--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not quite sure. Probably because…" description: "\"I'm not quite sure. Probably because \"Hanky Panky\" and \"I Think We're Alone Now\" had more to do with it than anything else. For some reason, staccato e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/tommy-james-47423_bass_i-m-not-quite-sure-probably-because-hank_2888286.jpg" --- # I'm not quite sure. Probably because "Hanky Panky" and "I… ![“I'm not quite sure. Probably because "Hanky Panky" and "I Think We're Alone Now" had more to do with it than anything else. For some reason, staccato eighth notes on a bass sounded like bubblegum. Basically, groups like the 1910 Fruitgum Co. took my early format and kind of perverted it, and made…” quote by Tommy James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/tommy-james-47423_bass_i-m-not-quite-sure-probably-because-hank_2888286.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/tommy-james-47423_bass_i-m-not-quite-sure-probably-because-hank_2888286.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e81/tommy-james-47423_bass_i-m-not-quite-sure-probably-because-hank_2888286.jpg) > “I'm not quite sure. Probably because "Hanky Panky" and "I Think We're Alone Now" had more to do with it than anything else. For some reason, staccato eighth notes on a bass sounded like bubblegum. Basically, groups like the 1910 Fruitgum Co. took my early format and kind of perverted it, and made these mindless pre-fab hits over and over. In the 60s, anybody who was making commercial music, that is music that didn't have a political slant to it, or wasn't taking drugs, was bubblegum. And that term kind of hung on a lot of people back then, and it's unfortunate.” [Tommy James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Bubblegum pop emerged as a non‑political, commercial genre in the 60s. **In simple terms:** Bubblegum was a harmless, commercial music style. Key Takeaway Understand music’s cultural context. Themes music history genre culture Mood nostalgic analytical Type educational reflective When to use this quote - music production - marketing - cultural analysis Key Concepts commercialization political expression Questions to Reflect On - Why did bubblegum dominate the market? - How does commercial pressure shape art? A Different Perspective Simplification may ignore artistic nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Commercial music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commercial-music/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Mindless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mindless/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“My ball sack is like a bubblegum bubble, only with slightly less bubblegum flavor, and a little more fun to chew on. Just ask…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/my-ball-sack-is-like-a-bubblegum-bubble-only-with-slightly-less/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I love commercial music! I can dissect it and criticize it with any critic in the business. But without any thought, I just enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/i-love-commercial-music-i-can-dissect-it-and-criticize-it-with-any/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [In the commercial music world, the folk world, we sell records and concert tickets - this is the way I make a living. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhiannon-giddens/in-the-commercial-music-world-the-folk-world-we-sell-records-and/) [Rhiannon Giddens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhiannon-giddens/) > [I think I'm really part of a whole generational movement in a way. I think a lot of other people since and during this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-glass/i-think-i-m-really-part-of-a-whole-generational-movement-in-a-way-i/) [Philip Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-glass/) > [I think some people record songs and make records a certain way to cater to radio. If you're born to make commercial music that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-white/i-think-some-people-record-songs-and-make-records-a-certain-way-to/) [Bryan White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-white/) > [I'm in the position where I don't have to make commercial music to feed myself, so I have the luxury of being more experimental,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/i-m-in-the-position-where-i-don-t-have-to-make-commercial-music-to/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [I have always made commercial music. The people who vote for the Grammy nominees are mostly in their 40s and have other jobs or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-walser/i-have-always-made-commercial-music-the-people-who-vote-for-the/) [Al Walser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-walser/) > [The joy of music should never be interrupted by a commercial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-bernstein/the-joy-of-music-should-never-be-interrupted-by-a-commercial/) [Leonard Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-bernstein/) > [The commercial music video industry is very hard to break into, and until you break in, that first job is the hardest thing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-kosinski/the-commercial-music-video-industry-is-very-hard-to-break-into-and/) [Joseph Kosinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-kosinski/) > [Commercial music, for the most part, is popular music and you always have to keep that in mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/commercial-music-for-the-most-part-is-popular-music-and-you-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the things that defined me is that I spoke in my songs very loudly, the negative messages, and I already managed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuel-aa/one-of-the-things-that-defined-me-is-that-i-spoke-in-my-songs-very/) [Anuel AA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuel-aa/) > [The commercial music world which I had been a part of for so many years lost its sparkle. My focus became the creation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-r-levine/the-commercial-music-world-which-i-had-been-a-part-of-for-so-many/) John R. Levine > [Work in nightclubs was interesting. There were interesting people and places, but by and large, the commercial music experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/work-in-nightclubs-was-interesting-there-were-interesting-people-and/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [I think this song, 'Ioniq,' is the best song for commercial music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-tae-hyung/i-think-this-song-ioniq-is-the-best-song-for-commercial-music/) [Kim Tae-hyung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-tae-hyung/) > [Pressure is high and jobs are at stake. There is nothing wrong with having commercial music to pitch for those