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Sweet Cherry Wine

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1969 single by Tommy James and the Shondells
"Sweet Cherry Wine"
German single picture sleeve
Single by Tommy James and the Shondells
from the album Cellophane Symphony
B-side"Breakaway"
ReleasedMarch 1969
GenrePsychedelic rock
Length4:09
LabelRoulette
Songwriter(s)Richard Grasso, Tommy James
Producer(s)Tommy James
Tommy James and the Shondells singles chronology
"Crimson and Clover"
(1968) 		"Sweet Cherry Wine"
(1969) 		"Crystal Blue Persuasion"
(1969)

"Sweet Cherry Wine" is a song performed by Tommy James and the Shondells from their 1969 album, Cellophane Symphony. The song was co-written by James and Richie Grasso, another singer-songwriter signed to Morris Levy's Roulette Records. It hit number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and rose to number six on the Canadian charts. This psychedelic song was released at the height of psychedelia, right after one previous 'mind expanding' song by Tommy James and the Shondells, "Crimson and Clover", and before "Crystal Blue Persuasion". It begins with the use of an organ, adds brass instruments, and ends with a solo flute that fades out at the end. Adding to the feel of this form of music, this and other songs on the album included the then-new Moog synthesizer.

James, in an interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in 2010 stated that the song "was about the blood of Jesus" and acknowledged that many fans and peers assumed it was drug related.

The track was recorded at Broadway Sound Studios in Manhattan, New York, because at the time, James' regular studio was closed due to it being serviced and upgraded from 16 track to 24 track. He would resume working at Allegro Sound Studios after he recorded Sweet Cherry Wine.

It is also a protest song about the Vietnam War.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1969) Peak
position
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 6
US Billboard Hot 100 7
US Cash Box Top 100 10

See also

References

  1. James, Fitzpatrick, Tommy, Martin (2011). Me, the mob, and the music : one helluva ride with Tommy James & the Shondells.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Ortega, Shawna. "Interview with Tommy James". SongFacts. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  3. Tommy James and the Shondells, "Sweet Cherry Wine" U.S. Chart Position Retrieved February 7, 2015
  4. "Tommy James: Behind the Crystal Blue Persuasion (Extended Interview) - CBN.com" on Youtube.com
  5. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6045." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  6. "Tommy James Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  7. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, 10 May 1969". Tropicalglen.com. Cash Box. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
Tommy James and the Shondells
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