Talk About Las Vegas with Ira

Each week, Ira talks with the celebrities, entertainers, writers, and personalities who make Las Vegas the most exciting city in the world!

Each week, Ira talks with the celebrities, entertainers, writers, and personalities who make Las Vegas the most exciting city in the world!

  • Home
  • About
  • Podcasts
    • Actors
    • Authors
    • Business
    • Comedians
    • Culinary
    • Entertainment
    • Impressionists
    • Magicians
    • Media
    • Museums & Cultural Attractions
    • Music
      • Country
      • Jazz
      • Pop/R&B
      • Rock
    • Sports
    • Travel & Tourism
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • To Advertise
You are here: Home / Podcasts / Talking With Tommy James – July 30, 2015

July 30, 2015 By Ira

Talking With Tommy James – July 30, 2015

talking with tommy james

This week, Ira spoke with Tommy James.

Tommy James, performing with the Shondells at the Golden Nugget July 31, started his road to stardom when a nightclub DJ in Pittsburgh discovered a two-year-old record by “The Shondells” and played it at his weekend dances. The crowd response was so overwhelmingly positive that radio deejays started spinning it and an enterprising record distributor bootlegged it, selling 80,000 copies in ten days. By May of 1966 “Hanky Panky” was the number one record in Pittsburgh and James was a sensation.

A Pittsburgh promoter tracked James down at his home in Niles, told him of the success tale of “Hanky Panky,” and urged him to “come on down!” Unable to put the original group back together, Tommy hired a hot P-burgh R&B bar band to become the Shondells. Two weeks later he and this new group signed a record deal with Roulette Records in New York. The label, in turn, put their promotion team to work on “Hanky Panky” and made it the summer smash of ’66. Thus, began one of the longest strings of nonstop hits in recording industry history.

Tommy James and the Shondells’ number one singles included “Hanky Panky” and “Crimson and Clover.” They also charted twelve other Top 40 hits, including “I Think Were Alone Now,” “Mirage,” “Mony Mony,” “Sweet Cherry Wine” and “Crystal Blue Persuasion.”

http://www.goldennugget.com

http://www.tommyjames.com

RSS
Follow by Email
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
SOCIALICON

Filed Under: Podcasts, Music, Rock

Subscribe

Get the latest delicious goodness straight to your inbox!

« Talking With Louie Anderson – July 23, 2015
Talking With Jonathan Ullman – August 6, 2015 »

LAS VEGAS TRIVIA

What is Clark County’s gaming revenue? $10.4 Billion

LAS VEGAS LINKS

Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority
Fremont Street Experience
The Mob Museum
Neon Museum
The Smith Center
Springs Preserve
Vegas Golden Knights

Archives

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
rooster-boy-cafe

Copyright 2012-2020 IDS Creative Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.