Tom Jones International

Hummingbird Centre Toronto, Ontario; Canada (3,500 seats Sold Out)/Thursday, July, 13th 2006

Everytime Tom comes to Toronto all the ladies/men get a good workout, as the theatre starts high and decends to the stage. They run down to the stage ignoring the security and giving Tom all sorts of gifts, from a bunch of roses to a handshake or just to touch his hand.

When Tom hit the stage at the Hummingbird Centre, he was dressed in all black (no jacket). Tom’s voice sounded Fantastic he opened with Tom Jones International the crowd went wild: men and women began dancing in the aisles and at their seats and continued to do so all evening. This was a “love fest.”

Looking very svelte, he sang out all our favourites, adding Love Letters and Glory of Love, which he sang from his heart. Awoman just in front of me was wiping her eyes during the songs. You could feel the passion in his voice and he closed his eyes while he held his chest.

Tom sang Stoned in Love his new British hit which he said is soon to be released here in North America. I had never heard the song performed live before, and I like it much better done live.

He had a good mix of old and new songs, the show-stoppers I’ll Never Fall In Love Again and Green Green Grass of Home got everyone to their feet for a standing O.

Everyone at the concert was having a blast and were on their feet for 90 percent of the show. All my friends who were there remarked to me — and I agree — that the sound was too loud. The band was trying to overpower Tom, especially on the slower songs. Some of us had a hard time hearing after the show.

All in all, the concensus was the show could not have been better. We were “Tomazed” and, surely, It’s Not Unusual.

Can’t wait to see Tom again! Sir Tom Forever!

—Katherine

Tom Jones belts ‘em out

Sun, July 16, 2006/By KATHY RUMLESKI, FREE PRESS REPORTER

He’s still got it.

After more than 40 years performing, Tom Jones has his vocals and his sex appeal intact.

The 66-year-old international star whooped it up for an audience of 2,500 last night in the RBC Theatre of the John Labatt Centre — strutting his stuff, shaking his hips and bellowing out old and new hits.

Dressed in black with a beaded shirt and a gold cross over his chest, Jones performed disco, funk, rock ‘n’ roll, pop and ballads and did it with style.

Not surprising really, when he has survived the music fads of four decades-plus and collaborated with different generations of singers to stay current.

Prince, Talking Heads, The Pretenders are just some of the artists with whom he’s worked.

Prince seemed to have some influence in Jones’ lighting last night. He clearly likes purple.

The crowd of mainly middle-agers and up — you could tell it was an older group when the lighters came out — got going as the first chords of Delilah, his smash hit single from 1968, were heard four songs in.

“Are we going to have a good time tonight?” he sang to the audience. “Is everything all right so far?”

He kept asking the questions and the crowd’s cheering and fist pumping was his answer.

It was the women in the audience who were showing the most appreciation for the still-svelte Jones.

Panties hit the stage shortly after Delilah.

It has come to be expected at a Tom Jones’ concert.

What was not expected was the man clad in white who danced his way up to the stage and tossed a pair of men’s briefs at the feet of Jones, who was clearly amused.

“Was that a man that brought those up? You never know nowadays,” Jones said.

We could respectfully call him Sir Tom Jones, as he received his knighthood from the Queen this year at Buckingham Palace.

But Jones didn’t have the respect of everybody last night.

A couple of women were impatient to have him start the show — he was five minutes late.

“Maybe he’s having a hard time getting up the stairs,” one woman said. Ouch.

But the Wales native wasn’t reticent to make fun of himself.

As he led into a song, he told the audience he couldn’t remember if it was written in the late ’50s or early ’60s.

“The memory is the second thing to go. The only problem is, I can’t remember what the first thing is,” he joked.

While he did some newer material, such as dance track Stoned in Love that was released April 24 and entered the U.K. charts at No. 8 the next week, the fans appreciated the old hits the most.

