Crystal blue persuasion is a 1969 song originally recorded by tommy james and the shondells and composed by eddie gray, tommy james and mike vale. Sixties rocker tommy james, a cedar grove resident, recounts when he once had to hide out from the mob. The sun is arising most definitely a new day is coming, ooh, ooh people are changing aint it beautiful, ooh, ooh crystal blue persuasion better get ready to see the light love, love is the answer, ooh, ooh and thats all right so dont you give up now, ooh, ooh so easy to find just look to your soul and open your mind crystal blue persuasion. Tommy james and the shondells made hits like mony, mony, crimson and clover. Crystal blue persuasion by tommy james and the shondells on. Tommy james and crystal blue persuasion what does it.
Jul 21, 2014 and from what i understand, crystal blue persuasion by tommy james and the shondells 1969 may have been inspired by the truth book that was widely used in bible studies in the 70s much like the bible teach book of today. Breaking bad is one of the best shows on television. Were like this is like the week or two leading up to sopranos con and mike calls me like hey, were we. Today james tells fans the song, sweet cherry wine is about the blood of jesus and the song crystal blue persuasion is about his conversion to christianity with the imagery coming from. Musician tommy james talks rock n roll, fame and the mafia. Crystal blue persuasion by tommy james on amazon music. Oct 29, 2019 the mob and rock n roll is a good combination. I grew up in the 1980s with lots of witnesses who used to present this anecdote as a hard fact. Crystal blue persuasion is a 1969 song originally recorded by tommy james and the shondells and composed by eddie gray, tommy james, and mike vale. Gonna see the light jesus is the light of the world.
Sweet cherry wine is as good a pop song as one will ever hear, hitting the top ten in april of 1969, five months after do something. In 1964 james renamed the band the shondells because the name sounded good and in honor of singer troy. Me, the mob, and the music book by tommy james, martin. He claims the song is based on the passages at the end of the book of revelation about the coming of the new jerusalem. Crystal blue persuasion mmhmm its a new vibration crystal blue persuasion crystal blue persuasion. Try disabling any ad blockers and refreshing this page. James was speaking of blue shekhinah light which is old testament terminology meaning divine presence of god. It included melodic passages for an acoustic guitar, as well as a bass pattern, played between the bridge and the third verse of the song. And from what i understand, crystal blue persuasion by tommy james and the shondells 1969 may have been inspired by the truth book that was widely used in bible studies in the 70s much like the bible teach book of today. Mony mony, i think were alone now, crimson and clover, crystal blue persuasion. Crystal blue persuasion is a 1968 song originally recorded by tommy james and the shondells and composed by eddie gray, tommy james and mike vale.
Tommy james and the shondells made hits like crimson and clover and crystal blue persuasion. When we asked james if crystal blue is a reference to the book of revelation, he replied. Crystal blue persuasion by tommy james and the shondells. Two number oneshanky panky and crimson and cloverand four others in the top fivecrystal blue persuasion, mony mony, i think were alone now in the midlate 60s and draggin the line, released under his own name and not and the shondells, in 1971. Vinyl 7 tommy james and the shondells crystal blue persuasion 1969, vinyl discogs. Tommy james was discovered in 1966 at the age of nineteen, and was pursued by. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Tommy james reveals secret to crystal blue persuasion.
While attending niles public high school in niles mi the group released its first single, long pony tail, in 1962. From growing up in wisconsin to the mob, rock legend tommy james talks about his book and upcoming movie by craig spychalla, capital newspapers mar 4, 20. Tommy james crystal blue conversion this week, bgeas longrunning hour of decision radio program features an interview with 1960s music star tommy james. Crystal blue persuasion as written by eddie morley gray, tommy james and mike. James was the leader of tommy james and the shondells with no. Lyrics to crystal blue persuasion by tommy james and the shondells. Although many believe the name came from the picture above that was taken by apollo 7, the truth is when tommy james was asked what persuaded the name, he said that it was from the book of revelations chapter 19. Mirage, do something to me, gettin together, crystal blue persuasion, and draggin the line. I had played a gig awhile back in atlanta and a young fan had come over to me with a poem he had written.
Mike from pittsburgh, pathe book that the song is based on is called the truth to everlasting life and it is a blue book. Crystal blue persuasion always ends each segment almost like a seal or and amen. The sun is arisin most definitely a new day is comin, whoohoo people are changin aint it beautiful, whoohoo crystal blue persuasion better get ready gonna see the light love, love is the answer, whoohoo. I was like like tommy james like crystal blue persuasion and hes like yeah, you know him. The title is a reference to chapter 19 of the book of revelation, when john talks about the lake of crystal. Instead, tommy has a pretty clear explanation, and it was something he read in revelation 19. It was our age of aquarius, a time of innocence and unbounded freedom and creativity, a celebration of. He had hits like mony, mony, crimson and clover, and crystal blue persuasion 23 gold records in all, but what went on behind the scenes. Most worldly people i know claim the song was in reference to crystal meth.
Last week, the great song crystal blue persuasion ran over the video these comments by tommy james about the song are interesting when we asked james if crystal blue is a reference to the book of revelation, he replied. Tommy james and the shondells crystal blue persuasion. Today james tells fans the song, sweet cherry wine is about the blood of jesus and the song crystal blue persuasion is about his conversion to christianity with the imagery coming from the book. Its a happy coincidence that the extraordinarily highquality meth that walter white cooks is a beautiful blue color. Maybe tomorrow when he looks down on every green field, whoohoo and every town all of his children in every nation therell be peace and good brotherhood crystal blue persuasion yeah. Crystal blue persuasion better get ready gonna see the light love, love is the answer, whoohoo and thats all right so dont you give up now, whoohoo its so easy to find just look to your soul look to your soul and open your mind crystal blue persuasion mmhmm its a new vibration crystal blue persuasion crystal blue persuasion maybe tomorrow. Its high time that tommy james had a book to himself. Check out crystal blue persuasion by tommy james on amazon music.
