Tom Jones International

Tom played the fabled Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday — now he only plays in Glasgow tonight and tomorrow and his European tour comes to an end. Wembley is one we’re sorry we missed as it’s a venue steeped in history. In addition to all the great footballl (British football, that is) matches, there’s been rugby, Olympic athletics and, of course, music. In 1985, Live Aid, the concert for Africa, was held there. The photo at left is from a 1999 clip of Tom at a Welsh rugby match at Wembley Stadium from the BBC Wales site. Before Tom’s bit, comedian Max Boyce rallies the crowd. It is funny.

Again, we’re so grateful that Inside Scoop was able to catch some of the shows for us. Surely we’ll hear from Scoop when Tom is back in North America.

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The incredible life of the Wembley Complex is an historic one indeed. Wembley Stadium (the original) saw some of the most memorable music concerts in history, including those of the Beatles. The recently refurbished Wembley Arena continues its tradition of hosting international acts. The original stadium was torn down several years ago to make room for the monolith megastructure that now arches high above this part of the city of London. It is HUGE! Controversy has stalled its completion and subsequent grand opening. Organizers say that all disputes have been settled, and that opening will occur in 2007. Tick tock…

Meanwhile the arena, now sitting in the massive shadow of the new stadium, continues to be a place where great artisans come to share their art and music with those who practice the art of appreciation.

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Dale was kind enough to send us several short video clips of Tom onstage in Nottingham. There are more, and we’ll post those when we can, either here or on YouTube. Meanwhile, enjoy these. The terrific screen shots, by the way, are from the She’s A Lady clip.

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She’s A Lady
If I Only Knew
Tom/Band/Back-Up Singers/Stoned In Love
I’ll Never Fall In Love Again clip
The end of Kiss

We first “met” Dale and Annamarie a day or so after we launched our site, when they wrote us that they were coming to Vegas to be married and, that night, would see Tom from the front row in the Hollywood Theater. Since then, they’ve been site regulars and now have kindly reviewed Tom’s Nottingham show. It’s always nice to read a review from a fan who has a point of comparison (arena vs. smaller venue in this case). And, of course, it’s always great to read how fine Tom’s band and backup singers were….and to have affirmed once again what so many of us know — that Herman is just terrific. On a personal note, we’re also pleased that someone else has noticed and enjoyed the brass section’s choreography. Thanks to Annamarie and Dale. We all appreciate it.

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This is just a review from two English fans with no ‘journalistic’ or ‘critical’ skills whatsoever. We simply enjoy Tom Jones and hopefully our comments focus on the show as oppose to the usual rubbish that the media critics focus on (which is after all getting a little repetitive now).

Overall it was a fantastic night and appealed to all age groups. We took both sets of parents, who also thoroughly enjoyed the show. It was not just the females that enjoyed the show! Most of the men in the audience were also up dancing, and from their expressions they were also mesmorised by “The Man.”

As ever, the intro video and music sent the crowd into a frenzy and although we have experienced it many times, it still generated the same level of excitement within us. It’s a great way to start the show. By the time Tom walked on stage (from the traditional right hand side), the crowd were wild!

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This is, obviously, an article from October 13, the day Tom opened at the Manchester Evening News (MEN) Arena. Never mind such shopworn phrases as “hariy-chested lothario,” “Welsh crooner” and the reporter’s insistence at the end that “it’ll be the old favourites that bring down the house.”

What strikes us so strongly is how sad the last three paragraphs are. When someone is so enormously talented, such words shouldn’t be necessary. As Laura pointed out in a comment on another post, performers like Tony Bennett and Barry Manilow are finding big audiences and recording deals. And, it’s not because they’re Americans. That argument is answered with just one look at Rod Stewart (if you must). There’s something wrong somewhere, we think. We are grateful to Shirley for sending this to us. And we apologize for the folds in the photo. We tried to iron them, but they’d been there too long.

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Sir Tom’s not finished yet

Manchester Evening News Citylife/October 13, 2006/by Sarah Walters

HARD as it may be to imagine, there was a time when the hairy-chested lothario that is Sir Tom Jones needed Jimmy Saville’s help to make his dreams come true.

Jim fixed it for Tom to record his first demo disc back in 1964, which the young Welsh crooner then took to Decca Records and used to secure himself a recording deal.

Looking back on his 42-year long music career, Tom says he has fond memories of his early years spent singing in working men’s clubs in Pontypridd before that infamous demo changed life forever.

“When I was a child singing at parties, people always told me that I had something different,” he remembers, “so I believed as a child that I was going to become a star! Then, as time goes on, you realise it’s not going to be as easy as you thought.

