He Sold 100 Million Records…But Didn’t MAKE a DIME cuz the MOB STOLE His Royalties-Professor of Rock
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
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Tommy James was the leader of one of the most successful acts of the 60s, Tommy James and the Shondells. Together they had 14 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1965 to 1970. But it all came crashing down for Tommy when, at what ended up as the band’s last performance, he collapsed backstage and was even pronounced dead! Tommy didn’t die, but when he regained consciousness he was a wreck. To recuperate, James moved to the country and convalesced for months, vowing to never record again…. After convalescing for a year, Tommy James got his mojo back, went back to the studio, and recorded his first solo album... Christian of the World, featuring Draggin' the Line, a song that was a surprise top 5 smash with one of the catchiest bass riffs of the Rock Era. It would later be ripped off by a major restaurant chain on a popular ad campaign. The story along with an interview with Tommy James is next on Professor of Rock.
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Tommy James and the Shondells released 9 platinum albums and 23 gold singles between 1965 and 1970. It was a whirlwind for Tommy. He was a naive 19-year-old kid from Dayton, Ohio, when he got sucked in by the Big Apple, and entered into a shaky handshake deal with Morris Levy, the infamous, pit bull record mogul who ran the mafia-funded Roulette Records.
Tommy & the Shondells were behind some of the most iconic pop songs of the 60s, that have transcended generations. “I Think We’re Alone Now” that went to #4 in ’67, “Mony Mony” that rose to #3, and Crystal Blue Persuasion that climbed to #2 in ’69, and their two number 1 hit records “Hanky Panky in ’66, and the psychedelic sensation, “Crimson & Clover” in ’68. In ’68, Tommy James & the Shondells actually sold more 45s than the Beatles in the U.S., that’s how big they were! But all good things must come to an end, especially when the leader of a massively popular group is overtaken by his dark side. That’s what happened to Tommy James.
After years of heavy amphetamines, fighting the notorious Levy for royalties, and fearing for his very life, Tommy literally imploded. It all went down after a sold-out gig in Birmingham, Alabama in March 1970. Tommy was strung out on Bennies throughout the performance but somehow finished the show. As Tommy was leaving the stage, he suddenly collapsed into unconsciousness. A medic that was rushed backstage told the shell-shocked band & promoters that Tommy was DEAD!! Seconds later, Tommy regained consciousness. He wasn’t dead after all, but that scary near-death incident effectively killed Tommy James and the Shondells as the world knew them.
Realizing he needed to make some drastic changes in his life, Tommy went cold turkey and quit the business. He moved to a farm in upstate New York. 
Развлечения
Poll: What is your pick for the COOLEST BASS LINE from a song released in the Rock era? Also, use my code PROFESSOROFROCK to get $5 off your delicious, high protein Magic Spoon cereal by clicking this link: sponsr.is/magicspoon_professorofrock_0524
Spacehog - In The Meantime
Come Together, The Beatles
Papa was a Rolling Stone
Dreams
Roundabout the late great Chris Squire aka The Fish
Lou Reed "Walk on the Wild Side"
IMO, Tommy James & The Shondells' "Crystal Blue Persuasion" could not be
a more perfect song. Pure genius.
I agree!
A classic on a sunny day.
Yup.
CBP is the song I know TJ by!
The wife’s and I favorite song is Draggin’ the Line.
Why is this man not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...he is a musical genuis and a great person...love his Sirius show..!
Being a great person and a God fearing man is why he isn't in the RRHOF.
@@user-no7lp5sv7k All that aside Tommy has made an incredible contribution to Rock and Roll. You look at some of the two hit bands that are in there and no Tommy James. They have no credibility...!
Tommy James was definitely a 'Blue Persuasion'...
I used to work with a man who said that Tommy James, who later became a Christian, spoke at his church. James said that later in life, he realized that he should be glad he didn't get that money, because he wasn't old enough to handle it and it would have ruined his life, if not outright killed him.
In the early 80's at the Channel in Boston, I saw him, sought his autograph. I got my pen jostled from my hand while he was walking past me in the crowd. TJ stopped, pointed to the pen on the ground, and signed a promo poster for me. I got it to this day...tY TJ for being gracious all these years.
So cool!
Loved the Channel, battle of the bands with BCN 🔥
@@monicamad1285 been a while, but wbcn was 104.1, right?
