, over indulgences and the not so glamorous side of being a star as Tommy recounts
his days in the midst of a truly vibrant & creatively signifigant period of music. You'll even learn why he turned down the Woodstock gig that changed the music business forever, and how "Mony Mony" got its title.
The characters and situations Tommy walks you with and through are memorable as heck, and the story is told in a matter of fact,personable (and,yes,of course,occasionally egotistical) style that will have you racing through the pages. Once you're done you'll be craving to hear his great recordings again, and excitedly awaiting either the film version, or perhaps even a fabulous "Jersey Boys" style juke-box drama.This book proves Tommy James is still a hitmaker; God Bless him!

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Helluva Read, February 19, 2010

By 

ELO "Rabid Reader" (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells (Hardcover)

If you've ever wanted to sit down with you favorite artist - in this case, rock legend Tommy James - and have them tell you about their life and career, then here's your chance.

The "Me" refers to Tommy himself, who shares (in a first-person voice well captured by co-author, Martin Fitzpatrick) the amazing story of how a Midwest teen with a band and a dream ended up with the number one record in America ("Hanky Panky"), and went on to record a string of classic tracks. Along the way he weaves an engrossing tale of his personal behind-the-scenes struggles and triumphs, told with a healthy dose of trademark James wit.

"The Mob" - as in THE MOB - appears in the guise of one of the seminal figures in early R&B and rock 'n' roll, Roulette Records owner Morris Levy. Levy knew a hit record when he heard one and knew how to make it happen. Despite his darker side, Morris acted as James' surrogate music biz father, providing Tommy with the environment and support needed for him to be successful. What he didn't provide to James was the singer's hard-earned money, a fact that ultimately led to a "family" break-up. Such material makes for fascinating reading about a complex relationship, one that still looms large in James' life, long after Levy's death in 1990.

"The Music," of course, is why this book exists in the first place. From the garage-band "Hanky" to the party-rock "Mony Mony," the psychedelic "Crimson and Clover," the spiritual-pop ballad "Crystal Blue Persuasion," the singer/songwriter-anthem "Draggin' The Line" and many others, Tommy's musical legacy is rich and he has many a back-story to tell about how it came to be.

Me, the Mob & the Music is a wonderful inside look at the turbulent music business of the 1960s/70s, the colorful characters who ran it, and one man who thrived and lived to tell about it. One helluva read, indeed.

(I strongly urge you to have a copy of Tommy's 40 Years singles collection on hand so you can listen to the music while reading about it.40th Anniversary Singles Collection)

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "TOMMY JAMES & THE SHONDELLS: "HERE SHE COMES NOW... SAYING -"MAFIA"-MAFIA"!, February 22, 2010

By 

Rick Shaq Goldstein "*SHAQ*" (Danville, Ca, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells (Hardcover)

Thomas Gregory Jackson born on April 29, 1947 in Dayton, Ohio... would morph as a teenager into rock star Tommy James who along with various incarnations of the Shondells would sell over TWENTY-MILLION-ALBUMS-AND SINGLES-IN-EIGHTEEN-MONTHS... and yet make almost no royalty money. The reason is because of his signing a contract with Morris Levy and Roulette Records. The crux of James's story is that he tied his rock-and-roll dreams to a man who was "mobbed-up". In fact it wasn't Tommy's ultimate goal to sign with Levy. Levy was just one of a number of record companies that Tommy met with in looking for national representation for his first soon to be mega-hit "HANKY PANKY". Each company Tommy met with loved the record but by the time Tommy got back to his hotel Levy had told all the other companies to "BACK OFF" this guy's mine! And when your business associates include *ANTHONY "FAT TONY" SALERNO* of the *GENOVESE FAMILY* (Tony Soprano was modeled after Salerno.)... *GAETANO "CORKY" VASTOLA* an underboss for the DeCavalcante family... *DOMINICK "QUIET DOM" CIRILLO* a future acting boss of the *GENOVESE FAMILY*... *THOMAS "TOMMY RYAN" EBOLI* a *GENOVESE CRIME FAMILY HEAD... and *VINCENT "THE CHIN" GIGANTE* a future *GENOVESE FAMILY HEAD* with the longest run in Genovese history... among others... as daily associates most people shakingly did as they were told. Later in James's career which was marked by an amphetamine/upper addiction and heavy drinking... along with his fear of Levy and associates... he finally tried to confront Levy about his unpaid royalties... after having an audit taken. "THE NUMBERS WERE ASTONISHING. MORRIS OWED ME UPWARD OF FORTY MILLION DOLLARS. IT WAS JUST HORRENDOUS. EVEN WITH MY MISERABLE ROYALTY RATE HE OWED ME THAT MUCH."

James takes you on a quick ride through his life that led him to this dangerous exhilarating conundrum. From his early love of music... to starting a teenage band... to working in a record store... to a high school pregnancy and marriage... to his string of all-time classic hits such as "I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW"... "MONY MONY"... CRIMSON AND CLOVER"... "CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION"... "DRAGGIN' THE LINE"... and many more. Along with the drug and alcohol abuse there's the cheating on his first wife... cheating on his second wife (whose uncle happened to run a hotel in Florida that was connected with the Jewish Mob and "made-man" Santo Trafficante)... and his marriage to his third wife. The reader will be enlightened by how some of these "gold-records" were written... by whom... and the inspiration for some songs that became part of our everyday lexicon.

Many times during this rapid two-hundred-twenty-five-page book you might wonder how Tommy could have possibly put up with being so massively short changed on money due him and his band... but then Morris and an associate would grab baseball bats that were always available in the office and put someone in the hospital who either owed them money or tried to run a counterfeit scheme "on-the-counterfeiter's"... and you will immediately begin to understand... and Tommy probably wished he had a new song entitled: "I WISH WE WERE ALONE NOW!"