#4: This Time by Troy Shondell

City: Halifax, NS
Radio Station: CHNS
Peak Month: November 1961
Peak Position in Halifax ~ #1 for 3 weeks
Peak position in Vancouver ~ #5
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #6
YouTube: “This Time”
Lyrics: “This Time”

Troy Shondell was born in 1939 as Gary Wayne Schelton. As he grew up Schelton learned the play five musical instruments. When he was 18, his first single was released titled “My Hero”, and credited to Gary Shelton (having dropped the “c” in his name in this instance). In June 1958, “Kissin’ At the Drive-In” was a Top 30 hit on WJJD in Chicago, and “The Trance” also charted in Chicago that fall. Schelton’s father died of a heart attack in 1960, and he wrote a song titled “Still Loving You”. Bob Luman covered the song successfully as a country hit in 1970.

In 1961, now billed as Troy Shondell, the singer moved from Mark Records to the Liberty label. His first release was titled “This Time”.

“This Time” is a song about rejection of a guy by a gal. In discussion with each other they’ve “said way too much.” The impact of getting things off their chest leaves them with little else to do but let go of the relationship. There is no “goodnight kiss,” – no affection – now that they are parting. The guy is broken up because he’s lost his girlfriend. As a result, he feels down: “I only live from day to day.”

The song was written in 1958 by Chips Moman. It was first recorded as a B-side in 1958 by Thomas Wayne, who subsequently was a one-hit wonder with the number-five charting single, “Tragedy”, in 1959. Chips Moman was born in LaGrange, Georgia, in 1937. As a teenager, he was in the rockabilly band backing Warren Smith. When he turned 20, Moman was in a band with Johnny Burnette. Next, he became one of the bandmates backing Gene Vincent. In 1960, he produced Carla Thomas’ R&B hit “Gee Whiz”, and “Last Night” for the Mar-Keys in 1961. He wrote “Dark End Of the Street” for James Carr, and “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” for Aretha Franklin. At the end of the 60s, Moman produced “In The Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds” and “Kentucky Rain” for Elvis Presley.

As a songwriter, Chips Moman won a Grammy Award for “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” – a number-one hit for BJ Thomas. He also wrote Waylon Jennings number-one country hit “Luckenbach, Texas”. Moman died at the age of 79 in 2016.

The song begins and ends with Spanish guitar strums. Those strums were borrowed for the ending of the instrumental surfing song “Mr. Rebel”, by Eddie and the Showmen.

“This Time” peaked at #1 in Halifax, Chicago, Kenosha (WI), Fort Dodge (IA), Louisville, Lansing (MI), Columbus (OH), Des Moines (IA), #2 in San Francisco, Allentown (PA), York (PA), Milwaukee, Nashville, San Antonio (TX), Minneapolis/St. Paul, Houston, Denver, Tucson (AZ), La Crosse (WI), and Toledo (OH), and Troy (NY), #3 in Boston, Phoenix, Omaha (NE), Montreal, Seattle, Ottawa, Richmond (VA), Hartford (CT), New Haven (CT), and Trenton (NJ), #4 in Toronto, Akron (OH), Worcester (MA), Hamilton (ON), and Buffalo, #5 in Fargo (ND), Winnipeg (MB), Manchester (NH), New York City, and Cincinnati, #6 in Springfield (MA), Newport News (VA), #7 in Los Angeles, Washington DC, and Charleston (WV), #8 in Fresno (CA), Miami, and South Bend (IN), and #9 in San Bernardino (CA), and Philadelphia.

Internationally, “This Time” peaked at #4 in Canada and Norway, #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, #8 in New Zealand, and #18 in the UK. In 1981, UK rockabilly singer, Shakin’ Stevens, included “This Time” as a track on his album Shaky.

Troy Shondell’s next release, “Tears From an Angel”, got modest airplay in about a dozen states, and in Winnipeg and Halifax in Canada. “Island In the Sky” made the Top 40 in Vancouver and Montreal in early ’62. While “Just Because” made the Top 40 on CFUN in Vancouver in April ’62. Shondell left Liberty Records after releasing three singles. He released three more singles on the Everest label which were commercial flops. Record deals with Decca, the Ric label, and TRX Records, also failed to extend Troy Shondell beyond one-hit-wonder status.

However, in 1963, Tommy Jackson changed the name of his high school band from Tom and the Tornadoes to Tommy James and the Shondells (in tribute to Troy Shondell). In October 1969, Shondell was appointed as Assistant Regional Director for ASCAP’s Southern Regional Office in Nashville.

In 2001, Shondell still performed at shows and other events. Along with Jimmy Clanton, Ronnie Dove, and Ray Peterson, Shondell was a member of the Masters of Rock ‘n’ Roll. On October 2, 2007, Shondell traveled to Collins, Mississippi, to deliver a musical tribute to his fallen rock and roll colleague Dale Houston, who, with musical partner Grace Broussard, had reached no. 1 in 1963 with “I’m Leaving It Up To You” as the musical duo Dale & Grace. Shondell died at the age of 86 from complications of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease in January 2016.

April 22, 2024
Ray McGinnis

References:
Troy Shondell, Singer of ‘This Time (We’re Really Breaking Up),’ Dies at 76,” Billboard, January 9, 2016.
“Legendary producer and songwriter Chips Moman dies, aged 79,” Guardian, June 15, 2016.

CHNS 960-AM Halifax (NS) Top Ten from the Big Hit Parade Top 60| November 12, 1961