“But I always had the confidence, and when you get up in front of people, they give you the confidence. When I was singing in the working men’s clubs, you had to be strong in order to get across. I was always getting the thumbs up.”

It’s fair to say, too, that there’s been a few thumbs down during Tom’s career — that dry spell in the early 1980s was a bit of a career cliffhanger.

And yes like Elvis, who Tom admits was his role model and mentor for many years, Tom has endured through decades of changing fads and fashions, even successfully relaunching himself as the Sex Bomb in the 1990s on the back of a revival of 1960s kitsch.

Down the years, he’s sung with The King, Jerry Lee Lewis, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Little Richard and his singles have features guest appearances from everybody who’s anybody — from Van Morrison to Tori Amos and Chicane.

Keeping the knicker-twirling mums happy is one things, though; getting the industry onside is quite another. Finding a record company aligned with Tom’s position as a stalwart of the British music scene is a trickier task, although Tom is confident his 40th album will be on the shelves by next year.

“We’re in negotiations now, we’re getting very close to signing. But it’s getting people from a record company interested enough to really want to go forward with something new, something that is powerful, not just a commercial product.

“It has to be somebody who has faith in me as a singer.”

There’s plenty more to come from Tom, then — but it’ll be the old favourites that bring down the house at the Arena tonight.

Tom played The Point Theatre in Dublin on Tuesday, October 24. This review from unison.ie is, alas, again less a review than the writer trying to be cute. For instance, Tom Jones has never been accused of being a singer of gentle ballads like Brian Kennedy. The guy was probably referring to what most critics (and people knowledgeable about music) would call “standards.” On the positive side, he did acknowledge the back up singers and Tom’s “chops.” But. wethinks he’s a smarmy guy.

As we’ve said, we don’t mind criticism and honest criticism, even if it’s not glowing, is useful and interesting, but this review just isn’t either honest or interesting. For the record, our Inside Scoop emailed us that the “Dublin show was a complete sell-out. Tom was great. Dublin is great, too.” And Scoop has been known to be honest and critical. Scoop will, by the way, hopefully be writing us after Wembley (by special specific request of the moderators).

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It’s rainin’ undies as Welsh star belts out ‘Sex Bomb’

ED POWER/unison.ie/Thursday October 26th 2006

SHOWERING a 66-year-old Welshman with knickers may strike you as an unusual way to spend a night out.

Clearly you aren’t a fan of Tom Jones - whenever he ventures on stage he must endure a volley of undies and briefs, not to mention the occasional full-length night gown.

By way of reward for his excitable fans, Jones occasionally swivels his crotch and pretends he is about to whip his jacket off. The screams that thunder around The Point are louder and bawdier than the hormonal yell that might greet a boy band.

Yet this show is about more than mere steamy-window cabaret. Notwithstanding his latter-day reinvention as a jokey crooner with a radioactive tan, Jones has real chops. Watching him romp through a songbook freighted with easy listening classics, one has a glimmer of what it must have been like to see Elvis in his Vegas twilight.

Nostalgia

Nor is Jones afraid of challenging his fans with unfamiliar material. Tempering the nostalgia are several new ditties, which are arguably a bit too *Brian Kennedy for comfort.

Later, perched on a stool, the Welshman belts out an old Mississippi blues number by Howlin’ Wolf while his guitarist artfully twangs on a steel pedal.

Die-hards aside, many in the room are surely dreading Sex Bomb the 2000 comeback single that saw Jones reinvented as a leery pensioner.

Actually, the song isn’t as awful as you remember. This perhaps is thanks to the crooner’s skilful backing ensemble, who rework the track into a brassy blues stomper.

Inevitably, Sex Bomb triggers an umpteenth salvo of undies. Because Jones is quite a distance from the audience, not all of the underwear reaches its target.

Several briefs rain down on the security men lining the front of the stage. You can’t accuse them of not earning their money.

[NOTE: *Brian Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter known for gentle ballads like his Every Song Is A Cry for Love.]

The Welsh newspaper, the Western Mail, said in a story rehashing the whole business about Tyson saying he’ll fight Tom, “…a spokeswoman for Jones said press reports of Tyson’s comments were the first she had heard of the supposed arrangement.”

But, maybe they just didn’t confide in her. Stay tuned.

The Green Green Grass of home belonged to the Welsh last week. Tom performed three nights in his beloved Wales. As you might have anticipated, he was very well received. The Welsh must not have much to shout about. Tom moved away from Wales over 30 years ago (as soon as he “made it big”). Yet the city of Cardiff continually embraces him as if he’d never left. Tom’s actual home town of Pontypridd is a short ride just outside of Cardiff.

