Ritchie Cordell (1943-2004) was an American record producer and songwriter best known for his work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts and Tommy James & the Shondells.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Cordell began his career playing guitar in the thriving NYC folk scene. There, he met a young Paul Simon, who wrote Cordell’s first single. Impressed and inspired, Cordell wrote his own songs from that point forward.
In 1966, after a brief spell at Kama Sutra, Cordell joined Roulette Records as a staff songwriter/producer. Here, he began working with the fledgling pop act Tommy James & the Shondells. Cordell went on to write several of their hit singles, including “Mony Mony” and “I Think We’re Alone Now”. In 1968, Cordell left Roulette for Super K Productions where he wrote bubblegum pop hits like “Indian Giver” by 1910 Fruitgum Co.
Cordell fell in and out of production work through the ‘70s before finding yet more success as a co-producer on Joan Jett’s first four solo albums (including the hits “Bad Reputation” and “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll”). Cordell also produced the Ramones’ 1983 album Subterranean Jungle.
In 1987, Cordell achieved the rare feat of having one of his songs replace another as the #1 single in the country – Tiffany’s cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now” being usurped by Billy Idol’s “Mony Mony”. By the ‘90s, he’d retired from the music business.
Ritchie Cordell died after a battle with pancreatic cancer in 2004, at age 61.
