Mony MonyFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"Mony Mony"Single by Tommy James and the Shondellsfrom the album Mony MonyB-side "One Two Three and I Fell"Released 1968Genre RockLength 2:45Label Roulette Records 7008Writer(s) Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom[1]Producer(s) Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell[1]Tommy James and the Shondells singles chronology"Get Out Now"(1968) "Mony Mony"(1968) "Somebody Cares"(1968)"Mony Mony" is a 1968 single by American pop/rock band Tommy James and the Shondells,[2] which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart[1] while also getting serious airplay in the U.S. and Canada. On WLS, "Mony Mony" was #1 on 6-13 May 1968, two years to the day after the nearly identically named "Monday, Monday" by The Mamas and the Papas was #1 on the station.[3] Written by Bobby Bloom, Ritchie Cordell, Bo Gentry, and Tommy James, the song has appeared in various film and television works such as the Oliver Stone drama Heaven & Earth.[4] It was also notably covered by English singer-songwriter Billy Idol in 1981. Idol's version, which took in more of a new wave and power pop sound, became an international top 40 hit and additionally revived public interest in the original garage rock single.Contents[hide] 1 History2 Charts3 Billy Idol version4 Uses in popular culture5 Formats and track listings5.1 Charts6 References7 External linksHistory[edit]"Mony Mony" was credited to Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom.[1] The title of the song is said to have been inspired by Tommy James' view of the M.O.N.Y. sign atop the Mutual of New York Building on the New York City skyline from his Manhattan apartment.[1] As Tommy James says in a 1995 interview in Hitch magazine:True story: I had the track done before I had a title. I wanted something catchy like "Sloopy" or "Bony Maroney," but everything sounded so stupid. So Ritchie Cordell and I were writing it in New York City, and we were about to throw in the towel when I went out onto the terrace, looked up and saw the Mutual of New York building (which has its initials illuminated in red at its top). I said, "That's gotta be it! Ritchie, come here, you've gotta see this!" It's almost as if God Himself had said, "Here's the title." I've always thought that if I had looked the other way, it might have been called "Hotel Taft".[5]"Mony Mony" was the only song by the group to reach the top 20 in the United Kingdom; it reached No. 1 in the UK,[1] and No. 3 in the USA. A music video of it was made at the time, dated in showing love beads, but a decade and half later would receive some play on MTV.[5]The song "Mony Mony" has been covered by many artists, including Billy Idol, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Amazulu, Status Quo, the Scenics, and the Beach Boys who recorded the song on March 15, 1976 . In a peculiar twist, in 1987 Billy Idol's version of the song replaced another Tommy James hit at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100"I Think We're Alone Now", covered by Tiffany.[6]Charts[edit]Chart (1968-1969) PeakpositionCanadian Singles Chart 3UK Singles Chart[1] 1U.S. Billboard Hot 100 3Preceded by"I Pretend" by Des O'Connor UK number-one single(Tommy James and the Shondells version)3 August 1968 (two weeks) Succeeded by"Fire" by Crazy World of Arthur BrownPreceded by"Fire" by Crazy World of Arthur Brown UK number-one single(Tommy James and the Shondells version re-top)21 August 1968 (one week) Succeeded by"Do It Again"* by The Beach BoysBilly Idol version[edit]"Mony Mony"Live versionSingle by Billy Idolfrom the album Don't Stop and Vital IdolB-side "311 Man"Released 1981 (original version)October 2, 1987 (live version)Format 7", 12"Recorded 1981 (original version), 1985 (live version)Genre Hard rock, new wave, power popLength 5:01 (on Don't Stop)5:02 (on Vital Idol)4:08 (45 version)Label ChrysalisWriter(s) Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby BloomProducer(s) Keith ForseyBilly Idol singles chronology"Dancing with Myself"(1981) "Mony Mony"(1981) "Hot in the City"(1982)"Sweet Sixteen"(1987)"Mony Mony (live version)"(1987)"Cradle of Love"(1990)Alternative cover12" single for original releaseBritish rock artist Billy Idol released a version in 1981 (on the Don't Stop EP). Along with the track, "Baby Talk", Idol's version of "Mony Mony" went to number seven on the Billboard dance chart.[7] A live cover version of the song became a hit for Idol in 1987 as well.Idol's version of the song gave rise to an interesting custom in the 1980s. When the song was performed live in concert or played at a club or dance, people would shout a certain formulaic (and usually obscene) sentence in the two quarter notes following each line. One example is: "Get laid! Get fucked!" This custom led to the song being banned at high school dances across North America, although it continues at Idol concerts today.[8]Billy Idol's version was recorded on two separate occasions. The original 1981 studio recording is the most common version heard on rock radio stations across the globe.[citation needed] However, Idol released a live version as a single in 1987, while promoting his then-forthcoming compilation work Vital Idol. It was the live version that went to No. 1, coincidentally displacing Tiffany's cover of another Tommy James song, "I Think We're Alone Now", from the top spot.As stated before, Idol revived interest in the original garage rock song. His original studio version can be found on Idol's Greatest Hits compilation album, a 2001 Capitol Records release. That album has received positive critical reviews, with Idol's cover of the Tommy James tune specifically praised.The 1987 version was released as a vinyl 45, and it was not available in a digital format until 2009 as a download in the iTunes store.Uses in popular culture[edit]The song appears in the 2011 video game NHL 12. It appears in a 2014 TV commercial for the Nissan Sentra, advertising the Bose sound system."Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a parody of this song from his album Even Worse, entitled "Alimony" (based on the Billy Idol version). It was about a recently divorced man complaining about his ex-wife taking everything he owns away from him in alimony payments.Formats and track listings[edit](1981) UK 7" vinyl (33? rpm) & 12" vinyl (45rpm)"Mony Mony""Baby Talk""Untouchables""Dancing With Myself"(1987) UK 7" vinyl"Mony Mony (Live)""Shakin' All Over (Live)"(1987) US 12" vinyl"Mony Mony (Hung Like a Pony Remix)" 6:59"Mony Mony (Steel-Toe Cat Dub)" 6:50"Mony Mony (Live) 4:00""Mony Mony (Single Edit)" 5:01(1987) UK 12" vinyl"Mony Mony (Hung Like a Pony Remix?)""Shakin' All Over (Live)""Mony Mony (Live)"?Mixed byTom Lord-AlgeCharts[edit]Chart (1981-1982) PeakpositionU.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 7U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 7Chart (1987-1988) PeakpositionCanadian RPM 100 Singles Chart 1German Singles Chart 38Swiss Singles Chart 13UK Singles Chart[9] 7U.S. Billboard Hot 100[9] 1U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks 27