Going For The Gold: Tommy James And The Shondells’ “Hanky Panky”
A Classic Shot of Tommy James And Company Doing the "Hanky Panky," 1966 (YouTube)
Over the course of their brief half-dozen years making 45s, Tommy James and the Shondells turned out some of the ’60s most memorable songs (Like “Crimson and Clover” and “Mony Mony”). Only one of their singles sold a million copies.
Their very first hit, “Hanky Panky,” was their biggest of all, the only one to go gold. And it was actually put on the market three times over the course of four years.
James and the band released it on Snap Records in 1963, where it became a best-seller in a few states in the Midwest. After the Shondells had broken up, it was released again in 1965 on Red Fox Records after a Pittsburgh DJ began playing the song.
With two shots at local success under his belt, James sold the record to Roulette for national distribution in 1966. The time proving to be a charm, it hit #1 and sold a million copies.
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
My baby does the hanky panky
Read about some more Going for the Gold golden oldies (and not-so-oldies).
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Dale Smith
February 1, 2012 3:34 pm
I believe that Tommy James & The Shondells had 23 Gold Singles, not just one with Hanky, Panky. Dale Smith, Lebanon, IN
Michael Verity
February 1, 2012 4:41 pm
I see it written in James’ Wikipedia entry that he had 23 gold singles. The RIAA database, on the other hand, lists just “Hanky Panky.” I’m interested to know the source of the Wikipedia statement.