In 1958, when Tommy was eleven, his family moved to Niles, Michigan. In 1959, when he was twelve, James formed his first band called Tom and the Tornadoes. In 1963, the band changed their name to The Shondells. By 1964, a local DJ at WNIL radio station in Niles formed his own record label, Snap Records. The Shondells were one of the local bands the DJ recorded at WNIL studios. One of the songs was the Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich ditty "Hanky Panky," which was recorded as The Raindrops. The song was a hit locally, but the label had no resources for national promotion and it was soon forgotten.
In 1965, a DJ in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, found a copy of "Hanky Panky" and played it as a station "exclusive." Listener response was positive, with many wanting to know where they could get a copy of the "new" single. Another DJ started playing the song at local dance parties. Responding to the demand, a local bootlegger taped the song off the radio and began pressing copies of it. Eventual sales of the bootleg were estimated at 80,000. Pittsburgh DJ "Mad Mike" Metro tracked down Tommy James and informed him that his record was No. 1 in the city. James almost hung up on Metro, but was convinced to come to Pennsylvania and make appearances promoting the surprise hit. Soon, James was in New York, selling the original master of "Hanky Panky" to Roulette Records. By the late summer of 1966, it was the top-selling single in the nation.
The Shondells had long since broken up, and did not wish to reform in order to travel to Pittsburgh. James flew there solo, and hired a local band named The Raconteurs to become the replacement Shondells. The group needed a follow-up and selected a song called "Say I Am (What I Am)". Although not as successful as "Hanky Panky", it reached #21 on the charts later in the same year.
Roulette assigned songwriters Richie Cordell and Bob King the task of writing songs for Tommy James & The Shondells. From 1967 to 1969, the group turned out hit after hit on the Roulette label, including six more that made it to the top ten: "I Think We're Alone Now", "Mirage", "Mony Mony", "Crimson and Clover" (the group's second and final U.S. #1 hit), "Sweet Cherry Wine", and "Crystal Blue Persuasion".
Tommy James and The Shondells broke up in 1970. James then went solo and had two further chart hits with "Draggin' the Line" (Written by Bob King) (#4 in 1971) and "Three Times In Love" (#19 (Adult Contemporary #1) in 1980). James has had twenty three gold singles, and nine gold and platinum albums. He also wrote and produced the million-selling 1970 hit "Tighter, Tighter" for the group Alive 'N Kickin' (Written by Bob King).
In October 2007, Tommy James and the original Shondells reunited in a New Jersey studio to record once again.
Mirage
Tommy James Lyrics
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(Wait a second) you're gone now
I run to touch you but you vanish through the doorways
And oh, how
Hard it is to live without you
I love everything about you
Now I know you're really gone
But my imagination is so strong
And your face is telling me that you
Oh yeah oh, want to be by my side
Oh yeah oh, now it's finally time
(Wait a second)
Mirage, that's all you are to me
Mirage, something I only see
So I keep walking through the alleys and the hallways
(Where are you?)
I keep remembering the kissing in the doorways
The car too
How it all comes back to me
The movies every Saturday
The place we used to go to eat
I want so much to have it like it used to be
That I see you coming into view
And your face is telling me that you
Oh yeah oh, want to be by my side
Oh yeah oh, now it's finally time
(Here it comes again)
Mirage, that's all you are to me
Mirage, something I only see
Just a mirage, that's all you are to me
Just a mirage, something that I only see
Just a mirage, that's all you are to me
Just a mirage, something that I only see
The song "Mirage" by Tommy James & The Shondells is about a person who is deeply in love with someone who has left them, but their imagination keeps them seeing the person. Despite their repeated attempts to find and touch them, the person is only a mirage, and they remain alone. The lyrics reflect the strong emotions that come from a breakup, feelings of loss and longing for something that can never be regained.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of desperation and obsession as the singer clings to the idea of their former lover. The lyrics also hint at the idea that their memories of the relationship may not be completely accurate, with lines like "Something I only see." This adds a layer of uncertainty and doubt, suggesting that the singer may be idealizing their ex-partner and the relationship they had.
Overall, "Mirage" is a powerful and emotional song about the struggle to let go of a lost love and the impact that imagination can have on a broken heart.
Line by Line Meaning
I see you standing in the alleys and the hallways
I visualize you standing in the dark corners and long hallways
(Wait a second) you're gone now
You disappear in an instant
I run to touch you but you vanish through the doorways
I rush to feel your touch, but you disappear through the doorways
Hard it is to live without you
Living without you is incredibly difficult
I love everything about you
I adore everything about you
Now I know you're really gone
I now realize that you're truly gone
But my imagination is so strong
My mind is so powerful
That I see you coming into view
I envision you appearing
And your face is telling me that you
Your facial expression suggests that you
Oh yeah oh, want to be by my side
You desire to be with me
Oh yeah oh, now it's finally time
Now is the right time
(Wait a second)
Hold on for a moment
Mirage, that's all you are to me
You're merely an illusion to me
Mirage, something I only see
You exist only in my imagination
So I keep walking through the alleys and the hallways
I continue to stroll through the dark corners and long hallways
(Where are you?)
(Where have you gone?)
I keep remembering the kissing in the doorways
I recall the kissing we shared in the doorways
The car too
And in the car as well
How it all comes back to me
It all floods back into my memory
The movies every Saturday
Going to the movies every Saturday
The place we used to go to eat
The restaurant we frequented
I want so much to have it like it used to be
I long to have things the way they once were
That I see you coming into view
So I envision you appearing
And your face is telling me that you
Your expression is conveying that you
Oh yeah oh, want to be by my side
You want to be near me
Oh yeah oh, now it's finally time
Now is the opportune moment
(Here it comes again)
(It's happening again)
Just a mirage, that's all you are to me
You're simply an illusion to me
Just a mirage, something that I only see
Something that exists solely in my mind
Just a mirage, that's all you are to me
You are nothing more than a phantasm to me
Just a mirage, something that I only see
Your existence is purely in my imagination
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ritchie Cordell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Norm Cardillo
on Crimson and Clover
school colors?