It’s Not Unusual (1965), What’s New Pussycat (1965), I’ll Never Fall in Love Again (1967), and Green, Green Grass of Home (1966) had many on their feet singing along.

His Green, Green Grass number was sung with such power and passion, it was a shame only 2,500 got to hear it.

A line in that song, “The old house is still standing” seems fitting for Jones.

It doesn’t look like he plans on being knocked down any time soon.

For even the most ardent fan — even us, you and our Inside Scoop — seeing Tom Jones all the time just isn’t possible. So, sometimes, we look to have fun of a different sort; to find an impersonator who is either dead-on or funny, poking gentle fun at Sir Tom.

In the former category is Steve McCoy who is bringing his Soul, Rock n’ Blues show to Belterra Casino in Florence, IN, August 3 through 7.

In the latter category — funny — is Frank Scinta as Tom Jones*

You can see Frankie, his brother Joe, sister Chrissi and “adopted” Scinta, Pete O’Donnell, Tuesday through Saturday, 7 p.m., at The Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Steve sometimes appears alone and, as he will be in Indiana, with other rock ‘n’ roll legends, gives us just about the best TJ outside of the real TJ.

And, what about Frank Scinta (that’s pronounced “Shin-tah”)? Tom is just a very small part of a wonderful show where you’ll meet Dino and Jerry, Mick Jagger, Ray Charles and lots of others who appear along with The Scintas as themselves in a show that’s been a Las Vegas mainstay for six years. We must admit that perhaps we’re prejudiced because we work for The Scintas but their show is scads of fun (for people 14 and over). You should go.

*Note on browsers: the video of Frank as TJ works on IE and Firefox and not on Safari. Don’t know why, but if you have a fix, please share it. Thanks.

OK, unless it is unusual, we don’t post Sir Tom’s upcoming gigs. But on this night in Ontario he’ll celebrate his 42nd anniversary — that is, the 42nd anniversary of the day It’s Not Unusual was recorded. Wow. So check the ticket prices at the end of the article and start saving your money. At today’s posted exhange rate, $5,000 CAD (Canadian dollars) is a mere $4,387.95 (then divide by 10 people). The least expensive ticket, $500 CAD, comes to only $438.95 US. But, remember, it is for charity, so ignore the fact that there’s no discount on the price of a table for 10. And don’t forget to bring Tom a card.

The Mississauga News/Jul 11, 2006

It’s not unusual to have a good time at the Mayor’s Gala.

And this year, the 20th anniversary of Mississauga’s premier social event, will be no different.

That’s because Welsh singing star Tom Jones is the headliner for the milestone gala, set for Nov. 11 at the Living Arts Centre.

This year’s event, dubbed the 20th Anniversary Emerald Gala by the host herself, Mayor Hazel McCallion, will feature a cocktail reception, live and silent auctions and dinner.

Jones, of course, has released a string of hits over the past 40 years including It’s Not Unusual, Green, Green Grass Of Home, Help Yourself, Delilah and What’s New, Pussycat?

Tickets cost $500 or $5,000 for a table of 10. Call Maureen Ellis at 905-615-3200, ext. 4203 to order.

Note: We didn’t choose this wretched photo. The newspaper did. Aside from any other reason we wouldn’t choose it, it’s way old (from, we believe, a Princes Trust Party in the Park about five years ago).

Lydia is an under-25 British fan whose great loves are Tom and Jack Nicholson (so she’s “an under-25 British fan” with taste!). She has a lovely, fun TJ website that is at the moment down, but we’ll let you know when it’s relaunched.

Arriving at Leeds Castle, car speakers blaring It’s Not Unusual, my mate and I climbed out of my car and enthusiastically headed for the stage! The crowd was filled with likes of young & old eagerly waiting for Tom. The venue was situated near the overwhelming site of Leeds Castle. Along with the gorgeous weather and a great venue, I knew we’d be in for a entertaining night!

