Story Of The Classic Song That’s Been A HIT In EVERY Decade & Genre | Professor of Rock
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ม.ค. 2022
- The story of a song that has been #1 multiple times and a hit in many different decades. I Think We’re Alone Now as a major hit in the late 60s for Tommy James and the Shondells inadvertently invented a new genre (Bubble Gum Pop) and then years later Teen star Tiffany took it all the way to #1 in the 80s exactly 20 years later. Then Billie Joe of Green Day had a hit with it recently on the rock charts. In exclusive interviews Tommy and Tiffany tell the story of recording with some unbelievable revelations.
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#70s #Vinyl #Story
Hey music junkies and vinyl junkies Professor of Rock always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest 70s & 80s songs of all time for the music community and vinyl community with music history video essay's. If you’ve ever owned records, cassettes and CD’s at different times in you life or still do this is your place Subscribe below right now to be a part of our daily celebration of the rock era with exclusive stories from straight from the artists and click on our patreon link in the description to see our brand new show there.
It’s time for another edition of our show revelations where featured artists share rare stories behind their greatest songs and albums. Insight you won’t find anywhere else. Today we have the story of a song that went to the top 5 in 1967 and then went all the way to #1 exactly 20 years later in 1987. It’s the classic song I think were’ alone now. Tommy James and the shondells took it to #4 in 67 and then teen poster Tiffany took it all the way to #1 in 87 when we had the famous Debbie vs Tiffany pop war of the late 80s. The song also went to #54 in the UK in 2006 by the group girl aloud and then Green Day frontman Billy Joe Armstrong took his version to #7 on the Alternative charts in 2020 making it a top 10 in 4 separate decades. Up next Tommy James and tiffany tell us the story behind this song and how along with Mony Mony Tommy James Replaced himself at #1 decades after he made both songs famous. It was recently used in an episode of the Umbrella academy. this is a very cool interview. As we go into this story I do want thank our sponsor Zenni Eyewear, the glasses I wear every single day. I love them. You can get a pair for every day of the week.. because they are so cost effective and so quality you’ll be a customer for life. Go to zenni.com and pick out a few pair and see how they look before you buy with Zenni’s amazing mirror feature. HEre’s Tommy and Tiffany. - บันเทิง
Poll: What is your favorite remake of the 1980s?
*Cum on feel the noise* and *Mama we're all crazy now* by Quiet Riot.
**Edit* if I answered that right, if not then *Land of Confusion* by Genesis then covered by Disturbed.
Hazy shade of winter
Simon & Garfunkel /
The Bangles
Baby I love your Way/free Bird by Will to power. Sue me
1. 2. Joan Jett- Crimson & Clover, I Love Rock n’ Roll;
3. Bananarama- Venus; 4. Bangles- Hazy Shade Of Winter
5 Bonnie Raitt- A Thing Called Love
6. Joe Cocker- Unchain My Heart
Hazy shade of winter - The Bangles
Tommy James should have been more massive. His songs hold up amazingly well and I never turn them off when I hear them on the radio.
You're so right. He was a hitmaker in the days of the Beatles. Very competitive time in music.
Totally agree. His tunes have stood the test of time!
Very underrated band!
I BELIEVE I read somewhere that people mistook them for a Beatles wannabe group and even believed they were "just another British group" so they were ignored because we already had both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
That Tiffany's weak version went higher shows 1987 music wasn't that good...
legendary tune but as far as our boy TOMMY goes i'd say "dragging the line" is his shiner of all time. i had it on vinyl 45 when i was a kid in the 70's. whcih just so happens to be the greatest decade for music EVER.
Tommy James!! Dismissed as "bubble gum"... so underrated. I hope your interview will also cover Crystal Blue Persuasion and Crimson and Clover in a future episode!
And Crimson and Clover was covered by Joan Jett back then!
But that was his forte and what made him famous. He managed to find that way of making great pop tunes that fit the radio format with a little tweak that gave a nod to the more knowing listeners. The peace and love psychedelia of Crimson/Crystal nailed the pop culture of the day as it discovered those sounds, but put it in an AM radio friendly package.
I've never gotten why being "bubble gum" is bad, in some way. Music is about feelings. Bubble gum rock makes you feel up, good, and happy. Nothing wrong with that at all.
The '80s was an especially good decade for Tommy James remakes with Tiffany doing "I Think We're Alone Now," Billy Idol doing "Mony Mony," and Joan Jett doing "Crimson and Clover."
Exactly. Tommy was everywhere!
Definitely, I loved Crimson and Clover. Tommy James was amazing and those remakes from other artists in the 80s were so good!
