I'm Alive (Tommy James and the Shondells song)
| "I'm Alive" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Tommy James and the Shondells | |
| from the album Crimson and Clover | |
| A-side | "Crystal Blue Persuasion" |
| Released | June 1969 |
| Format | Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM |
| Recorded | 1968 |
| Genre | Psychedelic pop, garage rock |
| Length | 03:15 |
| Label | Roulette |
| Writer(s) | Tommy James, Peter Lucia |
"I'm Alive" is a song written by the American rock band Tommy James and the Shondells and first recorded in 1969 as part of their album Crimson and Clover. It was released as a B-side for the single "Crystal Blue Persuasion".
The song achieved great popularity as it was re-recorded several times, throughout the years, most notably by Johnny Thunder (1969), Don Fardon (again in 1969) and by Tom Jones (2008).
Johnny Thunder version
| "I'm Alive" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Johnny Thunder | |
| B-side | "Verbal Expressions of T.V." |
| Released | April 1969 |
| Format | Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM |
| Genre | Psychedelic rock, garage rock, psychedelic soul |
| Length | 02:30 |
| Label | Calia |
| Writer(s) | Tommy James, Peter Lucia |
American recording artist Johnny Thunder released his own cover of the song as a single in 1969.[1]
His version has later been used by Samsung for the spot of its new Galaxy S6 Edge, in 2015, thus leading to a new growth of popularity for the song.[2]
Don Fardon version
| "I'm Alive" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Don Fardon | |
| B-side | "Keep on Loving Me" |
| Released | August 1969 |
| Format | Vinyl, 7" |
| Genre | Psychedelic soul |
| Length | 02:26; 03:24 (extended version) |
| Label | Young Blood |
| Writer(s) | Tommy James, Peter Lucia |
| Producer(s) | Miki Dallon |
English singer Don Fardon released a cover as a single also in 1969.[3] His recording has been featured in a UK television advertisement for Five Alive fruit drinks, and a Dutch Vodafone commercial.
On the back of the success of the latter, "I'm Alive" was reissued in the Netherlands and in March 2011 it reached the Top 20 of the Dutch singles chart. Don Fardon's version has been remixed and released as a single by English DJ Ashley Beedle.
Other versions
In 1975, Swedish band Blue Swede recorded a mash-up which combined verses of I'm Alive with others borrowed from Hush, by Deep Purple.
The song was also recorded by Tom Jones. The track appeared on his 2008 album 24 Hours.