You know how you see all those political ads that end with I m so-and-so, and I approved this message? Well, Tommy James himself approved this collection, so you know there ain t no hanky-panky goin on! It s the first to c... more »omprehensively span Tommy s career both with the Shondells and as a solo artist, featuring the A-side of every single the man released on six different labels from 1966 to 2006, with in-depth liner notes penned by Ed Osborne and photos from the artist s personal archive. And, much like we did with our recent Jan & Dean collection, we are bringing you the original single versions, not the remixed versions you find on most collections. In fact, the first 15 tracks are in their original mono, almost all of which have NEVER come out on CD; we lead off with the original slower version of Hanky Panky that appeared on the Snap label, followed by the classic Roulette singles Say I Am (What I Am); It s Only Love; I Think We re Alone Now; Mirage (with an extra vocal overdub not found on the stereo version); I Like the Way; Gettin Together; Out of the Blue; Get Out Now; the original single mix and edit of Mony Mony; Somebody Cares (with extra, mono-only overdubs); the original, sped-up single master of Do Something to Me with extra overdubs; the single edit of Crimson and Clover; Sweet Cherry Wine; Crystal Blue Persuasion; Ball of Fire; She; Gotta Get Back to You (the original single mix, not the one on Rhino s Anthology), and the original, shorter single version of Come to Me. Those are the Shondells sides; now come Tommy s solo singles (many of which have never been on CD!): Ball and Chain; Church Street Soul Revival; Adrienne (from the original, sped-up single master); Draggin the Line (original single mix with extra horn overdubs); I m Comin Home (original, sped-up single master); Nothing to Hide; Tell Em Willie Boy s A-Comin ; Cat s Eye in the Window; Love Song; Celebration; Boo, Boo, Don t Cha Be Blue; Calico (the pop version that charted, not the jazz version on Rhino s Anthology); Glory Glory; I Love You Love Me Love; Tighter, Tighter; Love Is Gonna Find a Way; Three Times in Love; You Got Me; You re So Easy to Love; Say Please; Go; You Take My Breath Away; Who Do You Love; I Love Christmas (full version with a cappella chorus, never officially released); Sweet Cherry Wine; Isn t That The Guy; Love Words; Hold the Fire, and, to end the collection, Long Pony Tail, a track Tommy cut with Tom & the Tornadoes way back in 1962! Don t miss this Collectors Choice Music exclusive from one of the great pop-rockers of all time.« less
You know how you see all those political ads that end with I m so-and-so, and I approved this message? Well, Tommy James himself approved this collection, so you know there ain t no hanky-panky goin on! It s the first to comprehensively span Tommy s career both with the Shondells and as a solo artist, featuring the A-side of every single the man released on six different labels from 1966 to 2006, with in-depth liner notes penned by Ed Osborne and photos from the artist s personal archive. And, much like we did with our recent Jan & Dean collection, we are bringing you the original single versions, not the remixed versions you find on most collections. In fact, the first 15 tracks are in their original mono, almost all of which have NEVER come out on CD; we lead off with the original slower version of Hanky Panky that appeared on the Snap label, followed by the classic Roulette singles Say I Am (What I Am); It s Only Love; I Think We re Alone Now; Mirage (with an extra vocal overdub not found on the stereo version); I Like the Way; Gettin Together; Out of the Blue; Get Out Now; the original single mix and edit of Mony Mony; Somebody Cares (with extra, mono-only overdubs); the original, sped-up single master of Do Something to Me with extra overdubs; the single edit of Crimson and Clover; Sweet Cherry Wine; Crystal Blue Persuasion; Ball of Fire; She; Gotta Get Back to You (the original single mix, not the one on Rhino s Anthology), and the original, shorter single version of Come to Me. Those are the Shondells sides; now come Tommy s solo singles (many of which have never been on CD!): Ball and Chain; Church Street Soul Revival; Adrienne (from the original, sped-up single master); Draggin the Line (original single mix with extra horn overdubs); I m Comin Home (original, sped-up single master); Nothing to Hide; Tell Em Willie Boy s A-Comin ; Cat s Eye in the Window; Love Song; Celebration; Boo, Boo, Don t Cha Be Blue; Calico (the pop version that charted, not the jazz version on Rhino s Anthology); Glory Glory; I Love You Love Me Love; Tighter, Tighter; Love Is Gonna Find a Way; Three Times in Love; You Got Me; You re So Easy to Love; Say Please; Go; You Take My Breath Away; Who Do You Love; I Love Christmas (full version with a cappella chorus, never officially released); Sweet Cherry Wine; Isn t That The Guy; Love Words; Hold the Fire, and, to end the collection, Long Pony Tail, a track Tommy cut with Tom & the Tornadoes way back in 1962! Don t miss this Collectors Choice Music exclusive from one of the great pop-rockers of all time.
CD Reviews
Finally... superior sounding mono mixes
BIGBEAT | 11/26/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this hoping to get better sound than my essentials cd, which has some lousy stereo mixes. Some songs with notable improvement are as follows.
