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Crimson and Clover, Over And Over
Tommy James Talks Biographies and Broadway
Rock stardom has something of a dramatic image. The public imagination holds that each road to success is paved with struggles against conniving corporations, backroom deals, and the self. Especially the latter. The interesting thing about Tommy James’ story is that it fits this seemingly overblown picture. It’s a real tale of drugs, crime, and finally, independence. Tommy James will bring bringing his story to 92nd St. Y, in a live discussion with Valerie Smaldone.
After creating twenty-three gold singles and nine platinum albums, Tommy James brought the story of his conflict with the mob-backed Roulette Records to the public with a revealing autobiography. Me, the Mob, and the Music covered everything from the Mafioso tactics used to separate label artists from their money to Tommy James’s more personal clash with prescription drug addiction. Intimidation was a fact of life in James’s time at Roulette, one that contrasts strongly with James’s years of seemingly unstoppable production of hits. Me, the Mob, and the Music has attracted attention beyond the literary circuit: it’s headed for adaptation in both Broadway theater and Hollywood film.
The autobiography has gathered its share of favor from critics and insiders, but it’s the strength of the career depicted that gives it appeal. Tommy James has built a name for himself as both a landmark pop-rock artist and producer since the 1960s. Tommy James and the Shondells not only crafted a rapid string of hits that decorate the airwaves to this day, but provided an early experiment in music videos with the 1968 track “Mony Mony”. When the strength of one’s catalogue can overshadow ubiquitous mob presence in one’s early history, something’s been done right.
The same talent is being brought to the Broadway edition of Me, the Mob, and the Music. James isn’t just sitting back and waiting for the play to make itself: he’s personally composing music for the Broadway production. The conversation won’t be focused entirely on the past. James is also writing a musical comedy for television, which he plans to put together through his creator-owned company Aura Entertainment.