![]() ![]() By the late summer of 1966, it was the top-selling single in the nation. Soon, James was in New York, selling the original master of "Hanky Panky" to Roulette Records. James almost hung up on Metro, but was convinced to come to Pennsylvania and make appearances promoting the surprise hit. Pittsburgh DJ "Mad Mike" Metro tracked down Tommy James and informed him that his record was No. Eventual sales of the bootleg were estimated at 80,000. Responding to the demand, a local bootlegger taped the song off the radio and began pressing copies of it. Another DJ started playing the song at local dance parties. In 1965, a DJ in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found a copy of "Hanky Panky" and played it as a station "exclusive." Listener response was positive, with many wanting to know where they could get a copy of the "new" single. The song was a hit locally, but the label had no resources for national promotion and it was soon forgotten. One of the songs was the Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich ditty "Hanky Panky," which was recorded as The Raindrops. The Shondells were one of the local bands the DJ recorded at WNIL studios. By 1964, a local DJ at WNIL radio station in Niles formed his own record label, Snap Records. ![]() In 1963, the band changed their name to The Shondells. In 1959, when he was twelve, James formed his first band called Tom and the Tornadoes. In 1958, when Tommy was eleven, his family moved to Niles, Michigan. Tommy currently resides in Monroe, Wisconsin. Read Full Bio Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson, 29 April 1947, Dayton, Ohio) is an American pop-rock musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as leader of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells. ![]() Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson, 29 April 1947, Dayton, Ohio) is an American pop-rock musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as leader of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells. ![]()
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