Tom Jones International

As the year ends — a great year for Sir Tom Jones and, therefore, for his fans — there are a few things left to note:

• Tom’s next scheduled Atlantic City appearance is in August, 2007 and he will play there November 30 through December 2, too.

• Tom is returning to the Netherlands on April 21 at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam. We’re happy for our Dutch fan friends who find it difficult to make it to the UK for his more frequent appearances there.

•We note with sadness the passing of two of Tom’s musical influences — the Browns, Ruth and James. Luckily for us, their music will live far beyond their years.

• Our MusiCares auction winner was Paula, a British fan who is a frequent visitor to this site. The auction ended December 9 and she got the package December 12.

At that time she wrote to Ellen: “I am really thrilled with all of it and will read the book thoroughly as soon as I can: I think I showed remarkable restraint today (for me!!) by just having a quick skim of everything (actually I do keep sneaking a quick peek…) because having only just moved house and being blessed with a family that expects the whole Christmas thing to appear as if by magic, I’m really rushed off my feet just now. I read all about the book on the JTV site and regret I didn’t get my act together in time to send in my own tribute. I’m so pleased to get a copy of it and can’t wait to read it properly; gorgeous picture on the cover. I have read your Afterword and it is beautifully written. I’m sure Tom was very touched by that. The icing on the cake for me is that Tom has signed the book and the picture which makes them both so special. I tried everywhere in Australia and on the net to get a copy of Music Week but missed out so it’s great to finally see it. Oh, and the T-shirt! How could I forget to mention that? A bit on the large side for me but very nice nonetheless!

“Anyway I just wanted to let you know that this particularly besotted TJ fanatic is a very happy bunny today……..

“Thank you so much to you and Ursula for donating such a great package and I’m glad the money raised is going to such a worthwhile cause.”

The highlights of our year? Well, in addition to good health and happiness for our family and friends, the TJ-related highlights include (in no particular order): Tom’s new show, his knighthood, the ability to participate in the above-mentioned auction, the overwhelmingly positive response to this site from fans, the opportunity to meet so many of you and — of course — the opportunity to see Sir Tom Jones, still amazing at 66, perform and — night after night — wow the crowd. We’re lucky to have him and look to many more years.

Finally, as we leave 2006, we want to take note of the most original Christmas gift of the year. It was given with a great deal of love to Shirl, a Welsh fan now living in California whose family — not particularly TJ fans themselves — understands and appreciates her. A photo of the gift is at the bottom of this post.

We wish each of you a happy healthy new year filled with joy, peace, health, love and music.

—Ellen & Ursula

NOTE: As you can see, we posted some of our favorite photos from 2006. Upper left is by Damon Winter from the Los Angeles Times September 15, 2006. Photo on the upper right is, clearly, from March 29, the day Tom was knighted. The picture below that on the right is a publicity shot done for the release of Stoned in Love. And, finally, the photo to the left is uncredited, but it’s from the Observer magazine, October 21, 2006.

And, tomorrow, please look for our first “Question of the Month” for 2007. Meanwhile, have a safe New Year’s Eve.

…..and a great guy!

Today is Herman’s birthday
A special one this year
For in the midst of all the good music
Two thousand six brought a moment of fear.

Now fully recovered
Herman’s looking better than ever
Would we miss this chance to send good wishes?
Absolutely, positively NEVER!

Happy, happy birthday, Herman
You are music to our ears
A terrific drummer, an amazing person
May the best be yours in the coming year.

While we do not ever presume to speak for other fans — and this stab at poetry doesn’t really express the admiration and affection we have for Herman — we are sure you join us in wishing Herman a year of good health, good music and loads of joy.

—Ellen & Ursula, 12/28/06

(Photo of Herman onstage at Chumash Casino, California, June 24, 2005 courtesy of dwightmccann.com. We must note how much trimmer Herman is today.)

