The Music Of Tommy James Sounds Almost As Good In Chinese
Tommy James by Jim Pietryga
Longtime Essex County resident Tommy James has had a string of hits a mile long. His music has been used in countless movies, TV shows and commercials. It’s timeless. His compositions sound as vital and fresh now as they ever did. One of his songs, “Mony Mony,” originally released in the U.S. 57 years ago in 1968, a #1 in England and #3 in the U.S. and Canada, was released in Indonesia 47 years ago in Chinese. The song was included on the various-artists Mandarin Disco Volume #6 compilation, on the Surya Emas label. “Money,” as they called it, was by an act named Ervinna.
The song has had various permutations. Billy Idol’s 1981 studio version made it to #7 on the Billboard Dance Chart. His live version, six years later in 1987, topped the charts at #1. Weird Al covered it as “Alimony.” The Beach Boys, Status Quo, The Pretty Things, Alvin & The Chipmunks, Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees, New Kids On The Block, Celia & The Mutations, The Boston Pops and The Stranglers have all covered the song.