Oldies 1150: Artist Interviews Podcasts

Tommy James Interview

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:54:00 +0000

The music of Tommy James is played continuously, everyday, in every country in the world, and has been for over a generation. His songs have become so ingrained in modern culture, it's difficult to go for more than a couple of days without hearing one of them on the radio, TV, in films, or one of the 300 plus cover versions of his songs by other artists. He has sold, to date, over 100 million records and has been awarded 23 gold singles and 9 gold and platinum albums.

He was born Thomas Jackson on April 29, 1947 in Dayton, Ohio. His family finally settled in Niles, Michigan which he still regards as his hometown. His first stage appearance was as a child model at age four.

In 1959, at the age of 12, he formed his first rock band, "The Tornadoes", and began playing local gigs around the area, developing a sizeable following.

In 1964 a local DJ asked Tommy and the group to sign with his new regional label, "Snap Records". One of the 4 sides they recorded was an obscure song written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich called "Hanky Panky". The group changed their name to "The Shondells" and released it as a single. It was an instant local hit but didn't break nationally and was soon forgotten.

Amazingly, two years later, the record was found in an obscure record bin by a Pittsburgh nightclub DJ who played it at his weekend dances. The response was so overwhelming that the local radio stations began to play it and the local record distributor began to bootleg copies of the song. In ten days, sales had reached 80,000 so that by May of 1966, HANKY PANKY was the number one record in Pittsburgh and Tommy James was a sensation. Tommy was tracked down and asked to come to Pittsburgh. Unable to put the original group back together, Tommy went alone and hired the first local band he could find to be The Shondells. Two weeks later the new group signed a record deal with Roulette Records in New York and HANKY PANKY became the biggest hit of the summer of '66. Thus began one of the longest strings of non-stop hits in recording industry history.

Tommy James Interview

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:54:00 +0000

In 1959, at the age of 12, he formed his first rock band, "The Tornadoes", and began playing local gigs around the area, developing a sizeable following.

Leslie Gore Interview

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:34:00 +0000

The most commercially successful solo artist of the "Girl Group" era of the ‘60s, Gore quickly set herself apart. With a string of Quincy Jones-produced, chart-topping hits, including "It's My Party," "Judy's Turn To Cry," and "You Don't Own Me," she introduced the world to a brilliant artist with pop instincts and an independent spirit that stood out against the formulaic offerings on the radio. A full-fledged star by age 16, her smash hits rang like anthems for young American women, and pointed the way for future generations of rabble-rousing pop singers from Debbie Harry, to Pat Benatar, to Madonna, to Gwen Stefani-all of whom remain in her debt.

Having maintained a constant touring schedule in major venues across the country, Lesley Gore is no less committed today. Her voice, now burnished from the years of "practice", deepens everything it touches with the hard-won wisdom of time, and in her care, songs take on new levels of meaning that less experienced artists cannot yet reach. On "Not The First," (written by Gore), she warns a friend about the perils of blind love ("you're not the first/ to think you'll be the last,"), but could just as easily be warning Avril Lavigne about the perils of the music business. When she lilts, "All the parties I've been to/ you were missed" ("Ever Since"), she draws listeners back to her #1 hit, "It's My Party," while ushering them gracefully forward into the new world she now inhabits.

John Novak Interviews Leslie Gore....Listen below.

Leslie Gore Interview

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:34:00 +0000