                            

Tom onstage on December 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After that show he went to the premiere of Rocky Balboa, the new Stallone flick at the Aladdin-Planet Hollywood Hotel. Here they are at the premiere party with prop comic Carrot Top who has a regular show at Luxor. If you are willing to concede that not everyone feels about Tom the way you do, and you want a good laugh, check out popwatch’sposting of this photo. You gotta love it.

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Tom closed 2006 as he opened it, with two weeks in Las Vegas that ended tonight.

In between the January and December stands there was so much that happened, we’d bet it was one of Tom’s best years ever.

First, of course, is his knighthood. And nothing could top it. That said, we applaud his achievement in reaching #1 on the UK dance charts with Stoned In Love, his collaboration with Chicane. And, too, we applaud his new show.

Having seen it more than once we do have a few additional comments. In no particular order:

•Some great new stuff — Git Me Some, Grandma’s Hands, The Reason — each wonderful and amazing.

•Some great old stuff — The standards are a nice addition. We love Here’s That Rainy Day. That performance showcases a fine singer at the top of his game. The other two? In our opinion, not so much. But, remember, we say that with the fact in mind that Tom Jones’ “not so much” is better than most performers’ very best. Of course, we’d prefer some more blues and R & B, but that’s a purely a personal preference.

•We love the new shirts and the suits. Tom looks great.

•Our vote for the most popular of the new tunes — based solely on audience reaction — is I Love the Way. Every audience we saw was into it immediately and fully. It’s just so much fun and Tom, too, really seems to have a good time doing it. We’re crazy about Git Me Some (who wouldn’t be?) but for the sheer energy of the audience response I Love the Way is in a class by itself. Everyone in the room — just watch the MGM ushers and waitstaff dancing in the aisles — has a ball.

•We repeat — the band and back-up singers are worth their weight in gold. It’s wonderful that Tom is acknowledging each of them by name.

Also a positive experience for us was the opportunity to put faces with names we see online and meet some wonderful fans we “know” from this site, from the forum on tj.com and from the yahoo list.

The biggest negative here in Las Vegas is the complete lack of merch. We understand that business decisions have to be made and we assume not selling anything is a business decision. But we believe the fans deserve more; someplace to buy merch without having to travel to another city, state or country. And, then, there are the too-old photo and video used as promos that date from the Cardiff Castle days. It’s time for a change.

Finally, we repeat our hope that this show is recorded for DVD release. It showcases the very best of Tom Jones.

It’s been a very good year and we are grateful.

—Ellen & Ursula

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Fay came to Vegas, saw Tom and was conquered. Below is her review. Feel free to add one of your own.

Christmas came early this year with TJ delivering the goodies not once, not twice, but THREE times to this very satisfied lady. I heard that his “Vegas Show” was shorter, but it does not make it any less exciting. I last saw him in April and was really looking forward to his new show and hearing some awesome new songs. Tom tends to wear his heart on his sleeve when it comes to his singing, and it is obvious that he is really enjoying himself. It’s very hard for me not to gush, thrill and twitter. Those who know me will attest to the fact that I passionately and willingly offer myself up for sacrifice at the altar of the eminently sexy and peerless Sir Tom Jones every single day of the week. Someone say AMEN!
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We’ve found out that Sir Tom will not be in Atlantic City until after May 16. He is usually there three times each year — February, July, November.

He finishes in Vegas tomorrow, returns January 18 through 31 and, from February 15 through 24 is in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

March 1 through 14 he’s back at the MGM Grand and, from April 1 through 15 is touring through Florida.

It’s the MGM Grand again May 3 through 16.

After May 16, there are no announced appearances.

Of course, dates — especially for those three- or four-day AC gigs — may certainly be added.

We’ll keep you updated.

Today’s Las Vegas Review Journal Neon section has a great review of Tom’s show at the MGM. We think it’s a fair assessment from a critic who, of course, has the right not to be bowled over as some diehard fans are. And, he does describe the show as”a near-perfect balance” and “showing off a voice that’s still as tuned and powerful as it was 20 years ago.” Can’t ask for more.

The show was rated an “A-” which, coming from this reviewer, is an out-and-out rave. This Mike Weatherford knows whereof he speaks.

