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The band had the music written, but needed a girl's name for the title. They wanted a name no one ever heard before, like "Sloopy" or "Bony Maronie," but couldn't think of anything. Kenny Laguna, a producer who played keyboards and sang with The Shondells, explains:
"We used to do a lot of amphetamines, they were very popular with people trying to succeed, so we'd spend all day and night 'up' making records, and not worrying about getting paid. It was perfect for the record companies, who would supply us with amphetamines. One morning, Tommy looked up and saw the corner of a building, it was the Mutual Of New York, MONY MONY. In those days we had 'Yummy Yummy,' 'Chewy Chewy,' 'Sugar Sugar,' anything that could be like that. Tommy saw that and said 'Mony Mony sounds like a girl's name.' So Tommy went around town and wrote 'Mony Mony' with 13 different people."

Laguna: "When it came time to make it sound like it was a big party, it was lunch time. We went up to Broadway and talked all these strangers into coming down to the studio and going 'Mony, Mony!' There were all these serious guys out there having lunch, and we said, 'You want to sing on a Tommy James record?'"

Two versions were put together to form the song. The part that goes, 'I love you Mony, Mo Mo Mony...' was Bobby Bloom, who was also working for Roulette Records (Bloom sang "Montego Bay," which was a hit in 1970). The rest of it was written by James with producers Bo Gentry and Ritchie Cordell.

When they were recording this, it was considered a throwaway B-side. They had no idea it would become a huge hit.

Laguna: "There was no drummer, so the recording engineer went out there, but he could only get through 2 bars. So before there were loops or anything else, we copied the 2 bars of drums 44 times and spliced them together, and that's the track of 'Mony Mony.' It was like an early loop before there was looping. If you listen carefully, you can hear just 2 bars of the drum track." (thanks to Kenny Laguna for speaking with us about this song)

This was a #1 hit for Billy Idol in 1987. It brought the song to a new generation who had never heard the original. When Idol released his version, it became popular for kids to shout "hey, hey, what, get laid, get f--ked" during the instrumental break in the chorus. Anyone who went to a prom when this was popular can verify this.

Idol first released his version as a single in 1981, his first as a solo artist after leaving Generation X. He released a live version in 1987 which became his biggest hit, going to #1 US and #7 UK.

When Idol's version hit #1 in the US, it knocked off another Tommy James cover - Tiffany's version of "I Think We're Alone Now," which was a hit for James in 1967. Another James song that got new life as a cover was "Crimson And Clover," which Joan Jett recorded in 1982 as her follow-up to "I Love Rock And Roll." Jett's version was produced by Kenny Laguna, who has worked with her since she started as a solo artist.

Weird Al Yankovic wrote a parody based on Billy Idol's 1987 recording called "Alimony," about a guy who gets divorced and has to pay his ex alimony payments, but is broke from it. It is on his 1988 album Even Worse. (thanks, Steph - SoCal, CA)

Comments:

In the 2000 film ON THE BEACH, the submarine crew lip synchs this song.ON THE BEACH (2000 version) is a complete downer about the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust,,,,they know that they are going to die.
- Ezra, Rio, TX

Sad news for you guys. The song is about going to New York, and developing a relationship with heroin. That's what the pony rides ("horse" was a 60's name for smack) allude to. And the shoot 'em down, and the cooking, and the feel so good. One person did correctly point out that the "Mony, Mony" referred to a big Mutual of New York sign that Tommy James could see from his hotel.
- Delbert, Pittsburgh, PA

Just heard from Weezel on 947theglobe.com that Tommy James got the name of this song after looking out his hotel room window at a flashing Mutual of New York bank sign. ** MoNY MoNY **..... ** MoNY MoNY **
- Wayne, Leesburg, VA

About the Billy Idol version...yes, the kids did swear during prom...often leading to the song to be on a list of "do not play" from school principals.
- Kevin, Grand Forks, ND

"Mony Mony" is a really fun song. The things that led up to its creation are great.
- john, Fort Worth, TX

The Stranglers recorded a cover version of this song under the (cover) name Celia and the Mutations. Actually, they were the band behing Celia.
- Zicomen, Novi Sad, Serbia

At first I thought this song was about sex, look at the lyrics! hahaha!
- Monica, San Francisco, CA

Great Song! I only have billy idols version but both are good
- Andy, Tualatin, OR

Tommy James and The Shondells were also one of the first acts to experiment with Music Videos of their hits starting with "Mony Mony" in 1968, thirteen years before MTV!!
- Tom, Green Bay, WI

Yeah it's a great song!
- Stefanie magura, Rock Hill, SC

This is one of my favorite songs! I probably heard it first when I was about 9 when I was around my aunt. I have to be in the right mood for this song though. Sometimes IT JUST WON'T END!
- Ryan, Mobile, AL

I LOVE THIS SONG. I was 12 when i first heard it on the radio. It got me dancing,even infront of my sister!
- Cameron, Sydney, Australia