@@Digits-nf9fo yes!! They've been off the air for a while now. I said off the air 🤣🤣 I'm showing my age 😂
Such a nice man.
The Psychedelic ' Crimson and Clover ' had a profound impact on the neuro wiring of my young brain 🧠
Very cool. Such a groovy song.
Over and over i.e. practice makes perfect
I like the Joan Jett cover better. It's not as hippie dippy trippy.
@@cannonball666same concrete blonde also is on a charity comp.performed live club also
My older cousins had a “crash pad” in their parent’s basement, complete with black light posters & bean bag chairs. Crimson & Clover was the soundtrack of that room. The quintessential psychedelic song & experience.
As a sixty eight year old boomer I can honestly say Tommy and the Shondells were a really fun part of the backing track of my life. I so happy that in this short bit of the interview he seems happy and content. Take care all.
Me too , for all the great songs he did for us he deserves peace of mind.
Tommy played a gig at my High School auditorium around ‘75. Screaming Jay Hawkins opened for him.
Wow! What a memory!
@@ProfessorofRock none of us had ever heard of Screaming Jay before. I was the only exception because my parents had a 45 of I put a spell on you.
Wow, that must have been something.
What a great interview with Tommy James 👍🏻 Being 70 years old, that was my youth. Thank so much ❤
Thanks for watching!
Me too. I'm a 70-year-old too. I loved all his hits!
Yet another 70- year-old here. I like "Draggin' the Line" well enough, but "Crystal Blue Persuasion" is on my personal Top 5 List as one of the greatest pop-rock songs of all time. And "Tighter and Tighter" ( or "Just a Little Bit Tighter") is on my personal Top 5 List as one of the most criminally underrated pop-rock songs of all time.
Draggen the line works. People dance and sing along.
As a kid with older siblings who were teens... I got to hear a lot of music in the 60s. Crimson and Clover was the first record (45) I ever bought with my own money. I still have it.
Very cool!
Same! But, mine were cousins...
I said my entire youth that I was the only kid in 1st grade that knew every word to every song by Tommy James and the Shondells. Literally picked THIS band as my example! I did! To their music, and sooooo many others. Such a lucky girl 🥰
i found the 45 roulette at neighbors moving sale think.draggin is the a side surpised record is g.c. same friends older bros. were 7 and 9 years older than us had the killer 8 tracks and vinlys 60d 70s
Awesome!
The retreaded “Draggin’ The Line” is a GREAT record, and so is this video! I was happy to find it. And that “baby back ribs” jingle is ABSOLUTELY A RIPOFF OF DRAGGIN’ THE LINE!
Being a 62 y.o. boomer, Tommy James & The Shondells didn't come across my music radar until later in life. I was too young to pay attention to them when they were in the spotlight and when I got older and discovered music it was Pink Floyd, Steve Miller, Rush, Fleetwood Mac, etc. As I've gotten older, I've enjoyed 'discovering new old music' from back then. Tommy James certainly wrote and performed some outstanding songs!
The interesting thing about Tommy James is that his moniker Tommy James and the Shondells sounds like a throwback to a 50s group. However, he was playing the most freak out psychedelic music of the late 60s.
Good point. What's your favorite song by him Michael?
@@ProfessorofRock ball of fire, and his solo hit, dragging the line
I totally agree. I always wondered about that name,just didn't fit with the type of music they played. I was born in 1957 and TJ was a big part of my music history! ❤❤❤
Is it that psychedelic though? The music has a certain hypnotic, loopy quality, but it’s pretty far from the more far out crazy music of other acts in 67/68.
It’s ironic and I love it!
How could you have lived through the late sixties and seventies and not remember Tommy. man I’m talking great songs that just brings the good times back
"Draggin' the line" is such a good song I still remember hearing it on the radio, as far back as 1972, I believe.
I worked a few years as a telecom lineman and I dragged in a few lines, but never put the song with it. Climbing on a frozen pole will turn you against the job. Glad Tommy was able to get his farm and live there to recover. Glad he never had the mob actually attack him.
My ex wife was a telecom engineer in TN when we met in the late 80s, and she said the people who dragged the lines were called jug hustlers. Does that sound right?
I worked as a lineman in Alberta until I was 25. Never put this song to the job either. -25C at the top of a pole....same job at every pole, I was cold and bored. Decided I wanted an "inside that wasn't the same every day" job and went off to university to become a teacher.
