Tommy James’ Evolution Continued with ‘Crimson and Clover’
‘100 Greatest 60s Pop Songs’ Book Excerpt
Released in late 1968, “Crimson and Clover” marked a change in direction in the music of Tommy James & the Shondells. James left the group’s principal songwriters, Bo Gentry and Ritchie Cordell, and wrote “Crimson and Clover” with drummer Peter Lucia Jr.
“‘Crimson and Clover’ was a song where the title came to me as I woke up one day,” James explained to Michael Cavacini.
“I almost had dreamed the title. I just remembered how it was two of my favorite words put together. It sounded prophetic, and it sounded profound [laughs], but that’s all it was. It was just a title.
“We wrote what ended up becoming the record. We finished the record in five hours. It was amazing how quickly it all came together.”
James made a rough mix of “Crimson and Clover,” which he intended to improve later.
“We played Chicago the next day, and I went up to WLS,” James recalled in Songfacts.
“John Rook was program director, and I played it for him. He says, ‘Tommy, that’s great.’ He said, ‘Play it again, will you?’
“And he played it for Larry Lujack, who was a big jock who had just come on at that moment. And unbeknownst to me, they taped it. And as I’m getting back into the car downstairs, we had WLS on.
“I hear, ‘World exclusive! Tommy James & the Shondells!’ and I go, ‘Oh my God, they’re playing the rough mix.’ And that rough mix ended up being the record.”
Morris Levy, head of Roulette Records, refused to let James re-mix the song. It went to №1 in early 1969. “Crimson and Clover” allowed the band to move from Top 40 AM radio to FM radio’s album rock.
“The strange part is it’s probably the most important record we did, next to ‘Hanky Panky,’ because it changed everything,” said James.
“It was right when the album market got so big, and a lot of singles acts were dying off and never heard from again. It was that moment in 1968 going into 1969 when the music industry changed.”
Frank Mastropolo is the author of 100 Greatest 60s Pop Songs, part of the Greatest Performances series. For more on our books and mini books, visit Edgar Street Books.
