Tom Jones International

It’s Tom Jones fan legend: The musicians union was about to pull the plug on the recording session for Daughter of Darkness in 1969. The union gave Tom 10 minutes — until 10 p.m.— to complete the work. As the clock struck the hour when the musicians must leave or get paid overtime — a true budget-busting measure — there were still 30 seconds left to record. When the trumpeter put down his horn and stopped the session back up singer Reg Dwight objected, noting that the musician had been five minutes late that morning. Shouting ensued, but the session went on and the song was done.

Of course, Reg Dwight changed his name to Elton John and forged a pretty remarkable careeer and life.

We saw Sir Elton John’s show at Caesars Palace tonight and, aside from what we may have thought of the show itself, we have to comment on how gracious John was to his band — introducing each by name and giving a short bio of each individual (including a “go Tigers” for the musician from Detroit) — and the fact that, as he came out for his encore, he thanked the United States of America.

“I had my first hit here and this country has always been wonderful to me,” he said before he dedicated his closing number to “all of you.”

It was nice to hear.

He did note that, unlike every member of his band, he does not live in Los Angeles.

Here’s a Q & A from the Western Mail. And, if you want to go to Cardiff, there are still tickets available. Photos here are from the article. The second one down on the left is from the 2005 Ponty concert.Thanks, m, for the photos.

My voice is stronger than ever

Oct 20 2006/Western Mail

Sir Tom Jones returns to Wales this weekend for three major concerts. Before his homecoming, we caught up with him to find out about his days with Elvis, why he became a tax exile and his retirement plans

Q: How does it feel to be back on tour in the UK again? A: Well, it feels great. I do an average of about 200 shows every year, but that’s what I still love to do – I just love being on stage. And I love to come to Britain, of course.

Q: You’ve got three dates coming up in Wales. What is it that you miss most about Wales? A: Oh, the way it looks. When you’re away for a while, you forget how dramatic it all looks: the hills, the valleys – and you don’t see that anywhere else in the world. When I was playing Pontypridd (last year), I’d look around and the hills are there, all around you. I never realised, when I was a child, that they were so close to the town itself. So, that’s the thing I miss most, the look of the place. And, of course, the feel of Welsh people, because that’s where I was brought up.

Q: When you began performing in the workingmen’s clubs of Wales all those years ago, did you have any idea it would end up on this scale? A: When I was a child singing at parties, people always told me that I had something different. 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 I know that when you get up in front of people, they give you the confidence.

Q: Did you always have such a powerful voice? A: I always had a strong voice – in school, in chapel on Sunday, singing hymns, my voice was very strong. And when I was singing in the workingmen’s clubs, you had to be strong, in order to get across. When I first began, it was with an acoustic guitar and without a microphone, so you just had to get on stage and sing.

Q: How’s the voice holding up these days? A: Well, thank God, it’s great. It’s as strong now as it ever was, and I think my range is bigger now — especially my lower register, which is much stronger. When I first started I was more of a tenor, now I’m between tenor and baritone. I think it gives me more depth when I sing. I only smoke in moderation, I like to have a cigar after dinner, with a cognac and a coffee, but I don’t smoke in the daytime, unless there’s a coffee with it — there doesn’t have to be a cognac!

Q: Why did you move pretty much full-time to the States? A: The problem I had in the ’70s was that the Labour government got in and the tax went through the roof. I was doing big tours in America at the time and when I toured America in 1974 my accountant said, ‘think about not coming back, because as soon as you set foot in Britain, everything you’ve worked for this year will go, the government will take it all in tax’. I was ticked off, but I thought, why do a six-month tour, then hand it all over? So I was away for the best part of 10 years until the tax laws changed.


(more…)

UPDATE: We spoke with Rita Cosby tonight and she said Tyson said the match is definitely on. It’s set for December in Las Vegas and, as it’s for charity, she said, “No one will get hurt.” Looking forward to more information.

---

Once again — as they always do — the people at good ol’ contactmusic.com have taken a story out of context and twisted an offhand remark as if it were news.

This time they write: “‘Welsh pop veteran Tom Jones will be stepping into the boxing ring with Mike Tyson, in a celebrity bout planned for later this year (06). The former world heavyweight champion, nicknamed Iron Mike, revealed his surprising opponent shortly after expressing a desire to also take on female Texan boxing champ Ann Wolfe. The fights are part of a series of high profile charity events designed to propel the boxer back into the limelight. Tyson, who served three years in jail for a rape conviction in 1992 and once bit off part of boxer Evader Holyfield’s ear, retired from boxing in June 2005. He says, ‘It’s just going to be marvellous. Tom Jones is going to be one of the boxers.’ What if I get beat? Who knows — I might even enjoy it! I’m not interested in smashing people. This is gonna be fun.’”