Joan Jett also did a cover of Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, she did a lot of popular covers
The early 60's sound was being recycled to great effect.
OMG, I had no idea Mony Mony was a remake! 😮
I grew up in the 70's and Dad would have Tommy James and the Shondells blasting on the stereo. Made me fall in love with his songs. Every time I hear one I think of my late Father. Thanks for covering this song.
One of the nicest artists I’ve ever met. Tommy James definitely needs to be in the H.O.F.
Tommy James songs are awesome ... why in the world is he not in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame? His contribution is huge. Thank you for keeping theses songs and stories alive! Jim
"Crystal Blue Persuasion" should get them in on its own -- it sounds as good to me now as it did when it came out.
@@gretchenlittle6817 “Draggin’ the Line” is also one of my favorites 👍😎
👍🏻 on both
I look at some of the people in the RRHOF and wonder how they could be elected ahead of Tommy James (and some other deserving acts). To me RRHOF's credibility fades more and more each year.
Seriously? This would seem to be a "gimme". Research time...
I love how humility Tommy James always has, with the use of the word "we" instead of "I". Maybe why he had so many great songs was because he was great at putting a team together and letting people have their input in what they were good at. I wish many more of these artists used the word we more. Can you imagine the creativity he could have had if not for radio parameters restraining what got played. Tiffany's version is so catchy you can help but love it. Great interviews always love the insight you get, great work
Thanks! Yes, Tommy is a humble guy. I was excited for the interview.
Professor hits the nail on the head when he says "Even if you're not a fan, it's an interesting story". I remember watching "Behind the music" for the first time. I wasn't a fan of the band in the story, but it was such an interesting story I couldn't stop watching. Same goes for the professor's channel. Great story, and he has a thousand of them.
Tiffany is one of the signature voices of the 80s. She and Tommy James seem like great people.
The interview definitely shows what a class act Tiffany is as a person. Great music and great memories from the '80s, and her song was part of that continuous radio play that many of us remember so well.
"I think we're alone now" introduced me to Tiffany, but "Could've Been" was the ballad that made me have a huge crush on her when I was a freshman in college!! The piano intro was so simple yet so beautiful.
We need more great people like Tommy James in the world. He's gotta be the most covered artist. Mony, Mony; I Think We're Alone Now, Crimson and Clover.....all bangers and fun to listen to, even the originals, today!
Fun fact: Both the Tommy James And The Shondells originals plus those 3 covers all charted and ended up on a billboard year end hot 100 meaning the public adored both versions.
This song is so special. My mom enjoyed her version as a kid in the 60’s and I enjoyed my version as a kid in the 80’s. Mom and I were able to rock out together to the same song in different generations. 😊Jenn
I'm so impressed with Tiffany. I was a few years too old to appreciate what she did at the time, but now that I'm even older I have a lot of respect for it. This interview shows she deserves respect because she has a spirit of gratefulness that is very refreshing. Tommy is awesome for that same reason. I love seeing the people you interview who have respect for the skill of their team and for the luck that plays such a strong part in life.
For Tiffany, she has about 2 other charting hits. A Beatles cover and an original but does she qualify as a one hit wonder in the sense that her cover is her biggest hit?
So stoked you covered Tommy James! Great show. Thank you.
When you look at how Tommy James was not only a contemporary of the Beatles and Stones at the time, just like bands of their pedigree, he has proliferated his music and songs through the ages with people who cover his music. The guy, his band and production team need to be rated as not only hit makers of the 60s but as rock legends!!!
tommy is a legend...guy had so many classic American songs...the ones they mentioned, plus mony mony, crimson and clover, crystal blue persuasion, dragging the line etc etc . .American rock royalty..Tiffany looks great and did a great job with it in the 80s. . class act for sure
Lest we forget my fave TJ solo track 'Draggin The Line'. Such a memorably BADASS bass intro..
That said, I still have my Tiffany '45
This track is my favorite one too. Overall an enjoyable interview.
True story about this song. I was a Junior in high school. I was helping my bro-in-law paint some rooms in my sister and his new home. They had an oldies station on the stereo - mostly classics I'd heard many times before. But then this song came on - the original version. I'd never heard it before, but I instantly took to it, and felt it really held up! It sounded fresh and new and catchy as all getout to me! I shared my enthusiasm for the ditty with my sister and bro-in-law, then confidently and boldly declared, "this song would be a number one hit if it were released today!" They seemed less than impressed or convinced by my assessment. About two weeks later, I heard the newly released Tiffany version on the car radio, coming home from school! - I was stunned! A few weeks after that, her version WAS a no.1 hit!! My declaration had become a prognostication! For what it's worth, intuitions like this are not unusual for me; but I tell this particular story with a slight embarrassment, because it involves, well, Tiffany (sorry, Tif! - Just not my typical preference in music). But, the fact that B.J. Armstrong affirmed my take on the song makes me feel better!