As anticipated, Tom bounced onto the stage in full swing to Tom Jones International. The crowd went wild, & the screams of hundreds of excitable fans filled the air as Tom hit every note spot on. Tom looked very trim & seemed to really be enjoying his time on stage. I was eager for my opportunity to give Tom a Welsh rugby shirt… so, I waited.

The stage was bombarded with a mass of underwear and flowers! Tom played it cool & humoured the crowd.

The set list was well-organised, and the fans were treated to live performances of What am I Living For She’s a Lady, Stoned in Love, End of the Road and many more. I was very impressed with Stoned in Love. Tom really sang this well considering how his voice was modified slightly on the original recording.

I’d eagerly waited for my moment to hand Tom my Welsh Rugby shirt, and when I did…. it was like the world had stopped. Tom danced over to the right hand side of the stage (where I was sitting). At this moment I was holding up the shirt for him to see. While he was still singing along to She’s a Lady, he motioned for me to throw the top at him. That was it! I ran forward & threw the shirt. He smiled and caught it, and hung it over his shoulder. During the performance he dropped it, but then was kind enough to pick it back up. At the end of the song he thanked me, and held it up to show a welsh dragon on the back. The crowd went wild!

Amazing, at the end of the show he picked up my gift from the back of the stage & walked off holding it and waving.

Amazing…

Here’s a review of Tom’s Leeds Castle show on Sunday night from The Guardian. While every critic has the right to an opinion, no critic has the right to go to a show with an attitude about the show or performer that he or she doesn’t disclose to readers. Even the most cursory reading of what we’ve posted below shows that this is someone who does not like, who does not get — and who is not willing to even consider — Tom Jones.

We know from experience that not everyone likes Tom as much as we do and, sometimes, they don’t like his music or show or, even, his appearance….but no one can deny his talent. And while various facets of his performance have been criticized even here (mostly the sameness of the setlist and stage outfits), it’s very rare for him to deliver a merely “workmanlike” performance. And we know he really enjoys performing in the UK. This is certainly the show we’ve seen repeatedly, and we’ve often expressed a wish for some change, but “human jukebox?” “Boredom?” This woman is clearly clueless— about Tom, at least. She’s certainly spot on about Frank Strauss’ stupendous gifts on the keyboards. Or, perhaps, she would rather have been near “Mr. Gelati” watching the World Cup. For what it’s worth, we couldn’t find an email for her, but you can email the editor.

Sophie Heawood /Tuesday July 11, 2006/The Guardian

“This song was written in the late 50s. Or was it the early 60s? You know, they say it’s the second thing to go, your memory. I can’t remember what the first thing is.” Tom Jones recently turned 66, has the orange skin of an oompah-loompah, and is performing outside a castle in Kent - in fact, he seems to have borrowed the portcullis to use as a beard. The boy from the valleys should be at home here, as his stage is down in the dip while we are spread up the hill, sitting on the green, green grass with our picnics and booze.

Even after the sun has set over the beautiful castle there is still a big queue for the ice cream van, though it turns out to be a rabble of beleaguered husbands watching the world cup final on Mr. Gelati’s portable TV. Jones might claim amnesia but he hasn’t forgotten his old hits, as he wiggles his hips through Delilah, What’s New Pussycat?, It’s Not Unusual, Kiss and even a recent chart hit he enjoyed with the dance act Chicane, called Stoned in Love. Middle-aged women dance sexily for their husbands during If I Only Knew, perhaps to compensate for the fact that they had to pay £40 a ticket to miss the football. When he covers Love Letters Straight From Your Heart, the couples wrap themselves around each other and sway. One pair of pants is still thrown at Jones — but his outstretched arm can’t quite catch them in time. “Ah, nearly,” the sexagenarian winces, a shadow of his former knicker-blocker glory.

