Twenty years ago, Hollywood leading man Tom Hanks made his debut as a writer-director with the nostalgia-driven musical comedy That Thing You Do! Set in 1964 and dripping with LBJ-era production design, the film details the quick rise and fall of an American rock band called The Wonders (formerly—and confusingly—The One-ders), which scores a bouncy, Beatlesque Top 10 smash single before disintegrating. The band plays its one hit several times during the film, so Hanks wisely chose a number that would stand up to repeated listenings. Though fictionally credited to The Wonders, the title track was actually written by Fountains Of Wayne bassist Adam Schlesinger and performed by Schlesinger with his friend, producer Mike Viola. In America, the song just missed the Top 40, but it got enough MTV and radio airplay to make a lasting impression on the public.
In fact, the song has inspired numerous cover versions, some from highly unexpected sources. In 1999, for instance, ’N Sync performed the song as part of a tribute to the 1960s during a pay-per-view special. JC Chasez handles lead vocals on this one. Justin Timberlake is only briefly visible here, playing bass and singing backup vocals.