For those who requested some Monte Carlo news, we still don’t have that, but there is some video posted on youtube. Just scroll down the page and watch what you want. It’s not great — or very good, in fact — but it’s better than none at all.
The Official Tom Jones Fan Club magazine was published in the UK four times a year. Like many similar publications, it was typed and pasted up and then sent to a printer for quick copying or — remember this? — mimeographed.
The newsletter usually contained tidbits about the performer’s shows and tried to give fans the feeling that they were “insiders” in the life of the star.
Fan clubs were a thriving enterprise for every singer, movie and TV star until the late 1980s when computers ushered in the age of instant communication. Now, such documents as these are quaint anachronisms.
We’ll post some of the content from time to time (during slow TOJO news periods). Thanks to Paula for sending this.
Click on the link that says “Read the rest of this entry” to see the interview with Johnnie Spence, Tom’s gone-too-early musical director.
Enjoy it, all you TOJOs!!
Tom’s management announced today that he will play the Bob Hope Theatre in Stockton, CA on Saturday, September 29. Tickets are not on sale yet.
Meanwhile, we wish Tom, the band, the singers and crew a bon voyage as they head to Monte Carlo for shows Friday and Saturday.
In our TJ Questions section, in addition to posting our Questions of the Month, we try to answer questions you may have. If you have a one, please try to remember to email it to us, don’t post it as a comment or we might miss it. Here’s the latest:
In all the surfing I’ve done, I haven’t seen anything mentioned about whether or not Tom has any pets. Does he have any cats? Dogs? Has he ever stated a preference for one or the other? I have seen a couple pictures where he rides or is with a horse, though he doesn’t seem a horse person to me.
— Dana, California
Dana: The last pet we know about was a beautiful Russian Blue cat named Baby who died a few years ago. This is a short-haired, blue-gray breed that has a unique coat in that the longer, outer hairs have silver tips which make for a shimmering appearance.
We’re told by The Tom Jones Collector Page that on disc 2 of the three-disc This Is Tom Jones DVD set it is possible to access what is called “unreferenced material.” In other words, you’ll be able to view the stuff that was removed prior to the DVD’s sale, including a performance by Crosby, Stills & Nash and Tom singing Gonna Build A Mountain.
This is, of course, material that was originally announced as being on the DVD.
You can use a PC app called DVD Shrink. We haven’t found a Mac app that will do this so, if you do, let us know.
Have fun!
OK: This was posted on Tom’s site today: So, it is not rumor, it’s reality!
Sept 28, Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, CA; Sept 30, Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay, San Diego, CA;
Nov 23 & 24 Pechanga Casino, Temecula, CA
That said, we have it from two extremely reliable — and very separate — sources that Tom’s December engagement at the MGM will last for two weeks, December 6 through December 19.
We’ve heard that, beginning with that engagement, Tom will be back to performing two weeks at a time when he’s in Las Vegas.
We’ve also been told that dates have been booked this year at Chumash Resort and Casino in Santa Ynez, California (near Santa Barbara) and at Pechanga Resort and Casino in the Temecula Valley of California.
As we noted, these are not official dates, but we can hope, can’t we?
Opening night — Sunday — was a bit rocky. It got better Monday and tonight we saw Tom Jones at his best. The crowd loved every minute and, as usual, their reaction energized and already energetic performer.
Tom’s voice was just great tonight, he hit every note with no evidence of the hoarseness that afflicted him Sunday. You knew as you watched you were seeing one of the all-time greats. This man is remarkable. He looks great, too. He’s lost noticeable weight (a stone or so?) and is very trim. That moment — you know the one — in Kiss — is looking better than every.
The fans came bearing gifts, some stuffed animals (a cow and a pussycat) and two pairs of dainties. The first was actually retrieved from the stage where Tom left it by its donor — the first time we’ve seen that. The other was from a Georgia peach who, in a routine Tom has enjoyed for years, made advances to him and showed a substantial diamond ring.
Looking at the jewel Tom, well-rehearsed in the ensuing dialogue, asked, “Are you married, then?”
“Yes,” she answered, “but I’m separated.”
“Separated, you say?”
“Yes,” she drawled, reaching for his left leg and gripping it, moving her hands up and down (after the show she informed us his leg “was very hard”). “He’s in Atlanta and I’m heah.”
The crowd loves it and Tom does, too.