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SHOW REVIEW: Tom Jones By MIKE WEATHERFORD/©REVIEW-JOURNAL/Dec. 15, 2006

Tom Jones, shown here in early 2005, is back at the MGM with a set that balances his sex-machine image with Wayne Newton and the Scintas are doing Christmas shows this weekend. But Tom Jones seemed a little confused last Saturday when someone threw a Santa Claus doll onstage instead of the usual female undergarments.

All he wants for Christmas is the only thing he ever wanted:

“Just want to be your play thing, don’t need to be your smokin’ gun,” he wailed in a blues shout, accompanied by rudimentary guitar picking and minimalist drum beat.

“Don’t want you holdin’ out for me, I just want to have a little fun,” he proclaimed from his perch on a stool, knees strategically spread wide to advertise whatever might be for sale.

“Let the truth be told, I only want to get me some.”

Uh-huh.

Let the other singers worry about the silver bells and the silent nights, and let the 66-year-old sex machine keep the home fires stoked. Waiting a full hour to take his coat off was perhaps the Tomcat’s nod to holiday decorum in this stint at the MGM Grand — an unusually late-in-the-year one — that continues through Wednesday.

But if the truth really be told, the ageless singer figured out long ago how to pull his perennial Las Vegas show into a near-perfect balance.

The lascivious fun of that obscure blues song — Earl Thomas’ Git Me Some — was immediately followed by a serious take on the blues, Bill Withers’ Grandma’s Hands, showing off a voice that’s still as tuned and powerful as it was 20 years ago.

“The Voice,” in fact, had a hard time not oversinging “what we refer to as ’standards,’ ” a trio of classics he didn’t sound too fired-up about introducing, as though he was doing them because Rod Stewart did.

Here’s That Rainy Day suggested Sinatra country is not where Jones’ brand of nuance lies. But he lightened up for a bossa nova Fly Me to the Moon. And by the time he got to That Old Black Magic, he was up to his old tricks again, with bulging eyes and an extra lusty, deep-throated punch on “Only your kiss can put out the fire!”

Van Morrison’s Cry for Home and Jerry Lee Lewis’ End of the Road showcased the “mature Tom,” an era marked by looser clothing and a kind of lion-in-winter respectability the singer enjoys in Great Britain, but not necessarily on these shores.

That image permits fun indulgences that occasionally take off as hit singles in Europe: Sex Bomb, or Resurrection Shuffle, a lesser-known tune from the past that’s been dusted off for a techno-sounding relaunch (a la Elvis Presley’s A Little Less Conversation).

They’re mixed in with the classics, such as She’s A Lady, Delilah and It’s Not Unusual, which take the singer back to an earlier era of Las Vegas, even as they’re updated with modern arrangements and a hot four-piece horn section.

It all adds up to a Las Vegas tradition that may not involve eggnog and mistletoe, but is every bit as hard for the ladies to resist.

Tom Jones, shown here in early 2005, is back at the MGM with a set that balances his sex-machine image with grown-up singing./Photo by Jeff Scheid.

In an article about the methods Time Life will use to promote it’s upcoming DVD release of the Get Smart series, the December 12 online edition of AdWeek says that Time Life will use MySpace and fan sites to promote each series.

“Time Life intends to promote all of its DVD collections this way, including upcoming releases This Is Tom Jones and The Andy Williams Show. Those will include the option to pay to digitally download the episodes.”

No release time or cost is given, although the Get Smart series, which ran in half-hour episodes from 1965 through 1970, will cost around $200.

First, we just have to ask: Isn’t Git Me Some one of the more honest songs ever? Gotta love a guy who actually owns up to it, don’t you?

Again, a great show and, this time, a few great photos. We love the close-up and what people with less class then we have would call — in the world of Tom Jones — the “money shot.” But we won’t. We’ll just call it eye candy.

You can see all eight photos full-size on our flickr set, The Many Faces of Tom.