Snuff's cover version - now that is getting really obscure. So pleased it got a mention.
The power of a great hook! Gotta love Tommy. As he pointed out, his songs were made for radio and radio was only too happy to oblige!
Well the record company didn't have to push too hard as it was run by the mob. Plus they were great songs.
Tommy James and The Shondells are one of my favorite groups of the 60s. You can definitely make the argument that they were the first artists that started fun, bubblegum, pop. "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Mony Mony are my 2 favorite songs from them. I thought it was great that, in 1987, Tiffany and Billy Idol did cover versions of these 2 great songs and introduced them to a whole new audience.
Agreed. Love that Tommy got the recognition he deserves.
Tommy James proved that you could go a long way with three chords.
Enjoyed this one very much.😊
I'm just old enough to remember Tommy James, but young enough to have a huge crush on Tiffany (then and now) "I Think We're Alone Now" will always be my guilty pleasure.
I was one of those teeny-boppers who related to this record. I was in love with Tommy James.
I'd like to see Tommy James and Tiffany sing "I Think We're Alone Now" together. That sort of thing has been done before, for example by Gene Pitney and Marc Almond.
Tiffany would burst into flames!
I second that motion.
Being born in the late 50's, I was blessed to be young in the 60's and 70's. I was a young man in the 80's and early 90's. My music tastes are wide. My mother exposed me to early rock-n-roll, while my older sisters educated me on the Beatles, Elvis, and the Supremes. I found the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Santana myself. Motown, Pop, Rock, Prog Rock. I love them all. Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Tom Petty, James Taylor. Flock of Seagulls, Phil Collins, Glen Frye, REO Speedwagon, I could go on and on! I absolutely love your channel, and am honestly a bit jealous. I feel your passion for music.
My favorite 80s remake is Gloria by Laura Branigan. Originally done by Umberto Tozzi.
Tommy James is the real deal. We have been to a couple of his concerts in recent history and his voice is still strong and genuine Tommy J as it's ever been. He performed with a 100% effort and stays true to his style that made him the success he has enjoyed. We will definitely go see him again when the opportunity presentsitself!!! He is also very down to earth and humble as well as grateful to his audiences. Thanks for another wonderful segment Professor!!
You should do a piece on Kris Kristopherson and his contributions to rock with his cross over hits.
I was team Debbie back then, I loved her in Grease. Yes, she toured Grease the musical and I saw her as Sandy back when my wife was pregnant for our first child. As a rocker, both of these gal’s albums were something I hid from my friends as they were guilty pleasures.
Yay Team Debbie
As a Dj in a dance club in the late 80's I couldn't count how many time this song was requested every night.
What a wonderful piece of artwork for the record sleeve on this single! Man's and woman's yellow footprints on a black ground - dark night - walking side by side until they're alone - then she turns around towards him. Amazingly good.
I love his version of "Sugar on Sunday". brings back lots of memories of 1969. Always like his music, my band in high school cover of few, great times.
I thought this song was dorky when Tiffany first debuted it. I was 22 and thought I was too cool for school. It’s really grown on me as I’ve gotten to know her through interviews. She’s a cool woman with an enterprising spirit.
Another iconic anthem destined to never go out of style. Love the "Mirage" story. Sometimes, It, just happens. Thanks for another great trip down memory lane.
Dude, you should be making 100M like Rogan. This kind of interview makes me wish you the best of success.
Just discovered your channel! I am enjoying listening to the songs of my youth! I just turned 75, and Tommy James was one of my favorites! I love music from all eras! My daughter cut her teeth on my music…in college her friends couldn’t believe her vast knowledge of the oldies! Glad I started her on music early….she got her degree as a Music Therapist! Tiffany was wonderful! I loved her back in the 80’s…I loved Debbie too….there was room for both!
By the way, if anyone is interested, Tommy has a great weekly show on XM channel 73 every week, titled Gettin' Together with Tommy James! Living proof that when you're a great entertainer you can take it to any limits! Thank you, Tommy
Being a little kid, riding around New Orleans w/my baby brother & my Mother, blasting the radio & singing at the top of our lungs. Certain songs for her, certain ones for my father, and then there's the ones that are just me & my baby brubber, on my Grandma's front porch, where we weren't supposed to be!! lol!
Can't say enough about Tommy James!
