Tommy James had been performing locally in Michigan rock bands since the age of 12. His cover of "Hanky Panky" became a minor local hit. Then, in 1966, the record was re-discovered by a Pittsburgh DJ who started playing it on heavy rotation. Soon, every record mogul in New York was pursuing Tommy and the band. And then an odd thing happened: every offer but one disappeared, and James found himself in the office of Roulette Records, where he was handed a pen and ominously promised "one helluva ride." Morris Levy, the legendary "godfather" of the music business, needed a hit and "Hanky Panky" would be his. This book tells the intimate story of the complex and sometimes terrifying relationship between the bright-eyed, sweet-faced blonde musician from the heartland and the big, bombastic, brutal bully from the Bronx, who hustled, cheated, and swindled his way to the top of the music industry.--From publisher description.
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