@@beenaplumber8379 Never heard that but I was not in Tennessee, everything had a different nick name for every different Bell and GTE territory. We often buried the last part and some that did that the most would be called digger. About the only tool I heard called the same was the nines, seemed it was almost always called the nines.
My friends comment that I know a lot about music. I respond, “I listen to Professor of Rock.”
I'm not the biggest fan of covers, but R.E.M.'s version of "Draggin' the Line" really captures the Tommy James essence perfectly.
Agreed. I love them!
yes that was a bside of a singles comp.i had
That’s a damn good cover!
IMHO, Tommy James is so underrated and overlooked. The 1960s was such a jam-packed decade decade for music. I feel people my age and younger often overlook Tommy James & The Shondell. As a teenager in the 1990s, I was fortunate enough to have 3 of the best friends I could ever hope for. We couldn't get enough of Tommy James & The Shondell and '60s music in general. My friends and I expanded our love of classic acts from the 1970s and beyond, but it all started with Tommy James & The Shondell.
Underrated and overlooked?
I don't think those words apply to an artist that sold over 100 million
@@rejeandurette3471 Those words mean "I never realized he was so awesome." Nearly every time someone says that on You Tube I think that's what they really mean.
If you lived in the 70’s but don’t remember any of it, you’ll love this channel😎
Love it!
😂😂… What?😳
@@Heene1028 Ha ha!
Brilliant 👊🏻
The thing about the 70's was that one had to work to find this much information. Never before RIGHT NOW -- not in the entire history of humanity -- have so many educated people lived so freely and so abundantly. And for just 18 years, we have been connected to this shared, worldwide experience with near-instant communication. It is GUARANTEED to Wake THIS Generation Up! Because the Father knows what you need, before you ask. Draggin' the line.
So glad to see Tommy, and that he is still alive and well. I have always been a fan of Tommy James and the Shondells. At 63 I grew up on all the great music of that era, later massively dug the alternative/punk rock era. I was so very lucky, the rich education of so much great music.
I Love Tommy James and the Shondells. I listened to them when I was a kid and am now 66 years old and I love listening to them more than ever. thank you for the great presentation.
Here’s a story you probably haven’t heard. Tommy lived in the same NYC apartment building as the Cowsills. When their father Bud was on one of his violent tirades, the Cowsills would often go hide and hangout in Tommy’s place.
Yep - an EXCELLENT interview it WAS they did with him last (?) year; made ME feel like part of THEIR family, Keith (and I swear Susan looks 30 years younger than she actually is now!) - as my father & I stayed at his favorite hotel in NYC, the Taft - up until our LAST visit, summer of '76.....
When I was an O.T.R. truck driver,this song would amp me up every morning, every time I needed a boost to get my day started. Love the jam, love Tommy.
Went to see Tommy James and The Shondells at their show at the Medina Entertainment Center, Medina, MN. Great show!!!! Vocals and Instruments were spot on Perfect!!!! Draggin the Line is one of my all-time favorite tunes. Tommy, Thank you for the come back tour!!!!
My little sister used to squeal on me when I was a 12 year old if I Think we’re Alone Now came on. “Don’s listening to that song again!!” As if you could get away from it. She was afraid I’d impregnate the whole state or something.
Even at age 12 and younger, without realizing what I was doing, I was studying the music around me. Not knowing why. I loved the bass or guitar sound. I didn’t play yet but I had to ponder why it sounded that way. The dynamics in that song profoundly impacted me. And it made me happy. Thanks, Tommy.
Congrats on the 1 million Subs Professor, you deserve it for your hard work brother.🙌👏🙏
Thanks a million!
@@ProfessorofRock 😁, 💯!
Holy hell! Tommy Shondell had far more amazing songs than I ever knew! Great stuff!
He's a hitmaker for sure!
Feels great to be a Shondell, huh?
His name is Jackson.
I have the honor of talking with Tommy backstage in Saratoga. Then again in Albany. It was nice to see Tommy, his wife and manager praying they're giving thanks to God before the concert in Saratoga. And then when he came out and met me he asked me how the crowd was. Even in his later part of his career he paced with excitement and nervousness to put on a good show. What a great performance he gave. Thank you Tommy
Great interview with Tommy! WOW! I was a teenager then and had no idea about the mob!! That blew me away!! Thank you and to Tommy....."still love ya dude!!!"
