TOMMY JAMES- 1999 INTERVIEW (PART 1 OF 2)

(PART 1 OF 2) Posted from the 1999 DVD "Live at the Bitter End". "(AllMusic Review by Bruce Eder )
Captured live on-stage at New York's Bitter End, Tommy James turns in a lively performance with the 1999 crop of "Shondells." James, who looks a decade younger than his 50 years, can still sing well and remains an exciting figure on-stage, and he's got players backing him whose rock & roll passions are in evidence - they're not only a tight band, but the flourishes they add, such as the electric bass cadenza on "Crystal Blue Persuasion," only enhance the music. If anything, the stage of the Bitter End, though ideal from an acoustical standpoint for a live recording, is too confining for James and company, who look like they'd be more comfortable playing at, say, the Beacon Theater. The camera angles are nicely varied and the sound is good and loud, matching the levels of a good audiophile CD. The dozen songs represented are a cross-section of James' biggest hits from 1963 through the early '70s, from "Hanky Panky" to "Draggin' the Line." The views of the crowd are sometimes very funny, showing off a significant number of forty and fifty-something women, all looking older than James himself, totally absorbed in the music. The disc opens on a cleverly constructed main menu and an entertaining special features menu within, which offers easy access to a 25-minute series of interview clips in which James discusses his career (including a funny story about Roulette Records' Morris Levy), as well as a surprisingly detailed discography. (Track Listing):
(1)
Draggin' the Line
Tommy James & the Shondells
Tommy James & the Shondells
(2)
Crystal Blue Persuasion
Eddie Gray / Tommy James / Mike Vale
Tommy James & the Shondells
(3)
Say I Am (What I Am)
Barbara Tomsco / George Tomsco
Tommy James & the Shondells
(4)
Sugar on Sunday
Tommy James / Mike Vale
Tommy James & the Shondells
feat: Tommy James
(5)
Gettin' Together
Ritchie Cordell
Tommy James & the Shondells
(6)
Tighter, Tighter- Tommy James
Tommy James & the Shondells
Tommy James & the Shondells
(7)
Crimson and Clover
Tommy James / Peter Lucia
Tommy James & the Shondells
(8)
Hanky Panky
Jeff Barry / Ellie Greenwich
Tommy James & the Shondells
(9)
I Think We're Alone Now
Ritchie Cordell
Tommy James & the Shondells
(10)
Mony Mony
Bobby Bloom / Ritchie Cordell / Tommy James & the Shondells
Tommy James & the Shondells
11
Sweet Cherry Wine
Tommy James
Tommy James & the Shondells
12
Mirage
Ritchie Cordell
Tommy James & the Shondells
13
Mony Mony (Reprise)
Bobby Bloom / Ritchie Cordell / Tommy James & the Shondells
Tommy James & the Shondells
14
Bonus Material
Tommy James & the Shondells