I Think We're Alone Now (album) explained

I Think We're Alone Now
Type:Album
Artist:Tommy James and the Shondells
Cover:I Think We're Alone Now (album).jpg
Released:February 1967
Genre:Pop rock
Label:Roulette
Producer:Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell
Prev Title:It's Only Love
Prev Year:1966
Next Title:Something Special!: The Best of Tommy James & the Shondells
Next Year:1967

I Think We're Alone Now is the third of three studio albums by the pop rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, released in 1967.

The album had three singles that charted. The title track went to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] "Mirage" reached #10 on the chart.[2] "I Like the Way" reached #25 on the chart.[3] The album landed on the Billboard 200, reaching #74.[4]

Original copies feature a black album cover with two pairs of yellow bare footsteps walking side by side, then facing each other near the top of the cover. This was deemed too controversial for the time and was changed to a yellow cover with a photo of the group.

The album represents a shift in direction from the first two Tommy James and the Shondells albums. Those records, particularly the debut album, contained more oldies and "frat rock" songs. Under the slick, updated production of Bo Gentry and Ritchie Cordell, only two songs included in this album -- "California Sun" and "Shout" -- were oldies. Of those two songs, the former was partially, and incorrectly, attributed to Morris Levy, who owned James' recording label, Roulette Records. In the tradition of 1950s rock entrepreneurs (e.g., Alan Freed), Levy sometimes added his name to the composer's credit on Roulette recordings in order to receive royalty payments for the song.

Moreover, the lineup of the Shondells changed for the disc as well. Joe Kessler and Vinnie Pietropaoli, who played on the first two albums by the group, were no longer part of the band. It was also George Magura's last LP with the Shondells. Instead, the record featured the classic Shondells lineup of Mike Vale, Ronnie Rosman, Ed Gray, and Pete Lucia, which remained constant through their last album.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Ritchie Cordell except where noted.

Personnel

Charts

Album

Singles
YearSingleChartPeak Position
1967"I Think We're Alone Now"Billboard Hot 1004
"Mirage"10
"I Like the Way"25

Notes and References

  1. http://musicvf.com/song.php?id=46642 I Think We're Alone Now's Song Chart Position
  2. http://musicvf.com/song.php?id=46643 Mirage's Chart Position
  3. http://musicvf.com/song.php?id=46644 I Like the Way's Chart Position
  4. http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-think-were-alone-now-mw0000865778/awards I Think We're Alone Now's Album Chart Position
  5. http://www.discogs.com/Tommy-James-The-Shondells-I-Think-Were-Alone-Now/release/3875554 Tommy James and the Shondells, I Think We're Alone Now Credits