Crimson and Clover is a song by Tommy James and the Shondells. It was one of the biggest hits of the 1960s and reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. The 1968 album of the same name was also a hit, having reached #8 on the pop albums chart.
"Crimson and Clover" was completely written and recorded by the duo of Tommy James and Peter Lucia Jr., the Shondells drummer. Lucia played drums and delivered backing vocals, while James played all other instruments and sang the lead vocals.
The song is famous for a unique "wobbly" vocal effect near the end of the song. To produce this effect, Tommy James plugged his microphone into a guitar amplifier, flipped the tremolo switch, and repeatedly sang the line "crimson and clover, over and over".
When it was released in December 1968, many listeners thought he was saying "Christmas is over" instead of "crimson and clover."
