I'm not sure what era, but Johnny Thunder (not to be confused with the NYC punk rocker "Thunders") was a member of both the Drifters and the Ink Spots, and struck out on his own for the big hit "Loop De Loop" by 1963.
Knowing THAT side of the story, it makes this record all the more fascinating! Both sides are fuzzed out mod masterpieces, and while most of the attention gets directed to "I'm Alive", the flip side is just as good as well as being funkier and OUT THERE.
What a great record. It's also truly cool to see that Johnny is still out performing the cruise ship/ doo wop oldies circuit.
from 1968...
JOHNNY THUNDER - I'M ALIVE
b/w VERBAL EXPRESSIONS OF TV
4 comments:
That's an interesting one.
Don Fardon did this song as well. I play it out off an LP sometimes.
Love the Bongo action on it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgzRgLRuKt0&feature=related
I see the writing credit is half Tommy James. It sounds like it could certainly fit in the Shondells repertoire.
I've been looking for this 45 for some time. Mainly 'cause several of Thunder's sides recorded with Tommy James used well known pre-existing backing tracks.
"Verbal Expressions Of TV" is direct a rip off of Calla 148 ,The Sandpebbles' "If You Didn't Hear Me the First Time".
Oops, forgot to mention that "I'm Alive" uses the same backing track as the original version by the Tommy James and The Shondells.
I always imagine this being some showstopper rock 'n roll horror musical sequence with some kind of Funked up Frankenstein's monster leaping off the bench after the stage lightning effects and screaming out "I'm alive!"
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