The A-side of this single, "Mony Mony," was a hard-driving, raucous party starter that became a concert staple and one of the band's most enduring hits. The B-side, "One Two Three and I Fell," offered a more downbeat, psychedelic counterpoint.
- "Mony Mony" was not originally intended for Tommy James & the Shondells; it was written by producer Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz of Super K Productions. The song reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968. A live version of "Mony Mony" recorded by Billy Idol in 1981 became a number 1 hit in Australia and a Top 10 hit in the US and UK.
- This single was released on the Roulette Records label. The album of the same name was released in 1968 and also included the hits "Crimson and Clover" and "Do You Feel Love."
- The song was reportedly inspired by a sign for Mutual of New York (MONY) that James saw.
Tommy James & the Shondells were an American rock band formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1959. They were one of the premier American pop-rock acts of the mid-1960s, achieving eleven Top 40 hits. The 1968 release of "Mony Mony" followed their string of bubblegum-inflected hits like "Hanky Panky" and "I Think We're Alone Now," marking a grittier sound that pointed toward the band's later, more psychedelic work.
Tracklist
