''I Think We're Alone Now'' is the third of three studio albums by the

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

band

Tommy James and the Shondells Tommy James and the Shondells are an American pop rock/psychedelic rock band, formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1964. They had two No. 1 singles in the U.S. – " Hanky Panky" (July 1966, their only RIAA Certified Gold record) and "Crimson and Clov ...

, released in

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

. The album had three singles that charted. The

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...

went to #4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "

Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...

" reached #10 on the chart. "I Like the Way" reached #25 on the chart. The album landed on the ''Billboard'' 200, reaching #74. 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 Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...

), Levy sometimes added his name to the composer's credit on Roulette recordings in order to receive

royalty payment A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...

s 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

*Bass, piano: Mike Vale *Drums: Peter Lucia *Guitars: Ed Gray,

Tommy James Tommy James (born Thomas Gregory Jackson; April 29, 1947), also known as Tommy Tadger, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells, who were know ...

*Bass, piano, tenor sax,

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist,' ...

: George Magura *Piano, organ, cordovox, accordion: Ronnie Rosman *Producer: Bo Gentry,

Ritchie Cordell Ritchie Cordell (born Richard Joel Rosenblatt; March 10, 1943 – April 13, 2004) was an American songwriter, singer and record producer. He wrote and produced several hits for Tommy James and The Shondells, including "I Think We're Alone No ...

*Arranger:

Jimmy Wisner James Joseph Wisner (December 8, 1931 – March 13, 2018) was an American pianist, arranger, songwriter, and producer. He is best known for his 1961 hit single "Asia Minor", released under the name Kokomo. Biography Born in Philadelphia, Wisne ...

*Engineer: Bruce Staple *Recorded at: Allegro StudiosTommy James and the Shondells, ''I Think We're Alone Now'' Credits
Retrieved February 28, 2015

Charts

Album Singles

References

{{Authority control 1967 albums Tommy James and the Shondells albums Roulette Records albums