TJ Questions, What's New, Pussycat?
Here’s where we post our “Question of the Month” and where you can send in a question about Tom and we’ll do our best to answer. To submit a question, please click on “Ellen” or “Ursula” in the “contact” link on the right of the page. Looking forward to hearing from you!
August Question of the Month: What’s Your Gold Standard?
Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006If Tom were to add a 20th century standard to his act — as he often did in the early days and on early albums — what do you think it should be?
We’re talking songs like Autumn Leaves (which Tom used to cite as a favorite) and My Way (which he used to sing) with, of course, updated arrangements when that’s appropriate.
August 3rd, 2006 at 5:34 am
Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton. Tom would do justice to that song.
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:21 am
How about Bésame Mucho or I’ve Got You Under My Skin? I can already hear Tom’s voice in my head.
August 3rd, 2006 at 11:03 am
A Song For You, written by Leon Russell. It is probably best remembered being recorded by Ray Charles. A great song for a great voice like Tom Jones.
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:53 pm
Dancing in the Moonlight…..forgot who sang it but heard a jazzed-up version. Tom would make it awesome
August 3rd, 2006 at 7:23 pm
This is easy. Lou Rawls, You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine. Everytime I hear this, I think about how wonderful it would be to hear Tom Jones sing this song. Lou Rawls was also one of my favorite singers. I hope Tom is feeling better.
August 4th, 2006 at 8:45 am
I can’t believe my two top pics are already mentioned, I’ve Got You Under My Skin. It would be better than Sinatra, and You’ll Never Find…I don’t know if I could take it. Anyway, one more for the record. Another Sinatra — I Get a Kick Out of You. This would really show off his band too!
August 4th, 2006 at 9:36 am
Let’s face it and be honest, no one sings I’ve Got You Under My Skin like Sinatra. Just like no one sings Delilah like Tom! Did everyone forget Ebb Tide? He used to sing it on his old TV show, beautifully — and Till which was a show stopper? Miss those!
—Margaret
August 4th, 2006 at 9:37 am
I think any and all of the previously mentioned songs would be AWESOME! But, it was the first entry of an Eric Clapton song that got me to thinking about one of EC’s album entitled Slowhand. Then I started hearing the Pointer Sisters Slow Hand in my head so I looked up the lyrics and found that Conway Twitty did it from a “male perpective.” I’m not sure that Slow Hand is a considered to be a “Gold Standard” but if Tom were to Jones it up a bit, I bet it would become one!!! Just imagine Tom singing and moving to: “You want a man with a slow hand, you want a lover with an easy touch, You want somebody who will spend some time, Not come and go in a heated rush.”
August 4th, 2006 at 9:38 am
There is no better classic than TJ’s I (Who Have Nothing), but how about Peggy Lee’s Fever?
August 4th, 2006 at 10:23 am
I was just returning home from a short trip to Los Angeles when a song Sting was singing came on the radio. His rendition was good but the thought, “Hmm.. this would be a good one for Tom to sing.” popped into my mind, and here you have this section asking for gold standards.
Here is my suggestion: Someone To Watch Over Me
August 4th, 2006 at 10:38 am
Rosemarie says:
That’s My Desire by Frankie Laine! That would definitely be a great song for Sir Tom to sing.
Thank you.
August 4th, 2006 at 10:47 am
No question — Till and I (Who Have Nothing). It would be great to hear him sing his own classics, not someone else’s. (My opinion, of course)
August 4th, 2006 at 11:40 am
I would like to hear and watch him sing Bob Seger’s Night Moves. Can you hear him sing “Felt the lightning, waited on the thunder, waited on the thunder!”? At the end there’s about a minute of chorus and that’s where I can picture him showing us some of his own “night moves!”
August 4th, 2006 at 12:06 pm
I vote for Fly Me To The Moon. This song would also be a great song to showcase the band. I love his past recording of it and would like to hear a current version. Tired of Being Alone is another one I’m dying to hear him do live.
August 4th, 2006 at 3:14 pm
This is ludicrous, but when I was a teenager and heard that strange song MacArthur Park, I thought that Tom Jones should have been the one to sing it as the arrangement really stretches any singer’s range.
