"Sweet Cherry Wine" is a song performed by

Tommy James and the Shondells Tommy James and the Shondells is an American rock band formed in Niles, Michigan, in 1964. The band has had two No. 1 singles in the U.S.: " Hanky Panky" (1966), the band's only RIAA Certified Gold record, and "Crimson and Clover" (1969). The ...

from their 1969 album, '' Cellophane Symphony''. The song was co-written by James and Richie Grasso, another singer-songwriter signed to Morris Levy's

Roulette Records Roulette Records was an American record company and label founded in 1957 by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Kahl, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed ...

. It hit number seven on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and rose to number six on the Canadian charts. This

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary mental states (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips") and a perceived "expansion of consciousness". Also referred to as classic halluci ...

song was released at the height of

psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...

, right after one previous 'mind expanding' song by Tommy James and the Shondells, "

Crimson and Clover "Crimson and Clover" is a 1968 song by American rock band Tommy James and the Shondells. Written by the duo of Tommy James and drummer Peter Lucia Jr., it was intended as a change in direction of the group's sound and composition. "Crimson an ...

", and before " Crystal Blue Persuasion". It begins with the use of an organ, adds brass instruments, and ends with a solo flute that fades out at the end. Adding to the feel of this form of music, this and other songs on the album included the then-new

Moog synthesizer The Moog synthesizer ( ) is a modular synthesizer invented by the American engineer Robert Moog in 1964. Moog's company, R. A. Moog Co., produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 2014. It was the first commercial synthesizer ...

. James, in an interview on the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) in 2010 stated that the song "was about the blood of Jesus" and acknowledged that many fans and peers assumed it was drug related."Tommy James: Behind the Crystal Blue Persuasion (Extended Interview) - CBN.com" on Youtube.com The track was recorded at Broadway Sound Studios in Manhattan, New York, because at the time, James' regular studio was closed due to it being serviced and upgraded from 16 track to 24 track. He would resume working at Allegro Sound Studios after he recorded Sweet Cherry Wine. It is also a protest song about the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

Chart performance

Weekly charts

References

{{Tommy James and the Shondells 1969 songs 1969 singles Anti-war songs Songs about Jesus Songs of the Vietnam War Songs written by Tommy James Tommy James and the Shondells songs Roulette Records singles

Chart performance

Weekly charts

See also

References