13:33 Check out the guitar 🎸 player 🤣 He looks like he stuck Deep Heat and Rub on his bullies jock straps! Or that little devil on his shoulder whispering in your ear 👂
I love that song from my sixties youth, still thrills my mind from time to time, it just brings you into the first flight of young love, and it never gets old.
One of your best shows..
Keep me hangin on - Kim wilde
Mony mony - Billy idol
Don't be cruel - cheap trick
I think we're alone now - tiffany
Can't hurry love - Phil collins
The 60s in the 80s
I can still remember being a kid and jamming to Tiffany “think We’re alone now”.
You do great work man!
Tommy is great! Love his songs, him and 60’s early 70’s Bee Gees were what I grew up on. Off the top of my head ( besides the songs mentioned in your clip), Crimson & Clover, Crystal Blue Persuasion, sweet Cherry Wine were great songs too. As far as the other of course love the 90 and 2000’s Bee Gees as well. Amazing that people only think of them as the late 70’s disco/falsetto’s. So innovative and great song writer, wrote songs for various artists across multiple genre too. Such a shame that Barry is the only one alive still as they were just so magical live. The thing was that groups like Tommy James and The Bee Gees sounded the same live ( and sometimes better) live vs the studio album performing the same songs. So creative, great memories! Thanks. ( personally not a fan of most music these days ) because it all kind of sounds the same. Even the artists, especially the female ones seems to copy each other instead of trying to stand out as unique. It’s like a lot of movies, just remakes of classics not a lot of new content. But thanks again for featuring Tommy, check out his book ( me the mob snd the music), it’s a great read!😎👍
New subscriber here, Professor. I was in my late teens in the 80's, and I can honestly say it was one of the best decades in music.
Thank you for your well produced, informative and enjoyable videos.
Very cool seeing Tiffany. Gotta be honest, I loved her 80's version as kid back then. I remember spinning her single at my uncle's house, where his son in law, had left it, along with pet shop boys (I think they were both 12 inch singles), lol. Being a kid in the 80's was so awesome, so much was changing and tech was ballooning like never before, and the sound of our music was so unique!
I'm definitely gonna pick up all versions of the song now.
Thanks professor! We're both 80s kids!
Team Tiffany all the way! I unapologetically blast her version of the song to this day. Red heads 😍❤️
It is a very catchy song for sure.
@@ProfessorofRock and sang by a doll.
Tiffany's has that same quality as a cover as 'Hazy Shade Of Winter' done by The Bangles. They really made it their own in style, performance, sound of the band, sound of the voice.
They both just nailed it
One of my favorites from the 80s. Definitely had a crush on her!
I also love the remake she did a couple years ago.
Amazing, I love it
Omg, she is still so beautiful. Loved her when I was a young boy in the 80s. Time has been good to her.
Great episode!!!
My favourite rock version was from Aussie band RatCat from 1987 as well (I heard their version before the Tiffany one down here)
It is amazing how good Tiffany still looks.
Masterpiece. Épic. Buddy keep it alive.
Once again - remarkably engaging and informative interviews… 🙏
Iconic song! Another great set of interviews, Adam!
Lene Lovich's album "Stateless" was Brilliant!
Her "Lucky Number" still sounds great today!
agreed
18:06 - Awesome Weird Al factoid! It's great to see that Tommy James is a fan.
You gotta love Tommy James' dyed long hair comb-over...never say die!
Tiffany also did what I thought was a decent version of a Beatles' classic with "I Saw Him Standing There," which was also I believe a top 10 hit on the Billboard chart in 1988.
...#7 Pop, May of 1988, to be precise...they play Tiff's 're-sung' version at my Gym, all THE DAMN TIME!! ...ha-HAA!
Yes, your memory is long!
Ha ha. Love your stats!
First time ever that I have guessed the artist and song before he mentioned it. I remember passing by the record section one day in the eighties and seeing the list of top songs. Blew me away that #1 and #2 were covers of Tommy James and the Shondells songs from the sixties. Mony Mony by Billy Idol, and I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany were the two songs.
R.E.M. killed it on Draggin the Line.
This is a song I don't really ever think about. However, every time I hear it, I say to myself "Nice song!". And it really is a nice song and I love hearing it in all its incarnations.
Always a Tiffany girl here. My sisters and I had our own dance to the song. Also DANNY was my favorite song on that album!!!!
I saw Tommy James at The Bitter End in NYC in 1999. I had won tickets from 89.1 WNYU. It was a great show.
I love the Weird Am version "I think I'm A Clone Now"
Saw Tommy in June 1966 in Camden, and Tiffany summer 2000 at a mall in Tampa. Thanks for this episode.