1.SAY I AM is louder and more cohesive in mono.A little more bass also.
2.MIRAGE has a fuller sound with more notable bass. Also towards the end is a vocal overdub not found on the stereo mix. I forgot about that overdub over the years.
3.MONY MONY clearly sounds better in mono.You can hear the vocals more clearly.The stereo mix really screws up the vocals on this song.Mike Vales bass shines through on the mono mix also.
Again I bought this for the Shondells stuff and the post Shondells stuff is less interesting to me except DRAGGIN THE LINE, which also is in fine mono form.
This cd covers everything I want and the rest of the songs I dont mind having along for the ride. I got what I wanted.
"
All of the hits, too many misses
Margaret Moser | Austin, Texas | 12/10/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"One of the truly great American bands, Tommy James & the Shondells' string of unassailable 1960s hits has been in disarray until this 2-disc set that makes the perfect case for 1-CD packages. Much like another hit machine Paul Revere & the Raiders, the Indiana-born teenage James churned out one hit after another from the moment he hit the charts in 1966 with "Hanky Panky," a patchwork version of an obscure Ellie Greenwich-Jeff Barry b-side by the Raindrops. Its twang and irresistible beat throbbed out of transistor and car radios, followed by the monster hit "I Think We're Alone Now" that kept teenagers everywhere liplocked while the crickets chirped. James and his ace band the Shondells kept the standard golden with solid rockers like "Mony Mony" and more backseat soundtracks like "Crystal Blue Persuasion." The innocent AM airwaves of the mid-60s gave way to acid then progressive rock on the FM dial but despite the shimmery psych glory of "Crimson and Clover," James remained a pop fixture after going solo and scoring with "Draggin' the Line." The solo James was initially undistinguishable from the Shondells' version. That soon changed as schlocky uninteresting pop such as the innocuous "Calico" and the Bee Gees-ish "You Take My Breath Away." Saving grace of disc 2 is the last track, the oldest Tommy James recording in the set and a second George Tomsco song, "Long Ponytail." It's a much-needed dose rollicking pre-Beatles pure rock & roll from 15-year-old Tommy James (and opens the door for why Tomsco, founder of the Fireballs and author of James' "Say I Am," isn't better known). If only disc 1 ended after "Draggin' the Line" and this 1962 gem was inserted as the bonus track, this would be the definitive dose of American pop. 3 stars overall but the hits are solid 5 stars. Three stars overall but the hits are solid 5 stars.
"
Collector's Choice has put together the most comprehensive T
Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 11/25/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"When Tommy James was just 13 years old, he and a group of junior high school buddies formed a rock `n roll band in their hometown of Niles, Michigan. They called themselves The Shondells. The group caught the eye of a local record producer and the Shondells were given a chance to cut a record. The Shondells released a tune called "Judy" in 1962. Although that record went nowhere, a local DJ that was starting a new label late in 1963 decided to give The Shondells another shot. They recorded a tune called "Hanky Panky" on the fledgling Snap label and this time they had themselves a local hit. However, the record never received any airplay outside the local area. Fast forward now to 1966 when Tommy James received a bizarre phone call from a promoter in Pittsburgh with an urgent request that he come to town to do a live concert. Since Tommy had never even been to Pittsburgh he had no idea what was going on. As it turned out, this promoter had found a copy of "Hanky Panky" in a used record bin. He liked it so much that he began playing it at dances all around town. Suddenly, radio stations in Pittsburgh were getting requests for this tune. Tommy James packed his bags and headed for the Steel City. The original Shondells had broken up so if was going to do concerts he would need a band to back him up. He hired a local Pittsburgh outfit called the Reconteurs to fill the bill and Tommy James and the Shondells were born. Soon thereafter the group signed with Morris Levy's Roulette records and re-recorded "Hanky Panky". This new recording was a bit more uptempo than the original and was an immediate smash. "Hanky Panky" would climb all the way to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart and would remain there for two weeks. Tommy James and the Shondells were on their way. After all these many years Collector's choice presents "Tommy James and the Shondells: 40th Anniversary Singles Collection". This impressive 2 disc set offers up four dozen tunes by Tommy James both with the Shondells and as a solo performer. For all but the most rabid fans, it is probably more Tommy James than you would ever want or need.
Collectors Choice has taken special care in trying to differentiate "40th Anniversary Singles Collection" from some of the other anthologies that have been released previously. You will find the original 1963 Snap recording of "Hanky Panky" included here. Between 1966 and 1970 Tommy James and the Shondells placed a total of 19 singles on Billboard's Hot 100. Virtually all of them are included here including "I Think We're Alone Now", the #1 smash "Crimson and Clover" from 1969, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" and the highly annoying "Mony, Mony". God I hate that song!! The first 15 tracks are presented in their original "mono" format that had never appeared on compact disc before. You will probably notice some slight differences on a few of the tunes. In 1970, Tommy jettisoned the band and began pursuing a solo career. Unfortunately, the songs sounded an awful lot like the ones he did with the Shondells. He did manage to snag one more big hit with 1971's "Draggin' The Line". But the public began to lose interest and although Tommy continued to churn out single after single they all seemed to stall in the middle to lower reaches of the Hot 100. Tommy James disappeared from the scene for several years before signing a new deal with Millennium records in 1980. His debut single "Three Times In Love" was a pretty decent pop tune that managed to crack the Top 20. A follow-up called "You're So Easy To Love" would be somewhat less successful. Both of these tunes are included here as well.
