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Here’s where you’ll find TJ photos and stories that don’t fit into any other categories. It is, as its name says, just for fans — and, hopefully, for fun.
Looking At Tom’s 1970 Tour Schedule: It Was A Very Good Year
Sunday, February 17th, 2008
Tom’s 1970 US tour schedule — typed, mimeographed and distributed to fans by Parrot/London, his stateside label — had a major first on it. For, it was on Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13, that Tom Jones played New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden. At left is a 1970 photo. Perhaps he’s heading to a gig?
We’re told that Tom was the first solo act to do a concert at this most famous venue. We couldn’t find proof of that anywhere. If you can, please let us know.
Whether or not he was the first solo singer to have his own show at the Garden, you’ll certainly note that at that time Tom was playing huge arenas across the North America.
If you were at any of these shows, please tell us about them.
Thanks, Holly!
February 17th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Looking at the schedule reminds me of the song Younger Days from Mr. Jones.
February 17th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I remember the sold out show in Columbia, South Carolina, July 15. I was twelve. Count Basie was there and so were the Pips. Gladys Knight was ill and could not perform. Norm Crosby was funny. It was simply titled, Concert of the Decade.
February 18th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I was at the shows in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Besides the great show, what I remember was the giant crowds, the traffic jams and all the security that was there. There was literally hundreds of uniformed and plain clothed security everywhere especially around the stage and there to get Tom off and on the stage. Back then the shows were in the round. —Rica
February 18th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
I found this on the internet;
“For a while in the early 70s I was one of the world’s highest paid entertainers” Tom remembers, “In 1970 I had a weekly TV series, records in the Top Five, a huge hit with She’s A Lady. I was touring six months a year, earning a guarantee of $100,000 a night. It would be six times that now. I was as far to the front as anyone could go. It wasn’t just Las Vegas because the TV show had been so successful I was playing Madison Square Garden, the Forum in LA, the Cow Palace in San Francisco. No single artist had been through those venues before only the Beatles and the Stones had played places that big” In 1970 Jones embarked on the biggest tour in American showbiz history. It earned him in excess of £2 million. The itinerary dwarfed the Beatles’ Tours of ‘65 (which began at Shea Stadium ) and ‘66. Its 34 one night stands doubled the Rolling Stones’ tour of the previous autumn (there were no free concerts and therefore no Altamonts).
February 18th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
i searched the internet, but somehow, no video’s, no pictures to be found made while touring in 1970-1971, does anyone have some?
February 22nd, 2008 at 12:49 am
Yes it was a good year. Tom would come to PA a lot. Now he does not. I always went to tom shows in PA. He is a great singer.