Whenever i hear crystal blue persuasion, no matter what im doing or whats going on around me, i have to pause as, for just those few minutes, i am transported back to a time when life, though it may not have actually been simpler, certainly seems so from a perspective of 40 years hence. So, what is a crystal blue persuasion the gear page. Tommy james and the shondells 05 crystal blue persuasion. May 18, 2017 provided to youtube by label engine crystal blue persuasion tommy james tommy james live. Then the phone rang, and it was john denver on the line screaming that tommy should have nothing to do with jws. The song is 100% christian message long before the category christian music was invented in 1983. Crystal blue persuasion lyrics tommy james and the shondells. Crystal blue persuasion crystal blue persuasion maybe tomorrow when he looks down on every green field, whoohoo and every town all of his children in every nation therell be peace and good brotherhood crystal blue persuasion yeah crystal blue persuasion, aha crystal blue persuasion, aha crystal blue persuasion, aha oh crystal blue. We sat in on the interview and learned more about his unusual story. Behind the crystal blue persuasion by amy reid with scott ross the 700 club. Tommy james and the shondells crystal blue persuasion 1969. Hanky panky started it all for tommy james and the shondells. It included melodic passages for an acoustic guitar, as well as a bass pattern, played between the bridge and the. It was a christian poem inspired by the book of revelation and contained the phrase crystal blue persuasion.
I sat down with tommy james to talk with him about his new book. The director uses a lot of montages, many of which show the characters cooking meth. Mony, crimson and clover, and crystal blue persuasion 23 gold records in. I sat down with tommy james to talk with him about his new book, me, the mob, and the. I sat down with tommy james to talk with him about his new book, me, the. Famous for being beholden to no one and speaking the truth, lefsetz addresses. Check out crystal blue persuasion by tommy james and the shondells on amazon music. Sweet cherry wine was another song by the shondells referencing communion or perhaps communion with god. Tommy james new movie, his music, the mob, and a whole. What is the meaning of the songcrystal blue persuasion. The imagery was right out of chapter 19 of the book of revelation, about the lake of crystal, and just what john sees. In the article, tommy james says nothing about jws or the truth book, much less with regards to crystal blue persuasion, which many have said was inspired by the truth book.
A gentletempoed groove, crystal blue persuasion was built around a prominent organ part with an understated arrangement, more akin to the rascals sound at the time rather than james s other. Tommy james and the shondells crystal blue persuasion lyrics. Crystal blue persuasion mmhmm its a new vibration crystal blue persuasion crystal blue persuasion maybe tomorrow when he looks down on every green field, whoohoo and every town all of his children in every nation therell be peace and good brotherhood crystal blue persuasion yeah crystal blue persuasion, aha crystal blue persuasion, aha. Look over yonder what do you see the sun is arisin most definitely a new day is comin people are changin aint it beautiful crystal blue persuasion better get ready gonna see the light love, love is the answer and thats all right. Tommy james and the shondells is an american pop and rock n roll group that was most active in the 60s. Well, if you want to know the truth, morris levy from roulette records called up. A gentletempoed groove, crystal blue persuasion was built around a prominent organ part with an understated arrangement, more akin to the rascals sound at the time than to james s contemporary efforts with psychedelic rock.
As this song became a hit in 1969, and as it came out just months after the watchtower released their little blue bombshell in 1968, the truth that leads to eternal life, the book that was designed to bring in an interested one within six months into the watchtower organization, this a rumor that may very well have started and spread by the gossip train express. Tommy james and crystal blue persuasion what does it mean. Does anyone else remember jws claiming that the song crystal blue persuasion by tommy james and the shondells was a direct reference to the truth book. Tommy james and the shondells 01 crimson and clover. Hanky panky, mony mony, i think were alone now, crimson and clover. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The band the echoes formed in 1959 in niles, michigan, then evolved into tom and the tornadoes, with 12yearold tommy james then known as tommy jackson as lead singer. Yes, this is completely true, in fact, while tommy was writing the lyrics, he had the truth book open, when all of a sudden a smurf doll came alive and ripped the book from his hands and ran out the door. Hanky panky 1966 and crimson and clover 1968 but also released five other top ten hits, including i think were alone now, mony mony, and crystal blue persuasion. When crystal blue persuasion was released in 1969, i remember it being widely understood as an homage to the photo. Still lots of buzz going on about tommy james new book me, the mob. Tommy james has always been a christian artist, check his other songs and albums.
After the show, during autograph sessions, hell sometimes share how sweet cherry wine is about the blood of jesus and crystal blue persuasion is about his own conversion to christianity, with the imagery coming from the book of revelation. The song crystal blue persuassion was written when james was becoming a christian. Crystal blue persuasion, although those words arent used together, it was what the image meant to me. Then i read about what tommy james said is the meaning of the song. I find no conformation of this or of tommy james ever being affiliated with the wt but was curious if anyone had ever heard this. He had hits like mony, mony, crimson and clover, and crystal blue persuasion 23 gold records in. He claims he read the passage and saw the words in different parts of the passage and they all came together in his mind as crystal blue persuasion. Anyone else ever hear the jw urban legend that tommy james of tommy james and the shondells was a jw for a time and that his song crystal blue persuasion was referring to the truth book. With an appropriate lighting scheme, the 2000s edition of tommy james and the shondells perform crystal blue persuasion however, according to jamess manager, james was actually inspired by his reading of the book of ezekiel where it speaks of the blue shekinah light which represented the presence of the almighty god and the books of isaiah and revelation where it speaks of a bright future of a brotherhood of mankind living in peace and harmony.
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