TOMMY JAMES IS THE VERY SPECIAL GUEST ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW
Our Very
Special Guest Today
is
legendary Hit-maker Tommy James of The Shondells who has also written a
bestselling book about his infamous and often intimidating association with
Roulette Records and the “Godfather” of the music business Morris Levy.
After Tommy James and his family moved to Niles,
Michigan he assembled what became a very popular local act called The
Tornadoes. A local deejay asked the band to sign with his new label called Snap
Records. One of the tunes recorded was a catchy rock and roll ditty written by
Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich called “Hanky Panky.”
The song quickly became a local hit and then rapidly
faded away into oblivion.
Two years later an improbable occurrence unfolded
when “Hanky Panky” was discovered in a record bin by a nightclub deejay in
Pittsburgh. He began playing the newly discovered 45 at weekend dances and the
response was beyond overwhelming. A
local record distributer bootlegged it and sold 80,000 copies in just ten days.
By May of 1966 “Hanky Panky” became a number one hit in Pittsburgh. Later a
promoter hunted down Tommy in Niles, Michigan and urged him to come to
Pittsburgh where he was already a huge sensation.
A young and impressionable Tommy James would soon be
trying to sell “Hanky Panky” to the largest record companies in New York. With
an original copy from Snap Records and a bootleg copy in hand the executives
from all the major labels positioned themselves to sign the rock and roll Boy
Wonder. Strangely the next morning Tommy received a phone call informing him
that all those record companies that were so eager to sign him had decided to
pass. A disconcerted James then received a call from Jerry Wexler of Atlantic
records who informed Tommy that he received a call from Morris Levy president
of Roulette Records. The message was made crystal clear to Wexler and all the
other record execs.
Levy said, “This is my F’ing record! Leave it
alone.”
(Hanky Panky became number one on the charts in
America and the biggest summer hit of 1966)
Thus began the infamous relationship between Tommy
James, Roulette Records and music mogul/ gangster Morris Levy. After every
crime family member connected to Roulette Records had passed away, Tommy James
was compelled to profess his incredible story. So with help from author Martin
Fitzpatrick, James confessed his story into a book called Me, the Mob, and the Music which became a Simon and Schuster Best
Seller.
Tommy James has sold over 100 million records and
was awarded 23 gold singles plus nine gold and platinum albums. Some of his
legendary hits include “Hanky Panky,” “I
Think We’re Alone Now,” “Mony Mony,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Crystal Blue
Persuasion,” “Sweet Cherry Wine” and “Draggin’ The Line.”
During 1968-69 Tommy James and The Shondells sold
more single records (45’s) than any artist in the world, including The Beatles.
Legendary hit-maker and best-selling author
TOMMY
JAMES!
TOMMY JAMES
INTERVIEW POSTED ON YOU TUBE
THE RAY SHASHO SHOW
Bi-weekly
Monday Afternoon at 3 pm Pacific/6 pm Eastern
On
the BBS Radio 1 Network
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RAY SHASHO SHOW
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