After performing a rather lovely medley of Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis songs, Jones regales us with stories of going out drinking with the latter in Las Vegas, though he doesn’t mention his long friendship with the former. The boogie-woogie piano from his 10-piece band is great, and Jones is, of course, the consummate performer — but his manner is very workman-like. How can it not be, when you’re churning out half a century’s worth of well-known material like a human jukebox? Whether it’s Botox or boredom that have robbed him of his smile lines, there’s something rather stony-faced about Jones’s delivery. Despite the quips, he is strangely humourless.

In the market for a facelift? Or a masquerade costume? Check this out.

Just imagine an audience full of of people at a TJ concert wearing this. Or, maybe, Tom’s band and back-up singers?

It’s only £17.49 inclusive of VAT @ 17.50%. Plus shipping.



Thanks, mharding.

These two small photos are courtesy of Lois Gooding, who saw Tom as he was autographing everyone’s favorite album cover. The full-size ones are in our “Tom Then & Now” flickr.com set. (Because they’re the newest pictures, they’re at the bottom of the set.)

The review is from BroadwayWorld.com. We think We’ve Got Tonight was a major hit for its composer, Bob Seger (or, as it says on the Mr. Jones CD, “Robert” Seger) and we also think even “seasoned” fans know Sex Bomb. But it’s a nice review nonetheless and nice to see that a readership whose interest is primarily legitimate theater is learning about Tom. And he’s so correct about the import vs. the domestic release of Reload(ed).

Review: Tom Jones at Mohegan Sun Arena
Thursday, July 6, 2006; Posted: 1:34 PM/by Randy Rice
To borrow a phrase, if you haven’t seen Tom Jones lately, you haven’t seen Tom Jones. Not content to slide on his well-known Vegas persona, Tom Jones has taken a hugely successful leap, collaborating musically with some of the hottest, most current, musical acts in the business.

Much of the music Jones performed Sunday night at the Mohegan Sun Arena is on the Tom Jones Reloaded album. There are two versions of this CD available. If you have the chance to choose between the version available domestically or the import version; choose the import.

After a brief, introductory music video, Jones opened Sunday night’s show at the Arena with Tom Jones International which has a heavy, pounding baseline. The song is a collaboration between Jones and Wyclef Jean and it was the audience’s first clue that this show was going to be different than a Tom Jones show of ten years ago.

Sporting a goatee and looking athletic and fit at 65 years old, Jones came out in a purple suit with a black sequin shirt opened a few buttons down (not everything has changed), that was quickly drench in sweat.
He and his three back up singers and six-piece band, moved right into Momma Told Me Not to Come, also from his Reloaded album. Momma is a raw, funky, bluesy song that lends itself to Jones’ strong, loud voice. Back on familiar territory for the audience, next up was Delilah, but with a new arrangement and a picked up tempo and heavy electric guitar. Following that was Help Yourself. Tom danced, jumped, slid and shook his way through this and all of the songs in his show. The mere suggestion of a hip swivel or gyration or thrust sent the audience into ecstasy. During both She’s a Lady and What’s New Pussycat there was the legendary tossing of panties onto the stage. This ritual was updated as well. A pair of men’s boxer briefs joined the mix of undergarments on stage. Jones took it all in stride. For me, What’s New Pussycat was a “full-circle” moment, having seen it performed the evening before, by its writer, Burt Bacharach.

Slowing things down a bit, Jones covered We’ve Got Tonight (Sheena Easton and Kenny Rogers had the hit with it). Jones’ version had a reggae beat replacing the country twang in the well-known original. Slowing it down even further, Jones sang “Love Letters”. His version was stripped down with grand sweeping notes that swept up and down the scale.

Sex Bomb was a huge, international hit for Jones, just a couple of years back. It topped the chart in the U.K. and Europe and made an appearance on the dance charts here in the U.S.
The success of that song, was, I believe the impetus for Jones to update his act. It is fun and simple, with a catchy hook. On Sunday night, Tom tore it up. It was during this song that the newer fans were distinguished from Jones’ seasoned fan base. For the newer fans, it was the song that they were waiting to hear.

