Reading: “Me, The Mob, and the Music: One Helluva Ride with Tommy James & the Shondells
by: Tommy James with Martin Fitzpatrick
I truly had no idea who Tommy James was when I started reading this, and I should note this is the first “rock book” I’ve read which didn’t lead directly to first or further purchases from the subject’s catalog.
Tommy was a singles guy, a true ’60s sensation, breaking out regionally on radio with recordings of other people’s songs. You certainly know some of the tunes, you’d be able to sing the the choruses on demand.
The book is rated PG, which is a bummer and my main complaint. The mob side of the story is pitched hard in the title, but turns into a softball once you’re past the front cover. The author basically points you to The Sopranos, noting that Hesh in that series is based on Roulette label-boss Morris Levy, who signed Tommy James.
It’s a missed opportunity, as any real scoop on the mob stuff would really dress this up and put it over the top. That said, it’s still a damn good read. I wanted to get into something about the early days in the biz, and for the that I’d say mission accomplished. The book moves weightlessly through hundreds of interesting and reasonably well-told anecdotes making up the larger narrative which can often be a tired and boring story — Overnight 60s success exploited by ruthless record industry!
I don’t know Mr Fitzpatrick (who gets second billing in the byline here), but I suspect his ghostly hand did most of the actual writing. It’s too clean and breezy in that way. The book seems ripe for a Hollywood treatment, and if it ends up going that way I’m lobbying for the rated R version. Maybe they’ll dig deeper into the dirty corners for the big screen.
I’m a superhero and my name is Super Rye because I can reach the flushers on the urinal potty!
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