Tommy James - Tommy James (Solo 1970) Album Discussion

Just picked this album up after seeing Tommy James live last week.

First time I ever heard this album, will post thoughts later but it sounds like what a Shondells album should.

Any thoughts from the community?

1. Ball And Chain
2. Meet The Comer
3. Midnight Train
4. Light Of Day
5. Come To Me
6. I Lost My Baby
7. Lady Jane
8. Quick Silver

 

This 1970 album does not feature the big hit, and it only 8 songs? I hope some of them are long songs.

 

Draggin' The Line is on the follow up LP. But if you like that song, these 8 do not distant to far from that formula.

 

Tommy James & The Shondells - 40 Years (1966-2006) The Complete Singles Collection

20 of 48 are Mono Single Versions

Produced by our own @Ed Osborne

Mastered by Dan Hersch and @andrewsandoval

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What does that have to do with this album?

 

I'm telling what you should find. Those are my thoughts, on what a Shondells album should sound like.
.

 

I bought this one used and have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of singles that Tommy continued to release. I recommend it to fans of the classic hits.

I don’t know anything about the OP’s album purchase but I would love to hear his impressions of the music on that CD and also how he liked the concert.

 

Bought this album in the mid 1980s and have always loved it...especially the transition between Midnight Train and Light Of Day (both great songs)...Also love Ball and Chain!

 

Oooh and Come To Me is excellent...

 

I have this title on the Collectibles label paired with Christian Of The World. Haven't listened to it recently but seemed to remember liking it. I'm a big fan so I like pretty much everything he's released. It's just different degrees of like. Saw him in concert a few months back and he was great. Very pleasantly surprised. His voice sounded great and his band was very good. Played all of his hits. If your a fan, I would recommend getting tickets if he's in your area.

 

Nope, all three minute songs. It's on Spotify so I may give it a listen soon.

 

Sorry to butt in but, Does anyone one know what happened to the movie based on his book?

 

He still talks about it happening during his live performances.

 

I streamed this album, good 1970 formula pop. "Quick Silver" is my favorite, a pop psych tune with heavy guitar and ADT and Leslie on Tommy's voice.

 

One of my favorite albums. I had it on LP and cassette in 1970 and spent probably a decade and a half playing it regularly. Depending on the year most all the tracks were my 'favorite track' on the album. The backing band for this album was Neon. They also released an album under their own name around the same time. The album songs were of course Tommy James / Bob King productions. It quickly went to the cut out bins after release. May have had something to do with how Roulette was used to launder money for mobsters somewhere behind it. I used to love seeing with those big 99 cent stickers on the shrink and probably bought a dozen copies, handing out half to 'em to friends. Its really a great underrated psych classic. I remember it good fair reviews at the time, and Allmusic rated it pretty well too. I still have 3 or 4 original copies, all pristine, one of them being a white label promo. I also have the mono/stereo promo singles from the album.

 

What platform has it for streaming?

 

The only streaming service I use (Spotify) has it.

 

Listening to Christian of the World. Heard Light Of Day come on. It's awfully strange he used the same song on back to back albums isn't it? Any reason for this?

 

Strange indeed

 

Last night, I was shopping in the supermarket and heard 'Mony Mony' being played on their background music service and thought, "why didn't they induct Tommy to the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame for 2019? At least The Zombies made it.

This self-titled solo album is very underrated and deserves more attention. With so many major hits already under his belt, I think they were trying to balance changing trends in music at that time while not entirely abandoning his trademark sound. Wasn't this technically his last album with Roulette?

 

How neat! Tommy is always great live and a very genuine and down to Earth guy as well. Did you visit his merch table after the show? I'm curious to know what CDs he's currently selling.

 

yes excellent album , I already knew Come to me (which had been released in Germany under the T.James & Shondells name) Light of day (which was the B-side of Adrienne) and Ball and chain (a 7" A-side) before hearing the album for the first time , I haven't listened to it in a while but I remember liking Quicksilver and Meet the Comer very much

 

Tommy James not being in the hall of fame is a huge oversight. You could just take half of his hits and make the argument.

Didn't he outsell the Beatles in 68 or something like that? I remember reading that in his book last year.

 

Saw Tommy James and the Shondells this past spring, Ridgefield CT. iMHO Tommy and his Shondells killed it.. he's still got the pipes .. I think I remember 3 guitars behind Tommy. A totally first rate show.. as good as Monkees 2011-2014. Highly recommend catching a showing his tour.

 

Seeing as this thread didn't pick up much steam, no need to make additional threads for additional TJ albums, but I picked up "In Touch" very recently.

In Touch is a great LP and throws back more to the late 60s Mony Mony songs TJ was doing rather than the further development of his song writing in the early 70s. I like it a lot.