Mony Mony
Encyclopedia
"Mony Mony" is a 1968 single by Tommy James & the Shondells
, that reached #1 in the UK charts.
, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom
. The hook in the song is said to have been inspired by James' view of a MONY sign atop the Mutual of New York Building
in the New York City
skyline from his Manhattan
apartment. As Tommy James says in a 1995 interview in Hitch magazine:
"Mony Mony" was the only song by the group to reach the top 20 in the United Kingdom
; it reached #1 in the UK, and #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
.
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
. In a peculiar twist, in 1987 Billy Idol's version of the song replaced another Tommy James hit at #1 on Billboard Hot 100 — "I Think We're Alone Now", covered by Tiffany
.
"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.
rock
artist Billy Idol
released a version in 1981 (Don't Stop EP). A live cover version
of the song became a hit for Billy Idol
in 1987
.
Billy 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 bars following each line. One example is: "Hey motherfucker, 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.
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. However, Idol released a live version as a single in 1987, while promoting his then-forthcoming compilation Vital Idol
. It was the live version that shot straight to #1, beating out Tiffany
's cover of Tommy James' "I Think We're Alone Now".
The live single version can be found on Idol's Greatest Hits compilation. The song appears in the 2011 video game NHL 12
.
Tommy James & the Shondells
Tommy James and the Shondells are an American rock and roll group whose period of greatest success came in the late 1960s. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. — "Hanky Panky" and "Crimson and Clover" — and also charted 12 other Top 40 hits, including five in the top ten: "Crystal...
, that reached #1 in the UK charts.
History
"Mony Mony" was credited to Tommy JamesTommy James
Tommy James is an American pop-rock musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, best known as leader of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells.-Early life and career:...
, Bo Gentry, Ritchie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom
Bobby Bloom
Robert "Bobby" Bloom was an American singer-songwriter. He is known best for being a one-hit wonder with the 1970 song, "Montego Bay," which was co-written with and produced by Jeff Barry.-Biography:...
. The hook in the song is said to have been inspired by James' view of a MONY sign atop the Mutual of New York Building
Mutual of New York Building
1740 Broadway is a 26-story building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City which is owned by Vornado Realty Trust...
in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
skyline from his Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
apartment. As Tommy James says in a 1995 interview in Hitch magazine:
"Mony Mony" was the only song by the group to reach the top 20 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
; it reached #1 in the UK, and #3 in the USA. A music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
of it was made at the time, dated in showing love beads
Love beads
Love beads are one of the traditional accessories of hippies. They consist of one or more long strings of beads, frequently handmade, worn about the neck by both genders...
, but a decade and half later would receive some play on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
The song "Mony Mony" has been covered by many artists, including Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
, Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
, Amazulu
Amazulu
The amaZulu or Zulu people are a people of southern Africa.Amazulu or AmaZulu may also mean:* AmaZulu F.C. , a South African football club* AmaZulu F.C. , a defunct Zimbabwean football club...
, Status Quo, The Scenics
The Scenics
The Scenics are a band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, active from 1976 to 1982, and from 2008 to the present. Their style incorporates punk rock, post-punk, and art punk...
and The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
. In a peculiar twist, in 1987 Billy Idol's version of the song replaced another Tommy James hit at #1 on Billboard Hot 100 — "I Think We're Alone Now", covered by Tiffany
Tiffany (singer)
Tiffany Renee Darwish , known popularly as Tiffany, is an American singer and former teen icon. She is most notable for her 1987 cover version of "I Think We're Alone Now", originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1967. Released as the second single from her eponymous album, Tiffany,...
.
"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
wrote a parody of this song from his album, Even Worse
Even Worse
Even Worse is the fifth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released in 1988. The album was the fifth produced by former The McCoys guitarist Rick Derringer...
, 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.
Charts
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
3 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
3 |
Billy Idol version
BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
artist Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
released a version in 1981 (Don't Stop EP). A live cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song became a hit for Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
in 1987
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
.
Billy 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 bars following each line. One example is: "Hey motherfucker, 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.
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. However, Idol released a live version as a single in 1987, while promoting his then-forthcoming compilation Vital Idol
Vital Idol
Vital Idol is a compilation of remixed singles from Billy Idol's first three albums. Peaking at number 10 on the Billboard 200, the album was supported by a live single version of "Mony Mony"....
. It was the live version that shot straight to #1, beating out Tiffany
Tiffany
-People:* Tiffany * Tiffany * Tiffany , an American pop artist* Tiffany , a K-pop artist* Charles Comfort Tiffany, American Episcopal clergyman* Charles Lewis Tiffany, a founder of Tiffany & Co....
's cover of Tommy James' "I Think We're Alone Now".
The live single version can be found on Idol's Greatest Hits compilation. The song appears in the 2011 video game NHL 12
NHL 12
NHL 12 is an ice hockey video game developed by EA Canada and published by EA Sports. The game was released between September 8–13, 2011, in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America. The game was featured in the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo . Steven Stamkos was announced as the...
.
Charts
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
107 |
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
| Canadian RPM 100 RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Singles Chart |
1 |
| German Singles Chart | 38 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 13 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Album Rock Tracks | 27 |