Crystal Blue Persuasion

"Crystal Blue Persuasion" is a 1968 song originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells and composed by Eddie Gray, Tommy James and Mike Vale.

"Crystal Blue Persuasion"
Single by Tommy James and the Shondells
from the album Crimson & Clover
B-side"I'm Alive"
ReleasedDecember 1968
Recorded1968
GenrePsychedelic rock, blue-eyed soul
Length4:02 (album version)
3:45 (single version)
LabelRoulette
Songwriter(s)Eddie Gray, Tommy James, Mike Vale
Producer(s)Tommy James, Ritchie Cordell
Tommy James and the Shondells singles chronology
"Sweet Cherry Wine"
(1969)		 "Crystal Blue Persuasion"
(1968)		 "Ball of Fire"
(1969)
Music video
"Crystal Blue Persuasion" on YouTube

Background

A gentle-tempoed groove, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" was built around a prominent organ part with an understated arrangement, more akin to The Rascals' sound at the time than to James's contemporary efforts with psychedelic rock. It included melodic passages for an acoustic guitar, as well as a bass pattern, played between the bridge and the third verse of the song.

In a 1985 interview in Hitch magazine, James said the title of the song came to him while he was reading the Biblical Book of Revelation:

I took the title from the Book of Revelations [sic] 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.[1]

With an appropriate lighting scheme, the 2000s edition of Tommy James and the Shondells perform "Crystal Blue Persuasion"

According to James's manager, James was actually inspired by his readings of the Book of Ezekiel, which (he remembered as) speaking of a blue Shekhinah light that represented the presence of the Almighty God, and of the Book of Isaiah and Book of Revelation, which tell of a future age of brotherhood of mankind, living in peace and harmony.[2]

At the time of the song's release there were several popular types of high quality blue-colored LSD tablets in circulation—some listeners generally assumed James was referring to "acid". In 1979, music writer Dave Marsh described it as "a transparent allegory about James' involvement with amphetamines."[3]

Chart performance

When released as a single in June 1969, "Crystal Blue Persuasion" became one of the biggest hits for the group, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 behind Zager and Evans' "In the Year 2525" for three consecutive weeks from July 26 to August 9.[4][5] In Canada, the song spent one week at No. 1.[6] 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 music video was made which showed various scenes of late 1960s political and cultural unrest and imagery of "love and peace".[7]

Chart history

Cover versions

Tito Puente, Joe Bataan, The Heptones, Morcheeba, Concrete Blonde, Jack Wagner, and John Wesley Harding are among those who have covered the song.

"Crystal Blue Persuasion" has been used in numerous media and entertainment properties, both onscreen and off.

"Crystal Blue Persuasion" has appeared in the films A Walk on the Moon (1999), The Secret Life of Girls (1999), Zodiac (2007), The Nanny Diaries (2007), and the TV show How to Make it in America (2010). The song is also featured in the movie The Expendables 2 (2012), while Barney (Sylvester Stallone) is flying his plane. It was played during the pool scene in the TV movie Growing Up Brady, and was in the pilot episode of The Wonder Years.[14]

The song is referenced in Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four Annual (Vol. 1, No. 21) from 1988. The name references the character in the book, Crystalia Amaquelin, the blue area of the moon where part of the story takes place, and the plotline which is formed around coercing Crystal to return to the Inhumans.[15]

The title is referenced in "He Do the Police in Different Voices", the opening track from the 1993 album Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things by The Loud Family.

The song's principal riff is sampled in "Sabbatical" by German nu jazz group De-Phazz on their 2001 album Death by Chocolate.

"Crystal Blue Persuasion" was prominently featured in the 2012 Breaking Bad episode "Gliding Over All", during an elaborate montage depicting the international drug smuggling operation for Walter White's signature blue crystal meth. The montage was subsequently parodied in a special intro to The Simpsons episode "What Animated Women Want" in 2013. The Breaking Bad montage was again parodied in the 2016 Bordertown episode "Borderwall", with a montage featuring a different type of illicit smuggling operation. The Simpsons again featured the song in "Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion" in 2019.

References
  1. "Tommy James and the Shondells/Hitch (Article)". Angelfire.com.
  2. "Crystal Blue Persuasion by Tommy James & the Shondells - Songfacts". Songfacts.com.
  3. Rolling Stone Record Guide, Rolling Stone Press, 1979.
  4. Tommy James, Billboard Hot 100 – Billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  5. Billboard Hot 100, Week of August 9, 1969 – Billboard.com. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  6. Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Bac-lac.gc.ca.
  7. "Tommy James & The Shondells - Crystal Blue Persuasion - 1969". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  8. Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". Bac-lac.gc.ca.
  9. [Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–2002]
  10. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, August 2, 1969". Archived from the original on April 26, 2018. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  11. "Top 100 Singles of 1969 in Canada". February 14, 2016.
  12. "Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2018-04-25.
  13. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles of 1969, December 27, 1969". Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  14. "Music from The Wonder Years S1E01". Tunefind. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  15. Uncanny X-Men.net Archived 2013-02-03 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved February 7, 2015
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