- Tommy James (aka Thomas Jackson) -- vocals, guitar,

  keyboards

  supporting musicians (1970):

- Eddie Gray -- guitar

- Bob King -- bass

- Russ Leslie -- drums, percussion

- Peter Lucia -- drums, percussion

- Fung Porter -- bass

- Rob Rosman -- keyboards

- Frank Scaltrito -- keyboards

- Pete Scaltrito -- guitar   

- Mike Vale -- bass

  supporting musicians (1972)

- Pete Drake - pedal steel guitar

- Ray Edenton -- guitar

- D.J. Fontana -- drums

- Linda Hargrove -- guitar

- Buddy Harmon -- drums

- Bob King -- bass

- Russ Leslie -- drums

- Dave Kirby -- guitar

- Charley McCoy -- harmonica

- Scotty Moore - guitar

- George Richey -- keyboards

- Pig Robbins -- keyboards

- Dale Sellers -- guitar

- Buddy Spichler -- fiddle

- Alive and Kickin'

- Hog Heaven (Peter Lucia and Mike Vale)

- Tommy James and the Shondells (Tommy James, 

  Peter Lucia, Mike Vale)

- Neon (Fung Porter)

Genre: pop

Rating: 2 stars **

Title:  Tommy James

Company: Roulette

Catalog: SR 42051
Year: 1970

Country/State: Dayton, Ohio

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: minor tear along back cover

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 5799

Price: $15.00

Tommy James & the Shondells are one of those 1960s bands that hasn't gotten half the credit or attention they deserve.  That said, namesake Tommy James solo career has been even more overlooked.

James started his solo career with 1970's cleverly titled "Tommy James", though technically I guess you could argue this wasn't a true solo album since 'Come to Me' and 'Lady Jane' were actually Tommy James & the Shondells efforts.  Co-produced by James and Bill King (the pair also co-wrote all eight tracks), the album offered up an interesting mix of Shondells-styled pop and more experimental efforts, including a healthy dose of psychedelia.

- 'Ball and Chain' started the album out with one of the set's most commercial offerings which probably explained why it was tapped as a single.  Nice melody and catchy chorus made it ideal for top-40 radio, though it actually wasn't one I my favorites.  That said, the stand out facet was a nice fuzz guitar solo from Pete Scaltrito.   rating: **** stars

- 'Meet the Comer' has always reminded me of a weird hybrid of early Neil Young and the echoic 'underwater' sound that made 'Crimson and Clover' so cool.  So if you loved Young's early solo work, or that earlier Shondells hit, this one should appeal to you.  Actually would have made a decent single, though it may have been a little too reminiscent of 'Crimson and Clover'.   rating: **** stars

- 'Midnight Train' was the first song that didn't have a distinctive Shondells feel.  Kicked along by some nice fuzz guitar and a surprisingly gruff mid-song guitar solo, the song had a dark, harder edge than most of the set, yet held on to James blue-eyed soul voice.  It was actually one of my favorite performances on the LP.   rating: **** stars

- 'Midnight Train' seamlessly merged into the acoustic ballad backed 'Light of Day'.  Backed by some tasteful synthesizer the song had an interesting, pseudo-religious feel to it.  Nice multi-tracked vocals. which gave it kind of a Crosby, Stills, and Nash feel.   rating: **** stars

- Side two opened with a mid-tempo ballad 'Come To Me'.  The original single from the album, the track was commercial, but hardly memorable.  One of the more disappointing numbers on the album.   rating: ** stars

- 'I Lost My Baby' was a strange number.  Musically the song had kind of a bubblegum feel, but the appeal was largely wiped out by James weird, Frankie Valli-styled vocal.  No idea why he tried to sing it in a raw falsetto, but the result was irritating.   rating: ** stars

- 'Lady Jane' w as a fragile ballad showcasing that weird 'Crimson and Clover' catch in James' voice.  The nice fuzz guitar solo from Pete Scaltrito was really the only thing worthwhile on this one.   rating: ** stars

