Recorded - circa December, 1963
Originally released - December 1963
Re-released - May 1966
#1 for weeks of July 16 and 23, 1966.
Now for a bit of Deja Vu. If you recall my review of Simon And Garfunkel's "Sound Of Silence", it was an older song of theirs that had been re-released much later, became a smash hit, and reignited their careers. Well, that's exactly what also happened with Tommy James And The Shondells and their version of "Hanky Panky".
Originally written and recorded by The Raindrops (a pseudonym for Brill Building songwriting team Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich), the song soon caught the ear of numerous amateur garage rock bands. One of them was Tommy James and his band The Shondells. Their version was cheaply recorded at a radio station and released on an independent label. Aside from local airplay, the single didn't have any nationwide success and thus, Tommy James folded his band.
Two years later, several radio stations expressed an interest in "Hanky Panky". So Tommy James reformed the group with all new members to promote the song, and the record was re-released by the Roulette records label in 1966. Within a few months, the once unemployed James had his first number one hit record, and a newly reformed band as well. The biggest appeal of "Hanky Panky" is the very crude and even amateur way it sounds. This is not at all meant as an insult, in fact it's quite the opposite.
One of the reasons rare '60's garage rock has become such a collector's item is the discovery of these unknown bands, many of whom recorded their singles with all of their money, and many of whom have hidden gems in their brief catalog. With "Hanky Panky" the guitar part may not be on the same level of technicality as many other hits reviewed thus far, and the sound quality of the recording is a bit crackly. Yet that's what makes the song for me, you're hearing a group of friends giving it their all, and going out of their way to get their sound on wax. Plus, the song is extremely catchy and once you hear the melody, it is quite hard to get it out of your head.
The reformed version of Tommy James And The Shondells would continue to have success throughout the 1960's with songs like "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Mony Mony". In 1968, they recorded a certain "Crimson" tune that just so happened to reach #1, and the following year, some of their best work was recorded. More on that when we get to 1969...
Final Verdict - Sometimes you don't need studio polish or have to be a guitar virtuoso to produce a great tune. "Hanky Panky" no doubt inspired hundreds of garage rock and punk bands throughout history, and it certainly inspired me.
P.S. - I would normally say go check the original studio version of "Hanky Panky out on youtube if you don't have a copy already. Unfortunately, this version of the song seems to not exist at the moment among their database. If you don't own the song yet or want to hear how it sounds, go to allmusic.com or any online music store to hear a 30-90 second sample instead. Plus, if you really love it, you can buy a copy of your own!
Coming Up Next - "Wild Thing" by The Troggs.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I need some "mony" -
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