situations, as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-starland/pressure-is-high-and-jobs-are-at-stake-there-is-nothing-wrong-with/) [Wendy Starland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-starland/) ## More by Tommy James > [Sweet cherry wine, so very fine, take it on down, pass it all around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-james/sweet-cherry-wine-so-very-fine-take-it-on-down-pass-it-all-around/) [Tommy James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-james/) > [I think everybody did their share of experimenting in the 1960s with drugs. My story is real simple. I was taking amphetamines in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-james/i-think-everybody-did-their-share-of-experimenting-in-the-1960s-with/) [Tommy James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-james/) > [Here she comes now, say, Mony, Mony. Shoot 'em down, turn around, come on, Mony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-james/here-she-comes-now-say-mony-mony-shoot-em-down-turn-around-come-on/) [Tommy James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-james/) > [Songs Like Mony Mony aren't really written, they're sort of hanging in space - waiting to be found - I'm just thankful we found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-james/songs-like-mony-mony-aren-t-really-written-they-re-sort-of-hanging-in/) [Tommy James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-james/) > [My baby does the hanky panky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-james/my-baby-does-the-hanky-panky/) [Tommy James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-james/) > [If I don't get at least 1 email in any given hour, I begin to think my friends are conspiring against me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-james/if-i-don-t-get-at-least-1-email-in-any-given-hour-i-begin-to-think-my/) [Tommy James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-james/) > [Maybe tomorrow when He looks down Every green field and every town All of his children every nation There'll be peace and good, brotherhood...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-james/maybe-tomorrow-when-he-looks-down-every-green-field-and-every-town/) [Tommy James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-james/) [Explore all 8 Tommy James quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-james/) ## More Bass quotes > [I remember that the bass was turned up slightly more on the mix from last week, and I thought that was good - or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ronson/i-remember-that-the-bass-was-turned-up-slightly-more-on-the-mix-from/) [Mark Ronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ronson/) > [In life's orchestra, the bike is the double bass. Hard to forget it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-fournel/in-life-s-orchestra-the-bike-is-the-double-bass-hard-to-forget-it/) Paul Fournel > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I'm 12 years sober, so I don't have beer! When I used to drink I really liked Bass Ale!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-davis/i-m-12-years-sober-so-i-don-t-have-beer-when-i-used-to-drink-i-really/) [Kristin Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-davis/) > [The kind of fishing that I do is pretty much bass, trout or freshwater fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-steyn/the-kind-of-fishing-that-i-do-is-pretty-much-bass-trout-or-freshwater/) [Dale Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-steyn/) > [Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/imagine-if-you-were-a-drummer-and-you-accidentally-picked-up-two/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I was never much of a bass player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-adams/i-was-never-much-of-a-bass-player/) [Ryan Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-adams/) > [I've always been playing with other people, and that's how I learned. I got a kit of drums I couldn't play, but I also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ringo-starr/i-ve-always-been-playing-with-other-people-and-that-s-how-i-learned-i/) [Ringo Starr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ringo-starr/) > [I grew up on the pirate radio scene which started out as drum 'n' bass music. U.K. garage picked up and got bigger on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dizzee-rascal/i-grew-up-on-the-pirate-radio-scene-which-started-out-as-drum-n-bass/) [Dizzee Rascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dizzee-rascal/) > [Close to the Edge by Yes. Such a fun tune to play on bass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-acton/close-to-the-edge-by-yes-such-a-fun-tune-to-play-on-bass/) [Brian Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-acton/) > [I've been in a band, so I understand the politics. Sometimes the bass player doesn't like what the guitar player is doing, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ric-ocasek/i-ve-been-in-a-band-so-i-understand-the-politics-sometimes-the-bass/) [Ric Ocasek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ric-ocasek/) > [That's what Joe Don Rooney and I do. He plays guitar and I play bass - and there's no reason to call it a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-demarcus/that-s-what-joe-don-rooney-and-i-do-he-plays-guitar-and-i-play-bass/) [Jay DeMarcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-demarcus/) > [I've always said the bass just happens to be the crayon I picked out of the box. I'd still be drawing the same pictures...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/les-claypool/i-ve-always-said-the-bass-just-happens-to-be-the-crayon-i-picked-out/) [Les Claypool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/les-claypool/) > [I was a guitar player in a band that had two keyboard players, sometimes two other guitarists, a bass player, and a drummer, four…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-satriani/i-was-a-guitar-player-in-a-band-that-had-two-keyboard-players/) [Joe Satriani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-satriani/) > [I live a different way today. I have a family, and they are a priority for me. These days, I no longer wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/i-live-a-different-way-today-i-have-a-family-and-they-are-a-priority/) [Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/) Browse all 722 Bass quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not quite sure. Probably because \"Hanky Panky\" and \"I Think We're Alone Now\" had more to do with it than anything else. For some reason, staccato eighth notes on a bass sounded like bubblegum. Basically, groups like the 1910 Fruitgum Co. took my early format and kind of perverted it, and made these mindless pre-fab hits over and over. In the 60s, anybody who was making commercial music, that is music that didn't have a political slant to it, or wasn't taking drugs, was bubblegum. 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