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Tommy James and the Shondells is an American rock band formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1964. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. – "Hanky Panky" and "Crimson and Clover" – 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".
Bubblegum is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, that evolved from garage rock, novelty songs, and the Brill Building sound, and which was also defined by its target demographic of preteens and young teenagers. The Archies' 1969 hit "Sugar, Sugar" was a representative example that led to cartoon rock, a short-lived trend of Saturday-morning cartoon series that heavily featured pop rock songs in the bubblegum vein.
WLS is a commercial AM radio station in Chicago, Illinois. Owned by Cumulus Media, through licensee Radio License Holdings LLC, the station airs a talk radio format. WLS studios are in the NBC Tower on North Columbus Drive in the city's Streeterville neighborhood. The station's programming is also available in the Chicago metropolitan area via a simulcast on the HD2 digital subchannel of sister station WLS-FM.
Tommy James is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who were known for their hits including "Mony Mony", "Crimson and Clover" and "I Think We're Alone Now".
Larry Lujack, also called Superjock, Lawrence of Chicago, Charming and Delightful Ol' Uncle Lar, and King of the Corn Belt, was a Top 40 music radio disc jockey who was well known for his world-weary sarcastic style. Some of his more popular routines included Klunk Letter of the Day, the darkly humorous Animal Stories with sidekick Tommy Edwards as Little Tommy, and the Cheap Trashy Show Biz Report.
"Crimson and Clover" is a 1968 song by American rock band Tommy James and the Shondells. Written by the duo of Tommy James and drummer Peter Lucia Jr., it was intended as a change in direction of the group's sound and composition.
WMVP is a commercial radio station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, carrying a sports radio format. Owned by Good Karma Brands, the station serves the Chicago metropolitan area as the market affiliate of ESPN Radio, the flagship station of the Chicago Bears, Chicago White Sox, and the Chicago Wolves and is the home of local personalities David Kaplan, Tom Waddle and John Jurkovic. Formerly an ESPN Radio owned-and-operated station, WMVP's studios are co-located with WLS-TV in the Chicago Loop while the transmitter is located in Downers Grove. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WMVP is simulcast over the second HD subchannel of WTBC-FM and is available online.
"There's a Kind of Hush" is a popular song written by Les Reed and Geoff Stephens. Originally recorded by Stephens' group the New Vaudeville Band in 1967 as a neo-British music hall number, this version of the track became a hit in Australia and South Africa. However, in the rest of the world, a near-simultaneous cover was a big hit for Herman's Hermits. The song was a mild hit in 1976 for the Carpenters.
"I Think We're Alone Now" is a song written and composed by Ritchie Cordell that was first recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells. It was a major hit for the group, reaching number 4 on the US Hot 100 in April 1967. It finished at No. 12 on Billboard magazine's year-end singles chart for 1967.
The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits is the first greatest hits album of British girl group Girls Aloud. It was first released in the United Kingdom through a limited edition on 23 October 2006, while the standard version was released on 30 October 2006. The Sound of Girls Aloud features twelve of the group's singles, two of which reached number one in the UK. The album features three new tracks, with "Something Kinda Ooooh" and "I Think We're Alone Now" being released as singles and peaking inside the top five on the UK singles chart.
The Cryan' Shames are an American garage rock band from Hinsdale, Illinois. Originally known as The Travelers, the band was formed by Tom Doody ("Toad"), Gerry Stone ("Stonehenge"), Dave Purple ("Grape") of The Prowlers, Denny Conroy from Possum River, and Jim Fairs from The Roosters, Jim Pilster, and Bill Hughes. The band's most successful song was their cover of The Searchers' "Sugar and Spice".
"Mony Mony" is a 1968 single by American pop rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, which reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 3 in the U.S. Written by Bobby Bloom, Ritchie Cordell, Bo Gentry, and Tommy James, the song has appeared in various film and television works such as the Oliver Stone drama Heaven & Earth. It was also covered by English singer-songwriter Billy Idol in 1981. Idol's version, which took in more of a rock sound, became an international top 40 hit and additionally revived public interest in the original garage rock single. Idol recorded a live version in 1985 which was ultimately released in 1987 where it became an even bigger hit than the Shondells' 1968 original, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Hitchin' a Ride" is a song written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander issued as a single by the English pop/rock band Vanity Fare in late 1969. It reached number 16 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1970 but was a bigger hit in the United States, reaching number 5 on the Hot 100 on June 27, 1970. Billboard ranked the record as the number 14 song of 1970. In Chicago, the record achieved even greater heights, topping the WCFL Big 10 Countdown on 18–25 May 1970, ranking #4 for all of 1970 and ranking #12 on rival WLS Radio 89 Hit Parade on 1-8 June 1970, ranking #10 for all of 1970. "Hitchin' a Ride" sold a million copies in the United States alone, and it became a gold record.