Glad you enjoyed it
Tommy released a book titled, Me, the Mob and the Music, which tells about Morris Levy, who headed Roulette Records, and his mob ties and how Tommy was caught in the middle. Get the book, great read.
I've known Tommy for decades. We did our first tour with him, and Sam the Sham back in 67. We both cut in Allegro Studio's in NY....and man can I relate to getting the "dry shaft" from Laurie Records and our producer. Anyway, Tommy is an awesome talent and all around good guy. He's doing much better now with the book and gigis. Love the guy. Thanks for doing a story on him. God bless ya
You guys made some good quirky music I enjoyed as a teenager.
The Red Baron showed compassion to Snoopy at Christmas. Combining warmth with cool ain't easy, but you did it. "Snoopy Let's Wait". Thanks for posting...and everything else from my youth.
@@kcash6359 wow! I had that 45, Snoopy and the Red Baron at Christmas. 🎼 "And good willlll to maa aaa aaa aaaaaaann."🎵🎶
@@cheryal2809 Thanks for all the kind words folks.....it's appreciated deeply. Yep, still love that dog. God bless ya'll
I saw Tommy James perform last year in Royal Oak, MI. Incredible!
What did he open and close with? Just curious!
@@ProfessorofRock He opened with "Draggin' The Line". His encore was "Mirage" with a "Mony Mony" reprise.
@@danielmarmer679 Awesome!
Thank God these artists are still touring, but they are getting up there in age and unfortunately not much out there to replace them. Glad to enjoy it!
Chili’s should just admit they stole the riff and cords of Dragging The Line and just pay da man! 😮
Growing up in the '80s, my Mom introduced me to A LOT of artists from the '50s & '60s. For about the first 15 years of hearing it, I thought he was singing "Lemon Meringue"🤔😆
Ha ha ha!
Ha!
you can never give up. like the great Randy Meisner said. when there is nothing left to believe in put me on a highway and show me a sign and take it to the limit one more time. keep on trying and never lose the dream.wow RIP.
For sure!
My first three cassette tapes were Deep Purple - Machine Head, Yes - Fragile, and Tommy James and the Shondells - Greatest Hits! Tommy was an unbelievable talent.
Wow mine were not cassettes but 8 tracks.
@davidme9698 - I had records before this, but I got these three after receiving a cassette player for my birthday.
I was in the audience of that Birmingham Shower of Stars concert and what i remember about Tommy James was that his blue eyes could be seen from 10th row back. I didn't know about his NDE until much much later. He was a great performer to my young teenaged mind! Great story.
I remember his songs were EVERYWHERE. I loved them and have never tired of hearing them. He looks absolutely great!! So glad to see he's still alive and kicking! Blessings to you.
Lol, sometimes when I've had a hard day, I say "Yabba Dabba Doo!" when I clock out to go home. 😁
Ha ha! Very cool!
Sometimes, I say, "Hey kids, What time is it?" It's Howdy Doody Time
@@humboldthammer 🤣Awesome! I'm going to start saying that as well. 😂
I still like to sing the Flintstones theme to myself sometimes.
I love Tommy James and the Shondells! I drove to work today with Mony Mony cover by Billy Idol 😊
I hope the Magic Spoon Cereal has prizes in the box.
They are so great!
tuesday in the car flipping channels same
It is Mony Mony not money money.
@@phillipmarlowe0525 I will edit. It was the spell check.
I am really intrigued about the Magic Spoon Cereal as well. Like, will it give me luck?
In 1975 I was the soundman/roadie for a local Long Island band. We used to rent our Hammond organ and PA to Tommy when he played out on Long Island. I was doing the sound for our band when a guy comes up to me and asks if I can put the tremelo into the monitors. It was Tommy. He had a big bushy head of hair. I didn't recognize him.
Tommy was one of my heroes. He lived in Niles Michigan, a short jaunt from here. Great guy and did it on his own. Incredible song writer, listen to him often
Being in high school at the time of his hits, I liked them all but "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Crimson and Clover" are awesome and fun songs and my favorites. Tommy seems like a super nice guy. Thanks for the interesting show, again, Prof!!
I haven't even watched the video yet but I KNOW this is about Tommy James and his dealings with Morris "Hesh Rabkin" Levy. I read his book. Had to go to the folks who printed the paper record labels to figure out how many were shipped. TJ is a legend.