OK, would Mike Tyson use the word “marvelous?” And boxing “against children?”

But, more to the point, it’s not quite true. Tyson was interviewed by Rita Cosby on MSNBC and, she reported on October 17, “…he told me he’s going to be boxing against ’some lady boxers, maybe some children, some personalities like Tom Jones,’ and even people from other sports. Unlike the man that formerly bit his opponent’s ear off in the ring, Tyson said to me with a smile, ‘I hope nobody gets knocked out. It’s going to be fun.’”

The key word here, of course, is “maybe.” Never mind Tom Jones. Tyson will be boxing “against some children?”

Adding insult to injury, contactmusic.com, which always reprints gossip out of context as if it were truth, again printed the outdated photo of Tom they always use. For this specific story, why not use that nifty one of him with the punching bag wearing those teeny little boxing briefs? Like thie photo to the left?

Of course, Sir Tom did once knock down Muhammed Ali…..

---

From Boxing Scene October 20, 2006/Submitted by Mark Vester

Tyson vs. Jones? You Must Be Kidding.

No, not Roy Jones, Jr. No, not Junior Jones. But, 66-year-old pop star veteran Tom Jones.

According to Movie & Entertainment News, Tom Jones is scheduled for a celebrity exhibition bout with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, to take place before the end of 2006.

Tyson noted that maybe an upset is in the works.

“It’s just going to be marvelous. Tom Jones is going to be one of the boxers. What if I get beat? Who knows I might even enjoy it!” Tyson said.

Journeymen, women and old pop stars. If I rolled back the clock to 1997 and told the world that this is who Tyson would be asking to face in exhibition bouts after retirement - I would have been committed to an asylum.

I know these bouts are for charity, and for Tyson to get out of debt, but I’m positive that there would be a massive line of fighters willing to pay top dollar, to be trained, advised and groomed by a fighter like Mike Tyson.

Sorry it’s a bit late, but here’s the story from the Birmingham Mail that ran the day before Tom played there. The photo at right is the one that ran with the story.

Tom’s still setting the pace

Oct 13 2006/By Andy Coleman/Birmingham Mail

EVERGREEN performer Tom Jones is promising a ‘knight’ to remember when he visits Birmingham NEC tomorrow.

“The hits will be there, of course, but I’ll be doing some new stuff that I’ve heard and I’ve liked…and some older songs that I haven’t done before,” reveals Tom who was knighted by the Queen earlier this year.

“It’s going to be an exciting show, and I’m really looking forward to it because there are going to be a lot of different songs in there.”

(more…)

All we can say is CHEERS! Inside Scoop is back and is reporting to us from the UK, having been able to take in a bit O’Tom on tour. Apparently Scoop is, to coin a phrase, a stranger in a strange land there and it takes some getting used to. So the Travel Trials of Scoop — amusing to all and familiar to those who have been to Britain — take some telling. But it is worth it. All we can say is that we missed our Scoop and cannot wait to hear about Cardiff. (Hint, Hint.)

The UK is an “interesting” place. The UK is very expensive, especially when paying with American dollars.

Trying to cross the street in the UK is a daunting expedition. You become a swivel-head in an instant. Look left first, then right? No, look right first, then left? Yea, that’s it, I think. Too late, the light changed (BEEP!). We’ll have another go at it when the light once again changes from yellow to green. Yes, from yellow to green.

When dealing with traffic and “cues,” everyday is “Opposite Day” in the UK. Once you wrap your brain around that, you just want to park the rental car and hop into one of those funny lookin’ bubble-top cabs scurrying about. They seem to know where they are going.

The double-decker city busses are a real eye opener too, as they suddenly whiz past you going the “wrong” way! I do need a drink. Not a problem here. I give alms and praise to the mighty “spirit” world. “Another pint of that ale, Simon!” Aaah, this trip is starting to feel good!

You probably know this already, but for those of you less traveled, if you’re coming to the UK, “don’t leave home without it.” I’m referring to the cash from the second mortgage you’ll have to take out to fund such a self-indulgent junket! Holy cow!

Now having said all of that, let me say, after having seen Sir Tom Jones in many, many venues throughout America, seeing Sir Tom Jones in the UK is worth the exorbitant expense. He is still their “homeboy” and his fans embrace him with every fiber of their mostly non-rhythmic beings. You’ve heard nothing until you hear fifteen thousand people singing Fall In Love at the top of their lungs, while swaying every which way with arms reaching for the sky. Brings joy to the heart.