We didn’t see Tom until tonight because, just before leaving for the show Friday night, an email from some fans arrived. Seems they had stayed over in Las Vegas just to see Tom — they didn’t realize they’d be here at the same time he was — and the show was sold out. Could we help. We decided to give them our tickets, as we are fortunate enough to be able to see him several times in the next 10 days or so. Thus, tonight was opening night for us. Note: remember this for next year — The reason tickets were so tough is that it was NFR (National Rodeo Finals) time in Las Vegas as it is every year the first week or 10 days in December. If you cannot deal with crowds this is not the place to be when the rodeo is in town.

Anyway….we apologize for the photo quality. It ain’t easy at the MGM, but we tried. These are from the end of the show. Obviously, with the “V” sign, at least one is from Resurrection Shuffle.

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It was worth the wait. As you can see from these not-too-good photos, Sir Tom is looking great and sounding terrific. It is a fresh show, lots of new stuff and some standards, along with so many of the hits.

After the sheep flew through space, Tom bounded onto the stage dressed in a new suit, a tux-like jacket, looking particularly elegant. He began with Raise Your Hand and got the crowd going, swung right into Help Yourself and then slowed the pace with The Reason, a beautiful song performed beautifully. In Tom’s hands this Hoobastank number takes on so much depth. The guys in Hoobastank should send the man flowers.

Then we have Delilah, 200 Pounds and, of course, Jerry Leeeeee Lewis is represented (after, all, this is a Tom Jones show) with End Of the Road. Cry For Home is a beautiful Van Morrison song from the 1980s that, we think, Tom has recorded with Morrison.

But, wait! It gets better. Next comes medley of standards: Here’s That Rainy Day, Fly Me to the Moon, That Old Black Magic. They are beautifully done, especially the first two. The band on these numbers (actually, throughout the show) is so great they sound like a full orchestra. They are really tight. They should probably be paid more than they are, as they are worth their weight in gold.

As if it weren’t good enough up to this point, we are now treated to the blues TJ-style. This means the amazing Git Me Some. You just have to be there. The song is perfect for this singer and he obviously loves doing it. Singer and song are, in this case, a match made in heaven. Then Tom revisits Bill Withers’ Grandma’s Hands. Just beautiful.

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

Now it’s a three-song encore: Resurrection Shuffle (dance remix version), I Like the Way (song by the Bodyrockers) and Kiss.

Kiss is….well, Kiss. Tom obviously enjoys doing it and the crowd loves it. Everyone has a grand time with I Like the Way. The only problematic number in the entire show — a show which is a few songs short of the setlist from the October tour in the UK — is Resurrection Shuffle. It’s not fresh. It sounds like what it is, a song from 1971 (”Make a V sign”). The lighting effects at the beginning of the number are kind of confusing. In fact, we found out after the show that we should have heard voices during the intro. All we heard was some music and all we saw was Tom’s outstanding MD, Brian Monroney, using his computer to create those effects. Following that, Resurrection Shuffle didn’t seem to be performed with the usual enthusiasm. We’re told a DJ in Europe has created a remix of the song and it’s a huge dance hit.

Maybe so, but, if material is going to be brought back from the past, we’d suggest Tom replace Resurrection Shuffle with It’s Your Thing. That would be deeply kickass.

But, those are minor quibbles. (Another quibble is that in Las Vegas there is again no merch.) This show is fantastic. This band is fantastic. This trio of backup singers is fantastic. And this singer — this Tom Jones — is more than fantastic. He is unparalleled.

Welcome back to Las Vegas, Tom.

—Ellen & Ursula

PS: It would be great to have this show produced for a DVD. And, for the record, we had just amazingly good seats, Section 1, Table 6B. Not stageside, but two rows back; not looking up, but looking straight into Tom’s face, seemingly close enough to touch him. Try it, you’ll like it.

…..who should play him?

Tom has said he can see Robbie Williams in the part. Do you agree?

Remember, a good actor wouldn’t have to look like Tom. Makeup can take care of that.

One more thing: let’s agree that Tom would not be playing himself.

Finally, would you care to speculate on what the biopic’s rating would be?