The year 1961 was a pivotal moment in the history of popular music. It marked the beginning of a new era that was characterized by the rise of rock and roll and the emergence of several new genres such as soul, R&B, and surf rock. This was also the year that saw the birth of
The Michigan Childhood Home of the Man Who Gave Us “Mony Mony”
It seems everyone of all ages knows the song “Mony Mony”, thanks to the original 1968 by Tommy James & The Shondells and the 1981 remake by Billy Idol. The song is credited to four people, including Tommy James, who is the one who came up with the title.
When I interviewed Tommy back in the 1980s, he related the origin of the title. The music track was all recorded, the lyrics were mostly written, but they didn t have a title. He wanted something catchy and simple, a goofy word like “Sloopy”. He walked out onto the balcony of his New York hotel room and looked out at the night time New York skyline. A short way down was the Mutual of New York sign, which kept flashing the neon initials “M.O.N.Y. - M.O.N.Y. - M.O.N.Y.” over and over. A number of seconds later, it sank in, and Tommy had his song title.