Crimson & Clover (album)

Last updated
Crimson & Clover
Crimson & Clover (album).jpeg
Studio album by
Released December 1968
Recorded1968
Genre
Length32:45
Label Roulette, SR 42023
Producer Tommy James and the Shondells
Tommy James and the Shondells chronology
Mony Mony
(1968)
Crimson & Clover
(1968)
Cellophane Symphony
(1969)
Singles from Crimson & Clover
  1. "Do Something to Me"
    Released: October 1968
  2. "Crimson and Clover"
    Released: November 1968
  3. "Crystal Blue Persuasion"
    Released: June 1969
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Crimson & Clover is the sixth album by Tommy James and the Shondells. It features the #1 hit "Crimson and Clover" [3] as well as the #2 hit "Crystal Blue Persuasion". [4] The album "Crimson & Clover", was released in December 1968 [5] and reached a peak of #8 on the Billboard 200.

Contents

Based on suggestions from radio stations the group chose to create an extended five-and-a-half minute long version of the title song for the album. The first two verses were copied without lead vocals, and then overdubbed with guitar solos by Shondells guitarist Ed Gray using steel guitars and fuzz guitars, as well as an extended one-minute wah-wah pedal finish. During tape copying a slight speed error was inadvertently introduced. This resulted in a small drop in pitch during the new guitar solo sections, which went unfixed. [6] [7]

The group had toured with Vice President Hubert Humphrey during his 1968 presidential campaign. Humphrey showed his appreciation by writing the liner notes for the Crimson and Clover album.

CD re-release

The version of Crimson and Clover on the 1991 "Crimson and Clover/Cellophane Symphony" CD is the same as the original album version; however, digital audio workstation software was used to fix the speed and pitch error made in 1968. The CD booklet states that "Crimson and Clover" is now as it was "meant to be heard," and that Tommy James is "very satisfied" with the reissue of the recordings in CD format.

Track listing

No.TitleWriterLength
1."Crimson and Clover" Tommy James, Peter Lucia5:36
2."Kathleen McArthur"Tommy James, Mike Vale2:45
3."I'm a Tangerine"Tommy James, Peter Lucia3:38
4."Do Something to Me"Jimmy Calvert, Norman Marzano, Paul Naumann3:22
5."Crystal Blue Persuasion"Eddie Gray, Tommy James, Mike Vale4:02
6."Sugar on Sunday"Tommy James, Mike Vale3:26
7."Breakaway"Tommy James, Mike Vale2:48
8."Smokey Roads"Tommy James2:52
9."I'm Alive"Tommy James, Peter Lucia3:15
10."Crimson and Clover (reprise)"Tommy James, Peter Lucia1:03

Personnel

Adapted from AllMusic. [8]

Charts

Album

YearChartPeak Position
1969Billboard 2008

Singles

YearSingleChartPeak Position
1968"Do Something to Me" Billboard Hot 100 38
"Crimson and Clover"1
1969"Crystal Blue Persuasion"2
Adult Contemporary
Chart
27

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Crimson & Clover at AllMusic
  2. Scapelliti, Christopher (1998). "Tommy James & the Shondells". In Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds.). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Detroit: Visible Ink Press. pp. 590–591.
  3. Tommy James and the Shondells, "Crimson and Clover" Chart Position Retrieved February 7, 2015
  4. Tommy James and the Shondells, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" Chart Position Retrieved February 7, 2015
  5. James, Tommy (16 February 2010). Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & The Shondells. New York: Scribner. ISBN   978-1-4391-2865-7.
  6. "Crimson & Clover and Cellophane Symphony". Angelfire.com. Retrieved 2012-01-05.
  7. Me, the Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James and the Shondells
  8. "Crimson & Clover/Cellophane Symphony – Tommy James & the Shondells | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 December 2016.