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The Toms : You Must Have Crossed My Mind

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In 1979 Tom Marolda released The Toms, a power pop classic that continues to grow in stature with every decade that passes. Marolda recorded the album over the course of three days in a home studio, playing all the instruments. Creem Magazine says the album sold 12,000 copies on word of mouth and when you hear the album you can believe it. "You Must Have Crossed My Mind" is a good introduction to Marolda's talent as a songwriter. Even Graham Gouldman would be jealous of the hooks.

There weren't a lot of artists capable of recording by themselves : Paul McCartney, Emitt Rhodes, Prince and Stevie Wonder are the only ones who come to mind.  Had it not been for a bout of stage fright, Marolda might have toured he album and made a bigger name for himself. Instead he got a job writing music for Paramount Pictures. 

“Most of the time for television shows, if there was a scene, we would actually screen the scene,” he told Community News in New Jersey.. “It was better than reading. When I did Rocky stuff, the script would be, ‘Sly’s running here, and he’s jumping here, and he’s going to hit the Russian in the head, and here is where music comes in.’ That’s what we had to write on. Ace Ventura, we watched the whole movie, and my creative director would say, ‘Okay, they need a piece of music here.’ That’s how that would work. I would just go back to my studio after the screening and start working on material for it.”

Beck and Tom Marolda in 2016.

Marolda has also worked with Imagine Dragons, Cher, the Bee Gees, the Killers, Rod Stewart and Richie Sambora .

The Toms is hard to find, even in CD format. You may find yourself forking over $100. And that may still seem like a bargain. You can also get yourself a digital download from bandcamp.

Manager Robin Garb, Frank Stallone, Harry Nilsson and Tom Marolda.