The Kan Dells | en

Tommy James and the Shondells is an American pop and Rock n Roll group that was most active in the 60s. They had two number one singles in the U.S. — "Hanky Panky" (1966) and "Crimson and Clover" (1968) — but also released five other top ten hits, including "I Think We're Alone Now", "Mony Mony," and "Crystal Blue Persuasion". Their iconic hits are often played by 'oldies' and 'classic rock' stations. The band (from Niles, Michigan, USA) initially formed in 1959 as "Tom and the Tornadoes", with the then only 12-year-old singer-songwriter Tommy James as the frontman. In 1963,...

The band initially formed in 1959 as Tom and the Tornadoes, with the then only 12-year-old Tommy James as lead singer. In 1963, he re-named the band The Shondells after one of James' idols, guitarist Troy Shondell. The same year, they recorded the Jeff Barry/Ellie Greenwich song, "Hanky Panky" (originally a B-side by The Raindrops) [1]. James' version sold respectably in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, but the record label, Snap Records, had no national distribution. The single failed to chart, and the Shondells disbanded. Two years later, a Pittsburgh radio station unearthed the forgotten single and touted it as an...