- 'Quick Silver' ended the album with a fuzz-propelled rocker.  The problem with this one was that James sounded like he was trying to hard.  The song was okay, but James effects laden vocals (it sounded like he was singing in a showed) and the heavy production made it sound like a corporate product that had been designed to appeal to a set audience.   Wonder what the closing piano string was about ...  rating: ** stars  

The album was also tapped for a pair of singles:

- 1970's 'Come To Me' b/w 'Talkin' And Signifyin'' (Roulette catalog number R-7067)

- 1970's 'Ball and Chain' b/w 'Candy Maker' (Roulette catalog number R-7084)

A decent solo debut, that may have been a little to 'different' for James' legions of top-40 fans, which may explain how it simply got lost.  Shame the second side was as good as the first.  Worth looking for since you can still find it reasonably priced.

"Tommy James" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Ball and Chain   (Tommy James - Bill King) - 3:30

2.) Meet the Comer   (Tommy James - Bill King) - 3:35

3.) Midnight Train   (Tommy James - Bill King) - 3:29

4.) Light of Day   (Tommy James - Bill King) - 3:46

(side 2)
1.) Come To Me   (Tommy James - Bill King) - 2:56

2.) I Lost My Baby   (Tommy James - Bill King) - 3:07

3.) Lady Jane   (Tommy James - Bill King) - 3:40

4.) Quick Silver   (Tommy James - Bill King) - 3:21

For anyone interested, James has a nice website at:

http://www.tommyjames.com/

09/2009 SRB

Thanks to Pete Scaltrito for setting me straight on the performance credits:

Genre: pop

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  My Head, My Bed and My Red Guitar

Company: Roulette

Catalog: SR 3007
Year: 1972

Country/State: Dayton, Ohio

Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+

Comments: still in shrink wrap (opened)

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 6011

Price: $15.00

For his third solo album Tommy James decided to shake things up a bit.   Co-produced by James, long standing partner Bob King and guitarist Pete Drake,1972's "My Head, My Bead and My Red Guitar"  was recorded in Nashville with the cream of the city's sessions players including Elvis sidemen D.J. Fontana and Scotty Moore.  On the surface that background might have led to the conclusion this was going to be a country album a-la Dylan's "Nashville Skyline".  Not to worry, while James was more than willing to soak up the city's atmosphere and while tracks like 'Tell ‘Em Willie Boy's A-Comin'', 'White Horses' \, and 'Walk A Country Mile' reflected distinctive country touches, the overall sound remained firmly rooted in James patented brand of top-40 pop.  True, with the possible exception of ''Rosalee' and 'Forty Days and Forty Nights' there was nothing as instantly memorable as 'Draggin' the Line', but on a song-for-song basis the result was one of James most consistent and enjoyable collections.  James actually seemed to enjoy the opportunity to work with the all-star cast of Nashville players, taking the opportunity to turn in some of his best work - which bounced all over the musical spectrum ranging from true country ('Walk a Country Mile') to light psych-pop ('Paper Flowers').

- Opening with 'Nothing To Hide' the song started with a distinctive Gospel lilt, but quickly morphed into a nice pop song that would not have been out of place on one of the earlier solo releases.  Typically catchy James chorus which probably explains why it was tapped as the leadoff single ...   rating: *** stars

- In spite of country touches such as Pete Drakes 'pedal steel and Buddy Spichler's fiddle, 'Tell ‘Em Willie Boy's A-Comin'' was very much a pop song.   rating: *** stars

- The breezy mid-tempo 'White Horses' was one of those songs that originally didn't do a great deal for me - one of the few tracks that had a real country feel to it, but I have to admit that after a couple of spins this one became a surprising favorite.  Great give and take between James and the backing chorus and Charley McCoy turned in a fantastic harmonica solo (and I'm not a big harmonica fan).   rating: **** stars