Throughout this UK tour, Tom’s opening act, a Scottish rock-pop group called the Cosmic Rough Riders, has been trying to set a musical tone each evening from city to city. Doesn’t seem to be working out to well for the Rough Riders. In fact, it has been a rather rough ride for them. It’s not that their music is bad. It’s pretty good. I think it’s that when Tom Jones fans go to see Tom Jones, an opening act is just another time consuming obstacle keeping them from their much desired, knighted one.

Tom Jones did not disappoint. He put on great shows in Cardiff. He made references to the fact that he had “come home” once again. The fans loved that. Tom even uttered a couple of words in welsh. Beats the heck out of me what he said. Trying to make sense of welsh is no more simple than trying to read it. I’ve been told that it’s a dying language here, but you’d never know that when trying to read street signs to negotiate your whereabouts.

Sir Tom Jones was flawless all three Cardiff nights. He looked well, sounded great and danced easily as the chosen one amongst his flock once again.

When he sang Green Green Grass of Home, it was the first time ever that I literally could not hear Tom’s voice because the crowd had completely taken over the song. They sang loudly, with great passion and remarkably, in key. In fact, several times during that song, and during Fall In Love, Mr Jones literally stopped singing, stretched his arms out wide, and let the audience carry on with what they had started. They sang those two songs like they were their combined nation anthem; as if Hitler had just met his demise the day before. The fans sang and they swayed. Their national treasure stood before them and shared, as well as embraced, these moments.

It was a happy time in Cardiff. I wonder when Tom will return here. During his last major tour to Europe in 2003, Tom sold out eight nights in his beloved Wales. That tour came upon the heels of two very successful albums. During this current tour, Tom really has no new product to back up. Yet he is filling up arenas. That is quite a testament to the magnetic hold this august entertainer has with those who love “the voice.”

By the way the set list has changed slightly. Trick Or Treat (which had been the 2nd song of the evening), has been dropped. Not to be replaced it seems.

And here’s one more update. I’m getting close to broke, but I’m happy to still be here. I’ve taken a liking to bangers-n-mash. It’s really not the best food to eat on the regular. But then neither are Fat Burgers or Philly Cheese Steaks! I just wash ‘em down with a pint, Mate, (BURP!). Sorry, mate. Cheers!

Scoop… out!

Well, we really don’t care, but Nicolas Cage is selling “Dean Martin’s house” on Copa d’Oro. And, now, at long last, the papers are calling it “Tom Jones’s house,” just as the man predicted so long ago.

As we said, we don’t really care, but we wonder if the fact that Cage paid $7 million for it seven years ago and, put it on the market for $35 million is something that the immediate-past owner might care about.

Here’s a Q & A interview from The Observer Magazine. Tom says some interesting, even amusing things. The amazing photo is from the article.

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This much I know

Tom Jones Singer, 66, London

Interview by Barbara Ellen/Sunday October 22, 2006/The Observer

I’ve always had the voice, I’ve always sung, ever since I was small — in school, in chapel, to the radio. I don’t really know life without it.

I lived in Wales for the first 24 years of my life and it stood me in good stead, gave me values. But that’s also a lot to do with your upbringing. It could be working-class, it could be middle-class, but you’ve got to have love and attention, and I did, I was lucky.

I might have become a miner like my father, but I had tuberculosis when I was 12. I couldn’t go out between the ages of 12 and 14. It was a big lesson — not to take life for granted. I said to myself, when I get out of this bed, I’ll never complain about anything ever again. But I do.

I’m never scared to try new things. When you do something and the kids dig it, it’s great. It’s not about trying to be young, or something you’re not, because they always see through that.

You need to have a bit of an ego in this business.

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Here’s the first review from the three-night Cardiff gig. It would, we think, be great if a real music critic would write about the show, rather than the audience reaction. And that ol’ sheep is still flying inn’t it? But, still, a nice puff-type piece.This is from the Western Mail. The photos are by Huw John for the newspaper. The caption for the photo on the right reads “Sir Tom’s first night of three in Cardiff proved his legendary voice will serve him for plenty of years yet.” The one on the left says, “SEX BOMB When he wiggled the screams probably reached across the Channel.”

Fans crazy at Sir Tom’s first Welsh gig

Karen Price, Western Mail/Oct 21 2006

TO loud screams and thunderous applause, Tom Jones performed in his beloved Wales last night for the first time as a knight.

Dressed in his signature dark suit, Jones — or Sir Tom — entertained fans in his homeland with a string of hits.

It may have been just another date on his current UK tour, but for the superstar, being back in Wales once more was clearly a special occasion.

“I would like to say it’s great to be home once again,” he said, to massive cheers.

The build-up to the opening of the show was huge as a giant globe was beamed on to the screens either side of the stage.

Three words flashed up, “Locating: The Voice.”

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