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Information About

Crystal Blue Persuasion




  Artist Tommy James And The Shondells
  From Album Crimson And Clover
  B-side "I'm Alive"
  Released June, 1969
  Format 7" 45 RPM
  Genre Rock , Pop
  Length 4:02 (album version)
  Label Roulette
  Writer Eddie Gray , Tommy James , Mike Vale
  Producer Tommy James , Ritchie Cordell
  Chart Position #2 <small> Billboard Pop Singles </small> <small>(US)</small>


"Crystal Blue Persuasion" is a song originally recorded by Tommy James And The Shondells and composed by Eddie Gray , Tommy James and Mike Vale.

A gentle-tempoed groove, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" was built around a prominent Organ part with an understated arrangment, more akin to The Rascals ' sound at the time rather than James's other efforts of the time with Psychedelic Rock .

The title of the song came to James while he was reading The Bible 's Book Of Revelation , according to James in a 1985 interview in '' Hitch '' magazine:

I took the title from the Book of Revelations in the Bible, reading about the New Jerusalem. The words jumped out at me, and they're not together; they're spread out over three or four verses. But it seemed to go together, it's my favorite of all my songs and one of our most requested.http://www.angelfire.com/mo/stephenlaug/articles/hitch199508.html


However some sources cite the Song Of Solomon instead.http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1884
It has also been suggested that this song was also inspired by a book James had read called ''The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life'' by the where it speaks of the Blue Shekinah Light which represented the presence of the Almighty God and the Books Of Isaiah and Revelation where it speaks of a bright future of a brotherhood of mankind living in peace and harmony.http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1884

In an opposite interpretatory direction, at the time and for many years later, other listeners thought "Crystal Blue Persuasion" a Drugs song; in 1979, noted writer Dave Marsh described it as "a transparent allegory about {Link without Title} involvement with amphetamines." Rolling Stone Record Guide , Rolling Stone Press, 1979.

Regardless of inspiration and meaning, when released as a single in June of 1969, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" became one of the biggest hits for the group, peaking at number two on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. The single version differs from the album version of the song, with Horn overdubs added to the mix and a longer Bongos overdub before the third verse.

A primitive non-representational Music Video was made, that showed various scenes of late 1960s political and cultural unrest and desire for love and peace.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQHi9dpLmZI

Tito Puente and The Heptones are among those who have covered the song.


APPEARANCES IN FILM & TELEVISION

"Crystal Blue Persuasion" has appeared in the films '' A Walk On The Moon '' (1999), '' The Secret Life Of Girls '' (1999) and '' Zodiac '' (2007). It was also used in the Pilot Episode of the television series '' The Wonder Years ''.


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