Tommy James May Have Penned It, But Joan Jett's Classic Cover Is The One We All Know

When you hear Joan Jett add her crunchy power chords and husky vocals to "Crimson and Clover," it might seem like just another hard-rocking tune the musical icon came up with to shake up her set list. But it was actually songwriter and musician Tommy James who crafted the classic rock tune. He and his psychedelic prog-rock unit, the Shondells, recorded and released their own version back in 1968. The band had several hits prior to this one, most notably two other popular hit '80s covers: sneering icon Billy Idol's chart-topping twist on "Mony Mony" and teen pop star Tiffany's take on "I Think We're Alone Now." Like those two now-timeless songs, Jett's "Crimson and Clover" has become associated more with the cover artist than the original creator.

James co-wrote "Crimson and Clover" with the Shondell's drummer, Peter Lucia Jr. The song topped the charts for two weeks in 1969 and became the title track of the band's next album. A little more than a decade later, Jett and her Blackhearts would adopt the song and turn it into her second-biggest single, as well as one of her trademark songs. With a bit of well-placed rebelliousness and a refusal to play the music game like everyone else did, Jett also used "Crimson and Clover" to challenge norms and stir up controversy as only a rock legend can.

"Crimson and Clover" gave Joan Jett a follow-up hit that was wildly different from her other well-loved cover, "I Love Rock 'N Roll." It also ginned up a bit of controversy for Jett, who, rather than re-gendering the lyrics "I don't hardly know her / But I think I could love her" and "When she comes walking over / I've been waiting to show her" intact. This seemingly pointed twist generated buzz about Jett's sexuality, a topic already broached due to her decidedly non-traditional approach to leading a serious rock band. It helped make Jett into a queer-forward idol for many fans and musicians who followed.

It may have been a song without a standard chorus, but the hypnotic refrain "Crimson and clover, over and over" wormed its way into listeners' heads. It became a No. 7 hit and the second-biggest of Jett's career. For Gen X rock fans, it's the definitive take on James' original work and a seminal song in Jett's live shows that demonstrates the ability for a well-written song to transcend the ages when it strikes the right chord at the right time.