(more…)

The reviews keep pouring in, including the third one here in which the reviewer speaks of the crowd’s “collective post-coital glow.” There’s also another review of Tom at the Manchester Evening News (M.E.N.) arena from, naturally enough, the Manchester Evening News. Not as professional as the Glenn Mead one, but still nice. Here, too, are more photos, the one on top from this review; the one below from a short review (below) of Tom’s Birmingham show.

Sir Tom Jones @ M.E.N. Arena

by Emma Unsworth/Manchester Evening News/October 16, 2006

*** (Out of 5)

FROM the moment Sir Tom Jones bounded onstage, trademark medallion glinting, he had the crowd in the palm of his huge, hairy hand.

But, despite classic numbers occasionally cranking up the atmosphere, audience interaction wasn’t high on the agenda for the evening.

“We’re gonna be doing some new songs,” he roared to subdued cries, “and then some old ones” to deafening approval from the assembled thousands. After this, there was a notable lack of patter.

While several decades within the industry mean that plenty of the hits speak for themselves, the newer songs fell on a tangibly-detatched audience.

Teenage girls dancing to each other in the aisles somehow made the concert feel more like an ironic DJ set rather than a live show by an iconic artist.

Eclecticism

If there’s one thing Tom Jones deserves full credit for, however, it’s sheer eclecticism.

(more…)

The first entry below is a great review is from the Manchester Evening News. This guy knows what he’s talking about; knows how to review a show. And, of course, he’s right about Sir Tom as well as the “superb” backing singers and the band that is “slick as you would expect.” The one that follows is kind of lame. The photo on the left is from the first review; the one on the right from the second.

SHOW-STOPPER: Tom Jones

Tom Jones @ M.E.N. Arena/Glenn Meads/13/10/06

***** (5 Stars Out of 5 =”Excellent”)

THE atmosphere at a Tom Jones’ gig has to be seen to be believed. His audience may be wide in age range, but the one thing they have in common is they worship the man.

Some like the swivelling hips and others love the cheesiness of his lavish shows. The one thing that I realised though is that for all the flack this man gets, he has the best voice in the business and can sing absolutely anything, as he proved on Friday night during his brilliant show.

As the tanned one steps onto the stage oozing confidence the feel of the gig is Las Vegas; big, brash, full of atmosphere and the audience are just as wild. The backing singers are superb at complimenting this big voice and the band is as slick as you would expect.

“Love is like candy on a shelf…..” sings Mr Jones and the fans, recognising the opening line from Help Yourself begin to dance, singing every line. More hits from the 1960’s follow such as Delilah, which has them eating out of his hands.

The audience are mainly here for the old stuff but for me and a few others, some of these hits like What’s New Pussycat fail to test this man’s vocal range. But he knows he has to sing them in order to showcase more powerful tunes. Such as the soul classic Treat Her Right, which has the “hey hey hey hey” chorus hitting the rafters.

Standards like Fly Me To The Moon and That Old Black Magic show you that the great man can slow it down and still keep you enamoured.

Whereas, Mamma Told Me Not To Come appeals to the younger audience members.

Versatility

Bill Withers’ blues classic Grandma’s Hands is absolutely stunning and again displays the man’s versatility.

Is there anything he cannot sing?

(more…)

Here are the photos from the October 12 edition of the UK newspaper, the Daily Mirror. The photos by Mirror photographer John Ferguson are not online, so we thank the fan who sent the story. Great fan photos and we love the NY Yankees t-shirts. Could do without the photo of Tom on the left hand page, though. And, while we’re at it, we wish they’d stop calling him a “crooner” as they do in the caption to that photo.

If you wish to purchase any of these photos, you can do so from mirrorpix.com where they have photos going back to the very beginning of Tom’s career.

The box with the photo of John Ferguson in the middle of the story says:

“Brighton rocks to Sir Tom’s first UK tour in years
TIGER Tom’s back — and he wants to know What’s New Pussycat?

“At 66, sex bomb Sir Tom Jones made a whole new generation of females purr with pleasure on the first leg of his UK tour in Brighton.

“Mirror photographer John Ferguson snapped fans slinging their knickers at the stage as the legend belted out 40-years’ worth of hits.

“The Welsh wonder left no doubt that he’s still an Unusually good performer…”

Here it is! A brand new show that still includes the biggest hits. This is the correct setlist unveiled Tuesday in the UK.

It is, of course, subject to change at any time.

