Up Close

Interviews with Jersey icons and rising stars

Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Up-Close with Tommy James

It’s been some year for longtime hitmaker Tommy James. His book—Me, The Mob And The Music—is being made into a mini-series. His life was turned upside-down by his longtime manager Carol Ross when the two got married. In a career that has seen him inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, score 23 gold albums, sell 100 million records, and be heard 21 million times on the radio, he says he’s just getting started.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Tommy James Reinvents Supremes and Beatles Classics

Last June, we spoke to legendary hitmaker Tommy James about the fact that Sony Publishing granted James the privilege of recording any songs he wanted from the Motown and Beatles catalogs for use in upcoming movies and television programs. So Tommy picked the first hit single from The Supremes:  1964’s “Where Did Our Love Go.” The Beatle song Tommy chose was “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” from the band’s 1965 Help! soundtrack.

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Mike Greenblatt Mike Greenblatt

Tommy James: A Career Like No Other

It’s almost impossible to conceive an America without the noise Tommy James & The Shondells generated. Now Sony Publishing has granted him license to use whatever Beatle and Motown songs he wants to cover for use in future Hollywood films. We got the lowdown from the horse’s mouth as this thoroughbred was happy to let us know the info.

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