August 4th, 2006 at 3:43 pm
WOW. Fly Me To The Moon. I would love to hear Tom sing that. Better still, Slow Hand. I was so fortunate to not only hear but see Conway perform this song. Twitty City is only minutes from my home. I bought groceries with Conway and we talked about Slow Hand. I really believe Tom could bring a NEW meaning to this song. Tom, please do what Rod Stewart did and bring us some good old gold standards. This would give you the hit record you and we want for you in the USA. We are the ones that buy your music. I was at Abercrombie today with my 14 year-old and guess what they were playing? Stoned in Love. I said, “That is Tom Jones,” and my 14 year-old said, “No way. How about that.” He really liked the song. Tom, give us something we yearn for. A little love music… We love you so… —Julia
August 5th, 2006 at 4:06 pm
Hi:
These are really interesting suggestions. The two of us were just discussing this thread and our choices. We both said One For My Baby (And One More For the Road) at the same time. We love those songs where life experience makes the song richer for both performer and listener. We also would like some vintage Elvis: Are You Lonesome Tonight? or Anyway You Want Me. Tom’s version of The Anniversary Song is beautiful, chill-inducing. If he’s going to sing any of his more recent stuff — newer, but a number that still sounds like an old-fashioned standard — we vote for (again) Baptism By Fire.
We, however, would vote against any Rod Stewart- Barry Manilow-like albums filled with only oldies. Tom can (and does) do it all…..that form, pleasant as it may be, seems to be a fallback position for performers who have lost the momentum and ability to move forward. That’s not Tom. But a standard or two thrown in the mix would be welcome.
And, for the record, we cast a strong, emphatic “yes” vote for Tom to do an R & B album like the one David Foster wanted to do with him last year. Or, at least, get the Interscope album he did released at long last. (Of course, no one has asked us to vote.)
— Ellen & Ursula
August 5th, 2006 at 11:20 pm
I agree with his son Mark, all to easy. Tom should record new material. Let’s find people who can write some good stuff for him.
August 6th, 2006 at 11:56 am
I think Tom should do some contemporary song like You Raised Me Up by Josh Groban.
August 7th, 2006 at 5:02 pm
I am all for the R&B album. Tom has the soul and this would be magnificent.New material would be great, but there is so much old that he could do better than the original was done. Just give us a new album. Whatever it is, I will buy it. Julia
August 7th, 2006 at 5:32 pm
I know this isn’t part of the thread, but since you guys brought up the R&B album, any word on a Christmas album and why he has never done one?
August 9th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
How about I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now), the Otis Redding standard that Tom sang on The Right Time? That was magnificent.
August 9th, 2006 at 8:01 pm
Dana: Your question about a Christmas album has been asked for years now. As far as we know, there are no plans to release one. There is thie David Foster album he did with others in 1993. You can listen to a bit of Tom singing Mary’s Boy Child here. There’s also the PBS special, Christmas At the Vatican, which is usually shown seasonally.
August 12th, 2006 at 11:02 am
Let him do some Robbie Williams tunes, like Let Me Entertain You, Angels, Feel…but prefer new songs..
August 13th, 2006 at 10:09 am
Not Rudebox, though.
August 14th, 2006 at 7:14 am
Your My World..Gold Standard ..Each word of this song is mesmerizing. I was thinking just regular song when I said Wonderful Tonight,which is a great song.Tom did sing Your My World years ago and it brings out the magic.
August 29th, 2006 at 11:57 pm
DANNY BOY..nobody sings it like our sir tom, also with these hands he does beautifully..purple rain by prince he did one year, brought tears to my eyes..also there is a song my dad use to sing to me when i was little donot know the name but word were something like this ..i have often walked don the street before….. all at once am i several stories high ,no its just on the street where you live..at any second you may suddendly appear..i think he could update that and own it..i also think strangers in the night,by frank sinatra would be sung so well by him
September 7th, 2006 at 7:56 pm
All In Love Is Fair. It is on Stevie Wonder’s iInervision CD. Every time I hear it I feel it should of been written for Tom. He would sing it so well and with feeling