The Last Book I Read

One of my areas of research, going back to my grad school days, has been the popular music industry in America. One of the things that became evident very early on is just how shady that business was for most of its history. That's not to say that everyone in the industry was tainted, and some were unfairly maligned (disc jockeys, for one example), but you didn't have to look very hard to find extremely unethical if not criminal behavior behind the scenes of the hit-making machinery. Tommy James puts that topic front and center in his book Me, the Mob, and the Music. The framework for the story is essentially his own rise to success and fame in the sixties as the front man for the Shondells, who enjoyed a long string of hits that began with "Hanky Panky" and extended through the late sixties and early seventies. That's the framework, but the persistent theme is how much of that success was orchestrated by the actions of Morris Levy, a notorious mobster who ran Roulette Records (among other enterprises) and used his underworld reputation to pretty much get what he wanted from artists, distributors, broadcasters, and anyone else who might contribute to getting his releases to the top of the charts. It's a gripping story, and James comes off as both a talented artist and an honest reporter about the advantages (and disadvantages) that came along with being employed by Levy. Although tensions inevitably arose from the relationship, it's clear he retains a lot of affection for his "mentor" though eventually the two were estranged as Levy's activities caught up to him and he ended up in jail. The book ultimately is more successful as a music story than a true crime story, mainly because James' perspective on Levy does not come from being in the latter's inner circle. But that's certainly enough to make it a worthwhile read, maybe especially if you've ever danced to "Mony Mony" at a wedding reception or sang along to "Crimson and Clover" on the radio-- which may never have happened without the hidden hand of organized crime.