For us, the audience interaction was a bonus. It was just so very good seeing Tom recovered.
The following statement was posted on Wednesday, August 15 on tomjones.com: “On Thursday the 9th of August, Sir Tom woke up with a sore throat. He went immediately to his ENT specialist doctor in LA, who told him he had an infection on the vocal chords and would be unable to sing until it was under control. After taking a culture of his throat, the Doctor’s prognosis was good, it should take about 4 days for the infection to clear. His prediction was correct, as Tom was able to perform at the MGM in Las Vegas on Sunday the 11th, even earlier than expected. It is expected that the infection will remain under control and he will heal according to plan. As you may know, it is ’summer cold’ season and these germs are everywhere! Unfortunately, while most can continue to function normally with a sore throat, a singer can’t and he is taken out of work lest serious damage is done. Sir Tom apologies to all who made plans to see him and is very sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience caused. He was very much looking forward to his time at the MGM in August, and was upset that he was unable to perform for the first part of his engagement. He hopes to see you again sometime soon.”
This photo and four others from August 12 at the MGM Grand are now in our flickr set, The Many Faces of Tom Jones. Please note that, as has been said many times before here, photos are not “legal” in the Hollywood Theatre, so these were taken on the sly and the quality of some may suffer as a result..
With a crowd that was more enthusiastic than most, it was a very interesting evening. Many in the audience had been here four or five days, arriving in time for Tom’s scheduled opening on Thursday. They were here from Europe, Canada and assorted locations in these United States. And some had waited the full four days.
So, was it worth the wait?
“The Voice,” better than other voices even when he’s not singing, was a bit rough and slightly hoarse when he talked. But it was a terrific show, full of energy and the love pouring onstage was palpable.
The setlist is pretty much the same, with With These Hands replacing The Reason and Stoned In Love eliminated. He changed a couple of words in 200 Pounds, so now he says, “200 pounds of natural man,” instead of “200 pounds of muscle and man
He’s also much trimmer than he’s been in a long time and, at the end of 200 Pounds he didn’t say, as he has been for ages, “I”m on my way to 200 pounds.” He said, “I am 200 pounds.” And he looked it.
We must comment that, while the canceled shows were upsetting to many fans, some really took advantage of the “free time” in Las Vegas. They went to other shows, did some sightseeing. Many of these people have been coming to see Tom here for a long time and a surprising number of them said it was the first time they’d ever been out of the MGM when they weren’t coming from or going to the airport. Most of them seemed to enjoy seeing our city — there’s lots to see — and a few told us they plan to add some days on next time they come.
This is one of several photos from tonight’s show. Someone gave Tom an inflatable plastic hand with the Welsh dragon on it. It’s what he wore to wave to the crowd as the curtain came down. We’ll post the rest on our flickr set. Meanwhile, it’s 2:30 a.m. here and tomorrow is a work day.
So we bid you all a good night in the knowledge that, with Tom onstage at the MGM all is once again right with the world or, at least, the Tom Jones corner of the world.
Illness has forced Tom to cancel the first three shows at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. He is expected to perform Sunday through Wednesday.
We hear, though of course not officially, that he has a throat infection and is expected to recover in a few days.
If we hear anything else, we’ll let you know.
Meanwhile, we wish Sir Tom a complete and rapid recovery.
The posts we got about the Atlantic City shows (below) have prompted us to post a second Question of the Month for August. But, first, an editorial:
The behavior of the fans in AC was outlined briefly in those posts but really didn’t scratch the surface. Between Wednesday, when he arrived at Resorts, and Sunday night after his show, calls and emails we got from fans — fans who were upset and horrified — indicate that Tom was quite literally stalked.
Look, we all know that every fan — every one of us — would like to meet Tom Jones, have a photo with him and feel they have somehow connected. But in Atlantic City last weekend there were fans who followed him wherever they could. They proudly showed off photos of themselves with Tom taken Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights while they strategized about how to get another on Sunday. That’s just greedy. After all, this man sang his heart out for them and they wanted even more.
Saturday night one long-time fan was moved to ask those offenders to step aside so others could have their moment. She was ignored. Rudely. (A not uncommon type of fan interaction these days in every venue, we must note.)
Finally, Sunday night, surveying the scene of sheer “fandemonium” in the restaurant he’d chosen, Tom and his party left without even taking their seats.
We don’t blame him.
(more…)
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