Hope you enjoy it. YOu're were right on the money!
I saw him perform in Utah in 2019. Afterwards, he signed both his book and my original album cover of the Shondells greatest hits. I could tell he was a bit surprised to see an original 1970 cover, and not just a reissue. 😊
I worked with a band member for nearly ten years- in an auto factory! I was told who he was after the plant closed and was quite astonished; it was confirmed when I dug out an old record album, and there he was!
You always ask what our memory of hearing a song for the first time. I heard this song for the first time yesterday driving around listening to a 60s station because of Professor of Rock. I caught the tree hugging line and wondered if it was the first use of the saying. You are keeping the exploration of music alive. Thank you!
This gave me goosebumps…. My dad just showed me one of their songs yesterday 😭 Crimson and Clover and I’ve never heard of them until yesterday
Go check him out!
I had no idea what he went through. Wow.
Amazing eh?
Child of the 70s here (born in 63). So I remember "dragging the line." And of course, during the 80s, I rediscovered his earlier hits/remakes from Billy Idol, Bananarama, and even reluctantly Tiffany, etc. Just wow, on the baby back ribs, I thought that was going to be the jingle just before ya mentioned it!!! The record industry is so corrupt, and it's amazing how many artists still have not been fully paid for their royalties......
Tommy hooked me with "Hanky Panky" been a life long fan ever since. Great show, thanks a bunch.💗
damn they were AWESOME!! There’s no such thing as listin ta too much Tommy James “over & over”
Amen!
Yup!
❤🎉
Had a friend see Tommy James over 25 times. Great songs from his catalog. Shame he had to deal with the mob. Music is a funny business. 🤷
Thanks Professor!
And yes I do remember Hanna-Barbera. I think.
Hendrix and Eric Burdon also affected by the same mob tactics
Roger! Love it. Have you seen him live?
@@sweet--richard.4981 True.
@@ProfessorofRock
Sadly no.
But I heard he still does a great show.
The music business is cruel sometimes.
As much as Dragging The Line is a great song, when I think about Tommy James & The Shondells, it's Crimson & Clover that comes to mind. It sounds so cool, so different, so brilliant!
That being said, it saddens me to no end when I hear about artists who become victims of the music executives, management teams or even their bandmates. What happened to Tommy James, John Fogerty, Mark Farner, and many others, is terrible. How can Human beings do this to other Human beings!!!
Anyone else distracted by Adam's Smiths shirt? - when it droops it makes Elvis look like Frankenstein. Thats it.
“Tommy James and the Shondells released nine platinum albums and 23 gold singles between 1965 and 1970”. WHAT??? That’s INSANE. And how have I never known that before???
A lot of people forget! He was a hit making machine!
I still don't understand how 9 platinum albums and 23 gold singles adds up to 110 million records though
@@SuperMrsbowen I saw the same number in the GUARDIAN.
Heavy drug use? Just guessing.
@@ProfessorofRock I know - I think that's just what Tommy says though :)
A movie about Tommy would be amazing, the story of this fantastic song writer and music creator and the craziness behind the scenes could be a great film. Hug a tree is a culture iconic phrase I never knew it was Tommy's too. To think he mixed this by himself after people liked it. One of the greatest creators of music in my life time. Thanks for this episode, my favorite song by him, great episode
My understanding is it was in pre production. Not sure what's going on.
@@ProfessorofRock really! I would love it!
We grew up in such an amazing time of talent and blessings they can still perform. Once they are gone not a lot out there to replace them unfortunately. My husband and I were talking about it a few days ago. Great movie indeed.
@@AnnaTrail-xp8pr best era in music!!
@@MyName-pl7zn Absolutely and glad we got to experience it.
The line “My dog Sam eats purple flowers” always stuck with me as a kid. Still my favorite line in the song.
When I was about 7 years old, one day my father took me with him while he ran errands. We stopped at a mob bar in Cicero and the bartender poured me a kiddie cocktail and gave me a handful of dimes for the jukebox. I played Hanky Panky ten times in a row lol.
True story although I didn't know it was a mob bar at the time.
Of course his single was divinely inspired just like every single idea anyone has. When I was younger I usually went for the melody & the beat of a song. I did not pay attention to lyrics & even the creators names. I never connected Dragging the Line w/ Tommy James. Thank you for the lesson.
Thanks for watching!
I never understood those lyrics. Never woulda guessed that My dog Sam eats purple flowers was what he was saying.
