Tommy James

Tommy James and the Shondells formed in Niles, Michigan in the 1960s. The group included Tommy James, Mike Vale, Peter Lucia, and Eddie Gray, with Terry Melcher producing some of their early work. They had trouble getting labels interested at first, but eventually found their way onto radio with songs like "Crimson and Clover."

That song became their biggest hit, a psychedelic-tinged rock track with a hazy, memorable melody. It appeared on their 1968 album of the same name. They put out other records like "Cellophane Symphony" and "Sweet Cherry Pie" around the same period, and the band's lineup shifted over time with musicians like Ronnie Rosman and Ron Mallicoat coming through.

Their sound mixed straightforward rock with some pop and experimental touches. Beyond "Crimson and Clover," they recorded tracks like "Get Out Now," "Three Times In Love," and "Ball and Chain." The group's recordings from the late '60s and early '70s have kept a place on oldies radio and compilation albums since.