Raise Your Hand (old song by Ike and Tina Turner) Trick or Treat, Help Yourself, The Reason (Hoobastank song), Delilah, 200 Lbs. of Joy, End of the Road, Cry for Home (unreleased Van Morrison song), Treat Her Right (60’s hit for Roy Head and the Traits), Mama Told Me Not To Come

Medley of standards: Here’s That Rainy Day, Fly Me to the Moon, That Old Black Magic

Then some blues: Git Me Some (recorded by blues artist Earl Thomas), Grandma’s Hands (Bill Withers song)

Next, the ones we all know: She’s a Lady, Stoned in Love, If I Only Knew, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Green Green Grass of Home, What’s New Pussycat, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Sexbomb, It’s Not Unusual

Encore: Resurrection Shuffle (dance remix version), I Like the Way (song by the Bodyrockers), Kiss

For the record, that sheep is still flying in the video at the opening.The sheep is, we’re told, a Welsh thing. On the upside, there is new merchandise available for fans. Hope he brings it to North America when he comes. The fans have really missed it.

---

Here’s the first review of the UK tour. Kind of strange but, overall, pretty good. This is the (really bad) photo from the Dorset Echo that ran with the piece.

Jones the Voice still a showstopper

From thisisdorset.net/By Kevin Nash/12 October 2006
POWERHOUSE: Tom Jones at the Bournemouth International Centre last night
HE MAY be old enough to claim a free bus pass, but Sir Tom Jones doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

All right, he doesn’t do much in the way of bumping and grinding any more. Instead he prowls around the stage and does this thing with his hands, like a bad Tommy Cooper impersonation, or a mime of someone whose sleeves are too long.

Sometimes he’ll open his palms and stare heavenwards, eyes bulging, a la Al Jolson, although there was one high-ish kick that drew admiring gasps, plus a little skip during What’s New Pussycat (the number, incidentally, when the audience, almost as one, swayed from side to side, looking from above like a giant table football game.)

A near-capacity crowd of 4,600 adoring fans packed the Bournemouth International Centre for the second date of the first nationwide tour in three years by the man they call simply “The Voice.”

And those famous tonsils were in fine fettle — at least, most of the time — although just occasionally, as in a distorted Stoned In Love, Jones did seem to lose his way.

He’s a master showman, though, and all those years on the chicken-in-the-basket variety club circuit, and later Las Vegas, have honed an act that’s slicker than an oil tanker spill.

(more…)

According to tomjones.com there are several interviews coming up in the UK while Tom is there on tour this month.

First is today’s Steve Wright Show on BBC Radio. It begins at 2:22:55 minutes and runs until 2:41:44. Listen soon, as it’s only up for a few days. You can, of course, record it on Wire Tap Pro or other software you can download for a PC at this site.

It’s a good, wide-ranging interview in which he talks about his marriage, being knighted, Las Vegas (and how it’s “cool” today), gambling, recording and other stuff.

---

Here’s an article from today’s Belfast Telegram. It’s a feature called “The Five-Minute Interview.” (He’s spot on about global warming.) Here it is:
The 5-Minute Interview: Tom Jones

The recently knighted Welsh legend Tom Jones, 66, kicks off his UK tour in Brighton. The tour includes a return to Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on October 25 2006.
10 October 2006
If I weren’t talking to you right now I’d be… Unpacking. We just walked into the hotel. I have some good suits to wear by Oswald Boateng. Black ones and a purple, wine-coloured suit but I can’t wear white. I’m not as slim as I was. I like black. You see I perspire a lot. Clothes change colour, especially the trousers, so black is good. I wish people would take more notice of… Global warming. Surely it’s common sense – you can’t just keep cutting forest down.The most exciting thing that happened to me was…Getting my first hot record. Where before I could only get my point across locally then suddenly my record, It’s Not Unusual, was released. It changes your life in a big way. A common misperception of me is….That I’m more showy than talent. The problem with an image sometimes is that people think it’s flash and no substance and that’s a misconception because you got to have substance to last. I’m good at…Singing. You have to have nerve to get on the stage and to do it on a nightly basis.I’m very bad at… Being punctual. I always think I have more time.The ideal night out is …Doing a show that everybody loved and then everything falls into place after that.In a nutshell, my philosophy is this: You try and find your niche and when you do, go for it.

---

The Sunday Observer magazine, free with the newspaper (UK), will be running an interview this Sunday, October 16 and there will be an hour-long special on Capital Gold with DJ David Jensen. It’s broadcast at 9 a.m. UK time, middle of the night in the USA.Unlike many other stations, this one cannot be heard at other times, just when the broadcast is happening. The station has placed Tom at #32 in their list of All-Time Top 100 Acts based on charts over the years.