This reminds me of what Huey Lewis said about learning how to make records for airplay as opposed to songs.
Smart guy.
'Ball Of Fire In The Sky' is a pop psych masterpiece
Read Tommy's book. What a dose of reality back then in the Music industry.
Now this is the content that we need!!!! 🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽
Old enough to remember the original, but really loved Lene Lovich's cover (1978) on her album Stateless. & when Stateless was re-released in 1991 (?), that album included a Japanese version of the song as well.
I haven't heard Billie Joe's version yet, but I love the original & Tiffany's remake!!!
Billy Joe did a good job, I thought.
Billy Joe keeps it pretty close to the original, probably out of respect.
I was born in '79 and was eight when Tiffany's came out, and I freaking hated it. I'm a born rocker, and this was teeny bob, and I loathed it on my eight-year-old principle. Then later, I learned it was a Tommy James song originally, and since I loved "Crimson and Clover" and "Tangerine" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion," I checked it out. Boom, love that Tommy James song.
Love this song. You sure get some great interviews!!!
13:35 Guitarist in the background.🤪 Having too much fun.
This was one of my favorite songs of all time by Tommy James.
One of my favs, but TJ had the best version
This song so brings back memeories of the "Izzak Walton" pub and gerbil accidently putting this on instead of an iron maiden track LOL
Never knew about the original version. I like it
Tommy James will always hold a special place in my heart. When I was about 6 or 7 my older brother and I were hanging with our rather roughish older cousin who was 14 or 15 and he got the bright idea to take us all for a joyride by the seawall in his mother's car. We got in and he blasted the 8 Track of "Mony, Mony" and "I Think Were Alone Now."
We all got in trouble of course but every time I hear those songs or drive near the seawall I think about that day. Sadly our cousin met an early demise in a work accident years later.
I remember this from Ted🤣🤣.
I can totally remember the whole mall thing and this video. Malls had to be the worst place to play live music because of the horrible echo of large space with no dampening of sound. I remember seeing people playing in malls and it sounded pretty much like they were in a cave, 😆. Great video Professor, takes me back!
Good observation!
Haven’t seen a mall music show in a long while… in the US… but we were in Sofia, Bulgaria on our adoption pickup trip and stopped in the biggest mall in the country (had to take a tram to get there) to find some last minute things for our daughter, and they were having a big concert because it was close to Christmas. It actually didn’t sound that bad because they weren’t trying to fill the whole space with music.
Weird Al Yankovic played at our mall in Lancaster, PA during the hype of Amish Paradise, but my parents wouldn't take me!
Lol I had Tiffany posters on my wall on my room as a teenager in the 80s.. and Debbie of course
LOVE Tommy james and the shondells
I was a little young when Tommy James was having hits. The Rubinoo's 1977 cover of the song deserves a mention. It wasn't a huge hit, but I never forgot it.
The funniest thing for me about "I think we're alone now" is that Weird Al parodied it in 1988, referring to the arrangement accompanying Tiffany's version but in the key that Tommy James and the Shandels originally recorded it in. It also took me until the moment I wrote this comment to realize that Al actually did *2* Tommy James parodies on the *Even Worse* album, the other one being the Billy Idol performance of "Mony Mony".
Even Worse was my first Al album when I first was introduced to him. Never knew back then they were covers, of course as a kid sometimes being oblivious happens :-)
I think I had a similar period of adjustment back then,@@LewisMarien.
I was senior in High School 1988 when Tiffany sang at 13 OMG.!!! keep Singing Girl Tiffany. 😊👍🇺🇲
That's pretty wild that Billy Idol Mony Mony and Tiffany Alone Now were in the top 5 together.
Tommy James & The Shondells growing up we would be waiting for every new hit to come out !😀
In the fall of 1967, Tommy James and the Shondells played at a “soc hop” at SUNY Oswego. They played at the college ballroom and maybe 300 were in attendance. My girlfriend attending college with me invited her younger sister as I did mine. Still get a kick out of thinking of this high school like “hop”. Two days ago I commented on the Beth Roars site after she reviewed Jim Morrison and the Doors. They also attended SUNY Oswego a couple months before the Hop. Quite a concert that fall! Now just waiting for someone to review The Buckinghams, and Jay and the Americans who gave concerts at the school in the spring. A watershed year as 1968 really started a downward spiral that lasted years.
Orange Julius! Thanks for the Memory!
What a great interview Adam, always loved his music!
I Think We're Alone now has a brilliant hook. Tiffany knocked it out of the park.