Thursday, July 14, 2011


The summer I was 17, Tommy James and the Shondells were ONE of my favorites.



I remember all the hot starry nights. Fair time, carnivals, sweet corn, innocent dreams of hanky-panky.



What's all that got to do with a tatting blog?


Well...it's summer...my birthday is coming up...so I got myself a birthday present.

Ever since I saw Shirley's shuttle made from a record, I had an idea brewing in my head. See...I still have my old 45 records from back then. How about if I had a shuttle made from a special record?

Shirley kindly agreed to make one so I sent her "I Think We're Alone Now". Great idea, huh? Except the 45's are thinner than the bigger records and she ran into a few problems.

Even so, she made me a shuttle. And THEN she made me another shuttle from a regular record AND a thread holder from my own record, plus she sent the rest of it back to me! How's that for customer service?

It's unlikely I'll tat with it on a regular basis but I sincerely appreciate her added effort to make me happy. I absolutely love it!

13 comments:

  1. What a great idea! I bet we all have a favorite record somewhere that would make a great shuttle and thread holder!
    Love to see what you make with your Tommy and the Shondells shuttle!

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  2. Dang, I wish I had my first 45 - I remember it so well. The green apple label and "Let It Be". I sang that at the top of my lungs - over and over and over :)

    Enjoy your birthday shuttle - what a special treat!!

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  3. Very cool! What a great idea and so nice of Shirley. Next up: a shuttle that plays the tune of the record it's made with as you tat!
    Fox : )

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  4. That's very cool - like the song, like the shuttle! And how appropriate - I enjoy my alone time with my shuttle. Can you actually still feel the record grooves?

    :) Ann

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  5. Thank you Gina. I enjoyed the videos. I know the songs but not the singer or the group. I think I was listening to Bee Gees' Tragedy.

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  6. interestingly when I was 13 this was my favorite song also... but a completely different singer :-p

    http://youtu.be/826PTEuHKhE

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  7. Dont know about the hanky panky but I certainly remember the song! Sems like another lifetime! Love your new shuttle!

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  8. What a great idea, and a thread holder too!

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  9. Happy Bluebird - Yes, I can see them. Since this was a small single, there isn't the solid space between songs like you see on an album. I asked her to try to steam the label off so I could maybe decoupage it on the shuttle but she couldn't get it off. I might try it myself, or even scan it and then print off the label and decoupage that.

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  10. Brooklynne - LOL! Is this what they call the generation gap? I don't know who Tiffany is but I don't generally remember any performer's name. Even from "back in the day". I miss the bass in this version. That was an important part of my favorite songs. I saw another female artist who apparently sings this more currently on YouTube but didn't play it.

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  11. Oh, I do have fond memories of Tommy James and the Shondelles! My sister Janet and I used to belt out the songs on the radio, and Tommy was a favorite. We didn't sing "I Think We're Alone Now" when Mom was around... the words were too scandalous! Somehow, we thought that if we didn't sing the words, Mom didn't hear them.

    Enjoy your new shuttle! Ooh... I think I hear you humming! : )

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  12. What a great idea! I, too, remember that song, "I Think We're Alone Now". Ah, the days of my youth.
    Wishing you a very Happy Birthday!

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  13. ooh Tommy James and the Shondelles, I love their songs and many more from that era. have fun with your new shuttle, even if you don't tat with it much

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Emails and comments both are welcome and always read.