John Harlan Rook was an American radio programmer and executive, most known for his tenure in Chicago. Under his guidance in the 1960s, 50,000-watt ABC-owned WLS became the highest rated station in the Chicago metropolitan area, known as one of the greatest Top 40 stations in America. After leaving WLS to form a radio consultancy in 1970, WLS' rival, WCFL-AM, beat WLS in the ratings after retaining Rook's services. Throughout his programming career, Rook won numerous national radio awards and was repeatedly singled out for his ability to pick hit records. He would later own his own radio stations before founding the Hit Parade Hall of Fame, the only foundation that bestows awards on popular performers based upon the votes of the general public.
"The Rain, the Park & Other Things" is a pop song with music and lyrics co-written by Artie Kornfeld and Steve Duboff. It was recorded by the pop band the Cowsills, and included on their 1967 self-titled debut album. Released as a single, the song reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts. It was kept from the No. 1 spot by "Daydream Believer" by the Monkees. The single cemented the group's international popularity and sold some three million copies over the years. It ties with 1969's "Hair" as the group's biggest hit, as both reached No. 2 in the US. In Canada, "The Rain, the Park & Other Things" reached No. 1 on the RPM singles chart.
"Star Baby" is a 1974 hit song by The Guess Who. It was written by Burton Cummings who also provided the lead vocals. It is classified in the genre of Power pop and was included on the group's LP entitled, Road Food as well as The Guess Who – Greatest Hits in 1999 and Anthology in 2003. The band performed the song on the Midnight Special television program on December 14, 1973.
"Gettin' Together" is a song written by Ritchie Cordell and recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells for their 1967 album, Gettin' Together. The song reached number 18 on The Billboard Hot 100 in 1967. The song also reached number 24 in Canada. The song was the group's fourth charting single of the year. "Gettin' Together" is based on the opening bass riff of "Gimme Some Lovin'", a single by the Spencer Davis Group released in 1966. However, the remainder of "Gettin' Together" continues in the pop-rock direction James began in his previous album, I Think We're Alone Now, under the tutelage and production of Ritchie Cordell and Bo Gentry. Jimmy Wisner arranged the music for the song. A cover version of the song was also done by Gene Pitney.
I Think We're Alone Now is the third of three studio albums by the pop rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, released in 1967.
"Jam Up and Jelly Tight" is a song written by Tommy Roe and Freddy Weller and performed by Roe. The song was produced by Steve Barri and arranged by Mike Henderson.
"Rock Me" is a song by the Canadian-American hard rock band Steppenwolf. It was released on their 1969 album At Your Birthday Party. It was written by the band's lead singer John Kay, and was the band's fifth American single release. The song was produced by Gabriel Mekler and released as a single in 1969, originally as the B-side to "Jupiter Child", but the sides were later flipped. It peaked at #10 on the Hot 100 on April 19, 1969 and #6 on both WLS and WCFL. It was both Billboard's and Cashbox's top debut the week of March 1, 1969. The song is considered the highlight of the album though it had been released for the soundtrack well ahead of the album. The song followed on the heels of the band's two 1968 hits, "Born to Be Wild" which peaked at #2 and "Magic Carpet Ride" which peaked at #3. Cash Box particularly praised the "pulverizing vocal performance."
References
- ↑ Cooper, Kim; Smay, David (2001). "Introduction: Bubble Entendres". In Cooper, Kim; Smay, David (eds.). Bubblegum Music is the Naked Truth. Los Angeles: Feral House. p. 2.
- ↑ "Mirage(Single) by Tommy James". SoundCloud. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
- ↑ Mirage's Chart Position Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ↑ "RPM". Library and Archives Canada . 17 July 2013.
- ↑ "WCFL-AM Sound 10 Survey". 1967-05-18. Retrieved 2020-02-27.
- ↑ "WLS Silver Dollar Survey". 1967-05-19. Retrieved 2020-02-27.