The Very Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells (Rhino) [Import]

Tommy James and the Shondells | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 20, 1993)
• Original Release Date: April 20, 1993
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Wea Int'l
• ASIN: B0000032ZW
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,807 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #54 in Music > Pop > Oldies > Bubblegum

Track Listings

1. Hanky Panky

2. Say I Am (What I Am)

3. I Think We're Alone Now

4. Mirage

5. Gettin' Together

6. Mony Mony

7. Crimson and Clover

8. Sweet Cherry Wine

9. Crystal Blue Persuasion

10. Ball of Fire

11. She

12. Draggin' the Line

13. It's Only Love

14. I Like the Way

15. Out of the Blue

16. Do Something to Me

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This group does the Hanky Panky..., January 20, 2004

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Very Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells (Rhino) (Audio CD)

In the brief four-year span when they were prominent, Tommy James and the Shondells seemed an anomaly in an era where the current music arose from what the Beatles wrought with Revolver and Sgt Pepper and what the psychedelics like Iron Butterfly and hard-rockers/blues groups like Steppenwolf produced. The Shondells' eclectic oeuvre covered many genres: garage rock, early sixties pop reminiscent of the Mersey Beat, bubblegum pop, party-rockers, a protest song, and even a shot at psychedelia.

Naturally, the compilation starts off with the song from Snap Records that was bootlegged and sold over a million copies, reaching #1. All together now: "My baby does the hanky panky!" Yes, his cover of the Raindrops' "Hanky Panky", with its crisp garage sound, hit big by the time Tommy James had broken up the Shondells.

A new Shondells was put together and they signed on to Roulette Records. "Say I Am (What I Am)" has a beat and sound similar to the Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" until the rollicking racing guitar comes on, accompanied by "shake shake shake," until it returns to the original sound.

The upbeat "It's Only Love" features horns, maraccas, and a softly tooted flute; a nice number, but compared to their other Top Ten hits, it's understandable why this only hit #31.

Three of their big hits were resurrected in the 1980's, two of them hitting #1, one making the Top Ten in the US, all different styles. The catchy bubblegum pop of "I Think We're Alone Now" was an example of James bringing in the songwriting/producing team of Richie Cordell and Bo Gentry. Cordell co-wrote this song. The prominent bassline can be felt in the softly sung chorus and inbetween "running just as fast as we can" and "holding on to one another's hand." Crickets can be heard during the pause before the final chorus. Redheaded mall teen queen Tiffany took this to #1 in 1987, beating the original's #4 peak.

With those familiar opening drums, and James' rough "yeahs" and the responding "yeahs" from the other Shondells, "Mony Mony" belongs in the party-rock category like "Louie Louie" and "Hanky Panky". A #3 hit, Billy Idol's version hit #1, also in 1987, giving further royalties to James, Cordell, and Gentry. Ironically, Joan Jett and her producer were considering recording this song instead of "Louie Louie", but the latter prevailed.

And finally, James' only other #1, the lyrical "Crimson And Clover", which sold five million copies, with distorted guitars, and later even the words, yet with enough pop sensibilities to take something psychedelic to the top. Yes, "crimson and clover, over and over..." Joan Jett took this to the Top Ten in 1982.

Cordell also wrote "Mirage", a #10 hit which recalls an early Beatles sound and has a high-pitched whistle or keyboard, and the racing keyboards and clapping of the happily romantic "Gettin' Together."

The flower-power like "Out Of The Blue" mixes early Beatles with some doo-wop styled harmony. And this only got to #43???!

The pulsating anti-Vietnam and love song "Sweet Cherry Wine" is one of my favourites: "Yesterday my friends were marching out to war/oh yeah, listen we ain't a marchin' anymore/we ain't gonna fight/only God has the right/to decide who's to live and die." I'll have several bottles of it, please.

The leisurely languid ballad "Crystal Blue Persuasion" peaked at #2 during Woodstock week, and echoes the "love is the answer and that's all right" feel of the times.

Songs like "She" used strings and a more lovey-dovey 5th Dimension-type sound. Also included Tommy James' solo single "Draggin' The Line", incorporating a bluesy sound with a prominent pulsing bassline.

The songs are presented in chronological order, and as this is a Rhino compilation, presents the peak position of each single and the date released. A good intro for those wanting to know about the many sounds and singles of this mid to late 60's group.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Okay Sample of Tommy James and the Shondells, April 8, 2006

By 

Lonnie E. Holder "The Review's the Thing" (Columbus, Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Very Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells (Rhino) (Audio CD)

Tommy James and the Shondells were one of the better groups of the 60s, yet do not seem to get the recognition they deserve. This group created a string of hits beginning with "Hanky Panky" through "Draggin' the Line," from 1966 to 1971, though Tommy James originally released "Hanky Panky" in 1963 and re-recorded it in 1966.

Several of the songs by this group that are among the most enduring are the psychedelic songs: "Crimson and Clover" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion"; black light music for sure. Both songs were big hits for the group, and remain among my favorite songs to this day. Some of the songs here do verge on bubblegum. But these songs also are creative and introduce effects that at the time were novel.

For those who are less familiar with Tommy James and the Shondells, the songs you might recognize if you heard them, in addition to those mentioned above, are "I Think We're Alone Now," "Mony Mony," "Do Something to Me," and "Sweet Cherry Wine," which is also somewhat psychedelic. While the other songs on this CD were released either as an A or B side single, these songs received a lot of air play in the 60s. A few of these songs are somewhat forgettable, but better to have more than less.

Perhaps the biggest miss on this CD is "Crimson and Clover." The version for this CD is the single version, and not the much longer and better album version. The album version had an extended bridge with some of Tommy James and the Shondell's best guitar work. If you have an opportunity to hear the album version of "Crimson and Clover", or better yet, buying any album that contains the full-length version, it is worth it.

This CD is okay, but there is another CD that is better for Tommy James fans. "Anthology" was released earlier than this CD and contains 27 tracks to this CD's 16 tracks. While "Anthology" has a few weaker songs, it also has "Sugar on Sunday." You decide. You should also consider trying to find the album "Crimson and Clover" to have the extended version of that excellent song. Enjoy!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Songs By Underrated, Innovative Rock Band, December 24, 2002

By 

masterbill "masterbill" (Long Island, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Very Best Of Tommy James & The Shondells (Rhino) (Audio CD)

Tommy James and the Shondells was a vastly underrated band when they hit the charts in 1966 and 1967, and Tommy was one of the best song writers of the that era. Many music critics dismissed their music as insignificant and inconsequential, but they were actually innovative recording artists with a sophisticated sound, who were years ahead of their time. Hanky Panky is a classic rock song, but much of the early Tommy James sound is a blend of rock and beautiful melody such as my favorite track, the beautiful up-tempo Mirage, I Like The Way, Gettin' Together, and Out Of The Blue which are outstanding, underrated songs. The classic I Think We're Alone Now and It's Only Love are also excellent up-tempo songs that make you feel good.

The Tommy James Sound was a perfect match for psychedelic arrangements, and Crimson And Clover was a brilliant early psychedelic song which had a profound effect on the evolution of rock music for many years as did the beautiful Sweet Cherry Wine. His maturation and versatility was exhibited in Crystal Blue Persuasion and Draggin' The Line, a more sophisticated hard rock song than the earlier infectious, up beat Mony Mony.

This CD is an outstanding collection of songs by one of the great rock bands of the 1960's and 1970's. However, you should purchase the moderately priced Tommy James And The Shondells Anthology CD instead, if it is still available, because it contains 27 tracks, and is a more comprehensive collection.