The song that the long-time Tom Jones fans came to hear was It’s Not Unusual, which followed Sex Bomb. It is almost unbelievable to me that it was recorded nearly (more than?) forty years ago. Jones sang it with his signature verve. Perfect. Not missing a proverbial beat in the last forty years. And exit.

Two encores followed, ending with his cover of Prince’s Kiss, a recording that breathed new life into his career a generation ago. The crowd was on its feet, dancing and bobbing and swaying. Kiss closed the fan generation gap. I mean, who doesn’t love Tom Jones’ version of Kiss?

If you haven’t seen Tom Jones in a while, it is time to see him again. Also, I think, you should see him in a casino setting if you can, it just adds to the vibe. If you were thinking about seeing him this go ’round and didn’t, make sure you do do next time.

At the top is the photo used in the review reproduced here as it was used. It looks as if it is an official photo downloaded from tomjones.com. But, maybe not. And, since Lori pointed out that it’s reversed, we thought we’d unreverse it for you. Ahhh! Now that gorgeous Ponty Bridge ring is on the “correct” hand. Is that better?

In their seemingly neverending love affair with polls naming the “best,” (a love apparently shared by the citizens and media in Las Vegas), the “most” the “greatest,” and so on, the Western Mail. the Welsh newspaper is today asking people to vote on “Who are Wales’ living greats?”

Will it be Tom, Rhodri, Tanni or Nicole? Or Ilora, Steve or Dai? Who are Wales’ living greats?
Paul Rowland, Western Mail/Jul 6 2006

Today we launch our search for the 15 people who make Wales great. To kick off the voting, Paul Rowland spoke to historian John Davies to find out who he would choose

SPORTSMEN, doctors, politicians, musicians and actors - they all play a big role in our lives, but who are the ones who truly make Wales great?

Today we publish the definitive shortlist of people from all walks of life who make this country great. They are diverse in background and boast an array of different achievements, but they are united in one common thread - through their excellence in their chosen field, they both promote Wales internationally and make it a better place for those of us who live here.

It is virtually impossible to choose between, say, Dafydd Wigley and Gareth Edwards, which is why we’ve grouped our shortlist into categories.

What we’re asking you to do is vote for one person from each of our lists, who will then go on to become one of the 15 people who make Wales great.”

The categories include: Rugby, Football, Other Sport, Music (classical), Pop and Rock, Fashion and Design, Arts, Film, Television, Industry, Politics, Science, Health and Inspirational.

Sir Tom is included the Pop and Rock category as “Singer and underwear magnet” with: James Dean Bradfield, Singer, Manic Street Preachers and solo artist; Cerys Matthews, Singer, Catatonia, now solo artist; Gruff Rhys, Singer, Super Furry Animals; Nicky Wire, Bassist and songwriter, Manic Street Preachers; Charlotte Church, The classical singer turned crazy chick; John Cale, Founding member of Velvet Underground turned solo artist; Kelly Jones, Singer, Stereophonics; Mike Peters, Singer, The Alarm; Dame Shirley Bassey, Bond singer and diva.

You can read the complete story at the link above.

The article concludes: “How to vote… We are looking for the 15 people who make Wales. We will be featuring each category separately throughout the summer. So, pick your favourite person in each category above (only one person per category will be counted) and to email your selection to the newspaper.

Keith Cooper, creator and host of Sir Tom Jones: His Music, His Life on his internet radio station flamingoldies.com is inviting anyone who wishes to request a TJ song or make a dedication of one of Tom’s songs to someone else, to call him.

The toll-free number (North America only) is 1-888-856-9773, extension 4.

Or, anyone, anywhere can email a request or dedication to Keith.

Just leave a voice mail for Keith and, who knows, your song might be played along with your dedication and, if you leave one, your reason for requesting that song.

By the way, Keith’s station is on 24/7 anywhere in the world, so check it out. In addition to Tom, they play some great stuff.