guy Billy Idolknown then as William Michael Albert Broad, was 15 years old when he discovered a new meaning in life in the alley behind a charity shop.
"You are a virgin, right?" The idol remembered a woman who asked in his 2015 memoir dance with myself. “No, I've done that before,” I lied as we walked up the hill to tumble. ... While we went to him, "Mony Mony" by Tommy James and the Shondells was playing on someone's transistor radio nearby."
Unsurprisingly, "That song has always had a special meaning to me," says Idol. But it wasn't just warm memories: "Since the first time I heard it, I've loved Tommy James' voice, and I always thought I could pull it off, too."
"Money Money" came to mind shortly after he moved to the United States in 1981, leaving his home The tenth generation Career behind in a risky attempt to reinvent himself. In a meeting with a Chrysalis Records promotions official, Idol raised the idea of recording a cover version for his next single, though he first discussed the classic number "Shout".
"What I really had in mind was doing a version of 'Money Money' that would get them dancing on the floors of the New York nightclubs I frequented," he said. "I knew my strategy had worked when he was half-hearted at the idea [of “Shout”]but then I got excited when you mentioned "money money".
Listen to Tommy James' version of "Money Money"
The label wanted to include the track on his first solo release, as the title of the EP Do not stop. Idol added, "For me, it was a way to get out of the freezing east coast winter", because the recording sessions would be overseen by producer and drummer Keith Forsey in Los Angeles.
Idol added, "The plan was to work on arranging the songs in a small studio for rehearsals before recording them." "We arranged all the songs, but we spent most of the time on 'Mony Mony'."
He was determined to replicate Tommy James' rhythm section, which Idol said "sounded like a tape loop", which is why he hired Quietly riot drummer Frankie Banali and guitarist Mick Smiley.
"I realized how important it is to work with great musicians and talented people," explained Idol. "Keith and I both agreed that 'Mony Mony' should have an R&B feel, so we decided to add some black female vocalists. We created a riff for the middle section, where we could put together a vocal arrangement later."
Idol tracks "Baby Talk" and "Untouchables" were also performed during the same session. "Not bad for a day's work!" He said.
Listen to "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol
"Mony Mony" was mixed during an extended night session, as Idol and his bandmates continued to pursue the feel they'd developed—which he described as being part R&B, part disco, part techno, part rock, and also "all of those ingredients combined into one sound. It was something I enjoyed doing, And it was a fresh sound and feeling that meshed well with the songs and the music I was writing now."
His next step was to "take him back to New York and find out what happened." An idol brought a copy of the song to the Ritz Club on a quiet Tuesday night, and almost no one showed up and almost none of them danced.
I talked to the DJ, a fan of "Dancing With Myself," and convinced him to give "Mony Mony" a spin. He put the needle on the vinyl and suddenly, the exhausted dancers hugging the wall came to life. Instantly, the dance floor was filled with bodies doing 60s moves. Like swimming, ass jogging, and mashed potatoes. Everyone was into it! I got my following on 'Dancing With Myself'...and any questions I had about my decision to move to America began to melt away."
"Money Money" achieved a very respectable number. 7th place in the fall of 1981 - but the story is far from over. “My first solo effort was a great record,” Idol said of his initial EP. "I was really on my own, getting from one gig to the next somehow, without much of a stumbling block. It didn't take long, and it was right there in the New York record bins. The barrier label read like command: BILLY IDOL: DON'T STOP." Of course, he didn't. Then "Money Money" came to mind a few years later.
Watch Billy Idol's live "Money Money" video
"It was about halfway through [a] tour and Mike Boone, the new head of Chrysalis Records, was looking for a way to make an immediate impact,” Idol said, explaining that the CEO always felt the studio version of “Mony Mony” didn’t get the exposure it deserved..
He was right: a "more guitar-oriented" version went to No. 1 is november. 21, 1987. Incidentally, it knocked another Tommy James song out of the top spot — a Tiffany pop signed version of "I Think We're Alone Now."
The idol update of "Mony Mony" appeared in the group vital idolwhich also reached the top 20. “The luck of the Irish was with me,” the idol noted, before sarcastically referring to the issues that were his career. about to face: "Or was she?"
Meanwhile, his ardent fans created their own imitation of "Money Muni", adding lyrics to complete a crude rendition that may have been a throwback to the original idol reunion. Reports have suggested alternate lyrics (including the line "Hey, say what, lie down, have sex!) led to the song being banned at high school dances — but you'll still hear those lines at idol concerts. Idol even incorporated them into the third version of the track, which was released in 2018.
Listen to Billy Idol's NSFW Version of 'Mony Mony' Remix
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