- The first disappointment, 'The Last One to Know' was one of those faceless, overblown and bland ballads that were crafted for radio airplay.  Slapping pedal steel guitar and a heavenly chorus on the arrangement really didn't do much to make it more palatable.  Yech.   rating: ** stars

- I'm a sucker for strumming 12 strings so his cover of Linda Hargrove's 'Rosalee' nailed me from the opening.  Even the pedal string and Dave Kirby's blistering guitar couldn't detract from the fact this was one of the most commercial songs on the album.   rating: **** stars

- There's little doubt that James had the best 'la la las' in the business and that talent was seldom displayed as on 'Paper Flowers'.   Totally unlike the rest of the album, this one sounded like something from his Shondells catalog.  In fact the waivery vocal delivery bore a distinctive resemblance to the 'Crimson and Clover material.  Nice voice-box guitar in the background ...   My favorite performance on the album.   rating: **** stars

- Side two started with the song that was probably the 'truest' country song (and I using that description in a broad fashion) - 'Walk a Country Mile'.  Pretty forgettable.   rating: ** stars

- 'Who's Gonna Cry' was another Shondells-styled mid-tempo pop number with another 'la la  la' chorus.  Quite commercial with one of those then popular 'uplifting' lyrics.   rating: *** stars

- Even though it featured a Buddy Spichler fiddle solo, the rocker 'Forty Days and Forty Nights' gets my nod as the standout track.  Fantastic tune that was tailor made for top-40 airplay.   rating: **** stars

- 'Kingston Highway' was a pretty ballad that again sounded more like a Shondells effort than anything off his solo work.  The treated effect on the backing vocals was kind of cool.  Interestingly, with the exception of Pete Drake's pedal steel solo, this one really didn't have much of a country feel.   rating: *** stars  

- A rollicking blues-flavored number, this was actually one of the bigger surprises.  You've heard dozens of tunes that sounded like this and the 'I'm a lovin' man' lyric was about as original as a Xerox machine, but James turned in one of his most energetic performances on this one.  Very nice ...   rating: **** stars

- As much as I wanted to like 'Fortunada', ultimately it just never kicked into high gear.  When it actually started rolling it sounded like it had been pieced together from a myriad out other tunes and the kazoo, country hoe-down ending was mega cheesy.  rating: ** stars  

- One of the better pop tracks the upbeat pop number 'Dark Is the Night' actually would have made a better single than 'Tell ‘Em Willie Boy's A-Comin''.  rating: *** stars  

Roulette also tapped the album for a pair of singles:

- 1972's 'Nothing To Hide' b/w 'Walk a Country Mile' (Roulette catalog number R-7115)

- 1972's 'Tell ‘Em Willie Boy's A-Comin'' b/w '' (Roulette catalog number )

Certainly one of his best solo efforts and an added bonus comes in the fact you can still find this one on the cheap.

"My Head, My Bed and My Red Guitar" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Nothing to Hide   (Tommy James) - 2:43

2.) Tell ‘Em Willie Boy's A-Comin'   (Tommy James - Bob King) - 2:47

3.) White Horses   (Tommy James - Bob King) - 3:41

4.) The Last One to Know   (Tommy James - Bob King) - 4:29

5.) Rosalee   (Linda Hargrove)- 2:49

6.) Paper Flowers    (Tommy James - Joey Dee - Ritchie Cordell) - 4:37

(side 2)
1.) Walk a Country Mile   (Tommy James - Bob King) - 2:10

2.) Who's Gonna Cry   (Tommy James - Bob King) - 4:25

3.) Forty Days and Forty Nights   (Tommy James - Bob King) - 2:57

4.) Kingston Highway    (Tommy James - Bob King - Morris Levy)- 3:09

5.) I Live to Love a Woman   (Tommy James - Bob King) - 2:52

6.) Fortunada   (Tommy James - Bob King - Arnie Silver) - 3:41

7.) Dark Is the Night   (Tommy James - Bob King) - 3:08

07/2010 SRB