Ha ha. Pretty funny. Well, we got it straight from him!
I never realised he was saying that. I really need to look up lyrics. I always find I'm singing the wrong words, lol.
That’s why I love this channel!
Sounds so silly!
I love Tommy James and the Shondells, they mixed Rock, Soul and Pop effortlessly
With "Crimson and Clover" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion", "Sweet Cherry Wine" was always a favorite.
"Oh, yeah, yesterday my friends were marching out to war.
Oh, yeah, listen now, we ain't a-marching anymore.
No, we ain't gonna fight, only God has the right,
To decide who's to live and die..
I was a big anti-Vietnam war advocate, and those lyrics hooked me
I'm trying to think but only a few come to mind, where an artist had so many big hits that also became big hits for other artists
Right! He had two #1 hits alone in 87, one replaced the other at #1!
He made a big accomplishment.
Such a great story Professor!! Need to go back and listen to some Tommy today!🤘🔥
Please do! He's the man! Thanks Brent. Favorite song?
“Dragging the Line”!!🤘🔥
In my mind, I went back to 1969, and the 14-year-old version of me was putting the orange checkerboard Roulette record on my player, listening to Crystal Blue Persuasion...Life was good...
As a kid growing up in small town Sask I always loved his music. But as the years went by I slowly forgot about them until you played bits and pieces today. Thanks for the memory and thanks to Tommy James!!
nice . I was 15yo in ' 68 . legend , ( Chrystal blue persuasion. )
It's a new sensation!
Roulette Records put out some great hits.
Yes they did!
Are you referring to music or murders?
We loved his concert with Peter Noone (Herman’s Hermits) in San Antonio, Texas a few years ago. My son was the only child at the show. Tommy later wrote a quick note for my son on his Facebook page that he should continue playing guitar. My son was about 12 years old at the time. My son now occasionally leads for the worship band at our church. He still remembers Tommy’s encouraging words and is one of his favorite artists (and on his way to having his own guitar collection).
Back in the summer of 1989 I had a job as a pyrotechnition. Coolest job ever! Traveling the country setting up and blowing off fireworks for major events. We did a show in Denver at the Mile High Stadium and Tommy James and the Shondels were one of the acts. I was backstage and up close and they were awesome! Later in the evening I met him at the bar in the hotel and drank with him. He was super nice and he told me and my friends stories about touring. I'll never forget that.
Crystal Blue Persuasion pretty much exemplify the psychedelic mood of the late 60’s and early 70’s. My personal favorite TJ song. Although Draggin’ and Crimson are great also.
That's my favorite too!
Yup, mine too.
The only time I ever traded vinyl records.. it was Draggin the Line for Crystal Blue Persuasion. Yep.
Crazy to me that despite missing out on millions of royalties he still embraces Roulette. And yes they definitely stole that jingle!
They owe him some serious cash.
@@ProfessorofRockThis was a great video! Is there any way Tommy could get at least some of the money back?
Wow! I never knew any of that. The music business certainly chewed up and spit out these talented young people. I’m thankful to have had Tommy’s music to “decorate my life” as I was growing up. I didn’t realize how prolific he was until you did this episode. It must feel good for him to share his story with you, especially knowing that you have over one million people who will know the truth now. I’m thankful for your life, Professor.
One of the great things about your channel is that you make us listen to songs from our past with new ears. I was a kid in the 60s and 70s so of course i knew of TJ and the S, and knew all the songs you just talked about. However, they were just kind of part of the soundtrack of those years to me. Thaanks to you i have now REA,LLY listened to them again and realized how great they are! Thank you!
Crystal Blue Persuasion is on the ‘bucket 10’ list that has been placed in my wife’s hands if and when a celebration of life service is needed. I’ve surfed on 3 different continents and that song captures the magic of early morning waves and at dusk..simply beautiful….thank you for show casing TJ.
Crimson and Clover is one of those songs that just spirits me away to the time I first heard it. Wonderful creative music … all Tommy’s tracks.
For sure!
concrete blonde best cover one of the highlights club show
It’s otherworldly!
Just so that you may know, a 'dragline' is a shovel and 'dragging the line' is the work of shoveling something - dirt, asphalt, whatever.
Going off what was said in his biography
@@ProfessorofRock Right, I understand and am not criticizing. I am just speaking from the knowledge of my own experiences from that very same time.