As always, the good folks at Collector's Choice have done an outstanding job in putting together "Tommy James and the Shondells: 40th Anniversary Singles Collection". Ed Osborne's liner notes provide tons of information on the artist and the photos from Tommy James' personal collection are highly enjoyable to peruse. While Tommy James certainly had his share of hits I am not really sure that this artist merits such an elaborate anthology. I am perfectly happy with Rhino's 2 LP "Anthology" that I purchased many years ago. But for many long-time fans and serious collectors I am quite sure that "40th Anniversary Collection" will fill the bill nicely. Recommended.
"
+1/2 -- All the group and solo hits, and more
hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 12/06/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Tommy James, first with the Shondells and later solo, had a memorable six year run on the singles chart from 1966 through 1971, landing two #1s, sixteen top-40s, and a fistful of top-100s. Disc one encapsulates James' greatest commercial success, spanning the group's debut cover of Barry & Greenwich's "Hanky Panky," their return to the top of the charts with "Crimson and Clover," James' last hit with the Shondells, "She," and his biggest solo hits, "Draggin' the Line," "I'm Comin' Home." Filling out the first disc is a wealth of lower-charting singles that includes the galloping pop "Out of the Blue," the brassy "Somebody Cares," the funky "Gotta Get Back to You," the soulful "Come to Me," the gritty pop-rock "Ball and Chain," the country-rock "Nothing to Hide," and the "Horse With No Name" styled "Cat's Eye in the Window." James run of hits spanned AM radio's focus on singles and FM radio's promotion of longer-form album cuts. The group's LPs, such as Crimson and Clover, successfully kept a foot in both worlds, selling millions of copies and spinning off multiple hit singles.
What's most impressive about the variety collected here is that even as James, his writers and his production team took in new influences, they kept a readily identifiable sound and an unwavering bead on the charts. For example, when they added gospel piano, church harmonies and Stax-styled horns to 1970's "Church Street Soul Revival," James lead vocal still rings with the youthful quality lent to 1967's "I Think We're Alone Now." James voice fit equally well in the raunchy remake of Goffin & King's "Hanky Panky" as in the pre-teen bubblegum "It's Only Love" or flower-power psych of "Crimson and Clover." The shorthand of a singles anthology might suggest James was a style mercenary or dilettante flitting from trend to trend, but it's the pull he exerts on his influences that proves otherwise. James wasn't a chameleon who colored himself with the latest fad; he was a chart artist who adopted new sounds to his own use. It may all be unabashedly commercial, but in retrospect one can hear both craft and art in each and every cut.
In 1970 James split with the Shondells and began writing most of his own material. His solo work found the top-40 again with "Draggin' the Line" and "I'm Comin' Home," as well as more top-100 singles. The latter-third of disc one and the first-half of disc two chronicle James' most vital period as a solo chart artist. As with his earlier releases, he explored a variety of sounds, including gospel, folk, and soft rock. But unlike his earlier work, the production choices date some of the 1970s sides, intentionally on a heavily processed cover of Gary Glitter's "I Love You Love me Love," but more often by absorption of the era's glistening guitars, echoed drums and artificial keyboards. James reprises his hit song "Tighter and Tighter" (which hit #7 for Alive 'n Kickin' in 1970) with a strong ballad vocal outlined in synthesized strings.
James hopped from Roulette to MCA to Fantasy to Millenium where in 1980 he returned to the pop top-40 (after a nine-year absence) with the ballad "Three Times in Love," topping the adult-contemporary chart in February of that year. Another pair of lower-charting hits followed, "You Got Me" and "You're So Easy to Love," and though they're laced with then-contemporary synthesizers, the melodies are memorable, the guitars have some edge, and James vocals are moving. 1983's stomping "Say Please" rocks even harder, with a "Louie Louie" guitar riff, a throwback organ solo, and a powerful vocal that ranges from a whisper to a shout. James' late-80s work is even more influenced by the synthetic sounds of that era than his `70s work had been by proto-disco. Where early on he'd used influences to create hits in his own way, he now seemed to be searching for latter-day relevancy, and it didn't suit him. What finally returned James to radio and the charts were the holiday hit, "I Love Christmas," and a string of adult contemporary hits sparked by an earthy, gospel cover of his own "Sweet Cherry Wine" and brought to full fruition with the emotional ballad "Love Words."
Track Listings (48) - Disc #1