Tommy James and the Shondells

Tommy James and the Shondells are an American rock and roll group whose greatest prominence was in the late 1960s. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S., "Hanky Panky" (1966) and "Crimson and Clover" (1968), and also charted twelve other Top 40 hits, including five in the Hot 100's top ten: "I Think We're Alone Now", "Mirage", "Mony Mony", "Sweet Cherry Wine", and "Crystal Blue Persuasion". Only "Hanky Panky" was RIAA Certified Gold.

History

The band formed in 1959 in Niles, Michigan, first as the Echoes, then under the name Tom and the Tornadoes, with Tommy James (then known as Tommy Jackson), then only 12, as lead singer. In 1964 James renamed the band the Shondells because the name "sounded good." At this time, the Shondells were composed of Tommy James (vocals and guitar), Larry Coverdale (lead guitar), Larry Wright (bass), Craig Villeneuve (keyboards) and Jim Payne (drums). In February 1964 the band recorded the Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich song "Hanky Panky" (originally a B-side by the Raindrops). Released by a local label, Snap Records, James's version sold respectably in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, but Snap Records had no national distribution. Although the band toured the eastern Midwest, no other market took to the song. The single failed to chart nationally, and The Shondells disbanded in 1965 after graduating from high school.