Dragging a line or dragging the line has different meanings in every business
Wow!
Adam, are you somehow peeking at my setlist? That's so cool, we just added draggin the line a couple months ago, that's the third song this week you have featured....thanks for the insight into Tommy James, your perspective is very much appreciated
Crimson and Clover was the first record (45) I ever bought. I would sing the chorus while flipping my finger over (and over) my lips as I sang the words, "Crimson and Clover, over and over..." to get the tremolo effect. Lol. Kids.
Hard to pick Tommy's best song but I lean towards Mony Mony. I like I Think We're Alone Now but I prefer Tiffany's version.
Thanks!
Crimson and clover - the ultimate joint smoking song ever.
So many great hits that have survived the test of time! Can't stop a well crafted, well performed song!
I remember hearing this song on a radio as a kid and did like it a lot. Crystal Blue was my favorite of theirs though
Same here. One of my favorites from the 60s
@@ProfessorofRock Amazing how something in music can reach you on different emotional levels
That’s mine too. A feel good song.
Back in the Saddle Again Naturally
This is why I love your channel Adam. I was in elementary school in the late 60s, early 70s and loved Tommy and the Shondells but had no idea that Tommy had a solo career. But as each song came on, I said oh, yeah! and was able to sing every line lol.
I literally played this song for my son yesterday for the first time talking about how cool the 70s music was😮
Luuuuv the Shirt
Another amazing interview Professor!! Your ability to score these fantastic talks with such legends, and how eclectic in the music genres they've been,is simply astounding! Thank you for this one! Listen to how good of a vocalist Tommy was,and songwriting equally as good. I respect people like him from such a creative ,beautiful era of music. 😊❤
Draggin The Line was one of my all time favorites from the summer of 1971 and hearing it instantly takes me back. I was just a kid and that year was the first year I had my very own radio and it was truly a revelation.
Thank you for interviewing Tommy, he’s an amazing artist. Your interviews are the best!
I fell in love with the music of Tommy James and the Shondells after being introduced to it through my older cousins! Although I never knew that REM did a cover of Dragging the Line, Billy Idol's version of Mony, Mony, and Tiffany's rendition of I Think We're Alone Now, were amazing!
Love this song for the first moment, I heard it and Professor. This is one of your best interviews and history lesson ever. Thank you so much.
When I was a kid, I always heard it as "End of the line". The story is very interesting, and somewhat terrifying.
Right?
Wow, that is dark.
Awesome episode Professor! Tommy James has always been one of my favorites! Awesome story! Things I never knew about him, and especially awesome you got to interview him!👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Didn't realize he had 23 gold, that's incredible !!! I don't remember him ever having a bad song though !! ICON !!
Crystal Blue Persuasion, i ny eyes was spiritual, as in Empath. Wonderful to see and listening to the Great Tommy James 👍!!!!
In 1969 Crimson & Clover was part of a 'Now Sounds' in-flight program I was listening to on head phones in a DC-8. It blew my mind so I bought the single, and the album, and became a #1 Tommy James fan. From 1969 to 71 when Draggin The Line went up the Top 40 I probably listened to TJ albums more than I did the Beatles. Christian Of The World is still a favorite.
I will say that he is one of my favorite artists you have interviewed...love hearing him talk about everything.
As someone who has been described with it for most of my life, I love hearing about the possible origins of "tree hugger". Thanks, Adam!
He's a freaking giant of giants in song standards! Almost every punk band covered one of his hits. Pop stars cover his songs. He is transcendent. A pure genius of catchy hooks. The kinks are also as prolific. The Davies brothers are legends. All these guys should be in the Hall of Fame if not already.
The year that Chili’s commercial came out, there were a number of other commercial jingles ripping off other songs from that era. I distinctly remember hearing songs by the Association and the Cowsills being borrowed with altered lyrics. It’s hard to believe they got away with it.
The musical landscape is littered with the hopes and dreams of musicians who have have given all to their craft only to be stolen from them by unbridled greed of label executives. Please do a video of the business of this industry then and now. Love your work!!
My Top Ten Favorite Tommy James Tunes: Three Times In Love, Love Song, Mirage, Everything I Am, It's Only Love, Ball And Chain, Tighter Tighter, I Think We're Alone Now, You're So Easy To Love, Crimson And Clover, Crystal Blue Persuasion, Draggin' The Line.