Mony Mony

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"Mony Mony" was a 1968 single released by Tommy James & The Shondells that again became a huge hit for Billy Idol in 1987.

The song appeared on Tommy James & The Shondells similarly-titled album Mony Mony.

"Mony Mony" was credited to Tommy James, Bo Gentry, Richie Cordell, and Bobby Bloom, who had a top ten record of his own with "Montego Bay".

The hook in the song is said to have been inspired by James' view of a MONY sign atop the Mutual of New York Building in New York City skyline from his Manhattan apartment. As Tommy James says in a 1995 interview in Hitch magazine:

True story: I had the track done before I had a title. I wanted something catchy like "Sloopy" or "Bony Maroney," but everything sounded so stupid. So Ritchie Cordell and I were writing it in New York City, and we were about to throw in the towel when I went out onto the terrace, looked up and saw the Mutual of New York building (which has its initials illuminated in red at its top). I said, "That's gotta be it. Ritchie, come here, you've gotta see this." It's almost as if God Himself had said, "Here's the title." I've always thought that if I had looked the other way, it might have been called "Hotel Taft."[1]

"Mony Mony" was the only song by the group to reach the top twenty in the United Kingdom; it reached #1 UK, #3 U.S. A music video of it was made at the time, dated in showing love beads, but would decade and half later would receive some play on MTV.[2]

The song "Mony Mony" has been covered by many artists, including Billy Idol, Amazulu, and The Beach Boys.

Although it has no outwardly obscene lyrics, "Mony Mony" is often banned from teen-age dances due to a chant that became notorious after a live version was released on the Billy Idol album Vital Idol in 1987, (no it wasn't - the live version was only on a single released to back up the album - JC) topping the US charts and reaching number seven in the UK. The song had originally become an Idol staple after he released the studio version on 1981's Don't Stop EP - and the crowds at his live performances would chant, "Hey mother fucker, get laid, get fucked" between verses. Billy mouths these words on his live music video of the song.

Notwithstanding which, the Idol version is still popular at young teen dances, Bar Mitzvahs, and the like, with its huge bass line and build up to musical state of frenzy appealing across generations. Used by sports teams during contests as well, such as for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, & Waterloo Black Hawks.

"Weird Al" Yankovic wrote a parody of this song entitled "Alimony."