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Please Take Time To Respond! An Important Message To Fans From Tom’s Management
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008Tom’s management in the UK asked us to post the message below to fans. Please read it and, if you have any of the DVDs or CDs in question, please be sure to respond by next Wednesday, April 9, as they request. Just click the link that says “our office” and your email program will open with the correct address in place ready for you to write. If it doesn’t open, send an email to office@tomjones.com.
We are asking for the fans’ help in tracking down people who have mistakenly bought the Canadian series DVDs and CDs thinking they were official merchandise and have been disappointed with the results.
If you have been affected we would really appreciate it if you could write us an email outlining what product you bought, the approximate date and your opinions on it.
No fans will get in any trouble for purchasing this unofficial material — we simply want to look at the affect this material has had on fans and to have your thoughts in writing.
The Canadian series has often been repackaged and marketed under different guises and on different labels across the world, including — but not limited to — titles such as Greatest Hits, Live at Las Vegas, etc. Typically the quality is very poor, and is mainly comprised of duets with other artists.
Another way of knowing if a title is from the Canadian TV series is whether it includes It’s Not Unusual. None of the Canadian releases have ever included this song so, if it is on the CD then it is an official item.
Please send your comments to our office by Wednesday 9th April and we will acknowledge receipt. If you know of other fans who might have this material please forward this information to them also.
Thanks from Tom’s management to all the fans for their help with this!
Rosie
TomJones.com
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Yes! So glad to see Tom’s management is looking at all those lame DVDs and CDs and that they are asking fans to help. This is a very good thing.
April 4th, 2008 at 8:27 am
realmente tom fisicamente esta muy bien pero el sonido es de baja calidad asi como la voz de tom parece cansada,las canciones si bien son todas conocidas estan mal ejecutadas por la banda sonando muy plastica.Evidentemente la garganta de tom estaba pasando por un mal momento ya que se nota que no llega a los agudos como el lo sabia hacer. Recomioendo ver y escuchar dvd here where the heart is 1983 en el cual si bien el sonido no es exelente se nota la voz de tom a toda potencia.
April 4th, 2008 at 8:42 am
en argentina se venden en casas de musica supermercados son muchos títulos como greats hits o en vivo en las vegas y siguen sacando con fotos de 1968 1974 1983 1990 2001 que no tienen nada que ver ejemplo the ultimate collection son 3 cd con canciones como passion do ya think i’m sexy,such a night,lady madonna,born to lose,let it be,all be my self and more.Los fans ya nos damos cuenta ya que siempre son las mismas canciones que seran unas 200 incluyendo los duos.
April 4th, 2008 at 9:21 am
What Massantonio is saying (to the best of our knowledge) in these two posts is that, while Tom looks very good physically, the sound on these Canadian series recordings is of low quality. His voice seems tired and the band doesn’t sound too good. Perhaps, he speculates, that Tom might have been having a bad time with his throat. He does recommend the DVD Where the Heart Is.
In Argentina, recordings sold in music supermarkets carry titles like Greatest Hits or Live in Las Vegas and have photos that have nothing to do with the content. Although there are many different titles, they all contain some of the 200 or so songs from the Canadian series — Born to Lose, Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?, Lady Madonna, Let It Be and All By Myself
April 4th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
I have posted numerous times on various sites about purchasing these type CDs. In my quest to buy everything available by Tom Jones, I discovered through various websites (after the fact) that these recordings were unofficial. I wonder how many fans, like myself, will buy anything just to fill their need to buy every song Tom ever recorded. In many cases, I bought these CDs if they had only one different song that I didn’t already have. They always seemed to be such a bargain, with many more tracks than the official releases.
April 5th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Marian: Please write to Tom’s management and let them know how you feel. They probably believe it’s important that they know, so hopefully you and others will comply with their request. The better the quality of music that’s available, the happier all the fans will be, right? Thanks!
April 5th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I need some clarification before I can fully and accurately comply with the request from Tom’s management. I am glad to help in this matter. I want to know if they are seeking evaluation of the technical quality of the reproduction of the unofficial recordings and/or are they seeking an evaluation of the original television program — Tom’s performances, musical arrangements, production values etc. It was also not clear to me if any of this program was ever released officially on DVD or CD. I have a DVD that has It’s Not Unusual as the instrumental theme song but the song is not sung. Is this an official release, or does this clue only apply to the music sung on the CD’s?
April 5th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Maria: As far as we can tell, they want information only about the CDs and DVDs you may have. These do not include It’s Not Unusual and, most telling, are on off-brand labels like 32 Pop, REDX Entertainment Pty Ltd, Prism Leisure, Mazur Media, etc. Mostly you can tell by the costumes on the DVDs (lots of sequined jackets) and the arrangements (kind of disco). So, no, don’t evaluate the show itself, just the products using that material.
April 5th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I have just bought a dvd titled Tom Jones: The Original Hip Swinger Live From Las Vegas. It was another of the Canadian shows. I was disappointed. I guess I should have known better. I just saw “live in Las Vegas” and thought “wow !!!!!!” Dumb ,real dumb.
April 5th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I have sent a rather lengthy list to Rosie of my “collection” of subject CDs/DVDs. As Pat says, it took me even longer to realize I was buying “unofficial releases.” With my addictive nature, I was prone to buy every new package with a new picture of Tom on it. Anyway, I do have a “beautiful stack” of Tom CDs!!!
April 6th, 2008 at 8:27 am
What we really need ladies is new ,new music from Tom .please.
April 6th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Oh I forgot to say when buying from amazon it is’nt always easy to check the contents.
April 6th, 2008 at 8:37 am
I have just had another thought when we buy unofficial Tom cd’s and dvd’s does Tom get any of the purchase price. if he doesnt that means he is being ripped off. and dare I say it could be classed as fraud ????? oopps
April 6th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Have you also noticed iTunes sell these? Buyer beware. Please do your research before buying.
April 6th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
We must add that Anna is absolutely correct. Before you buy, check the label (is it a known quantity?), the origin of the disc, and the content. Many fans quickly learned to avoid the stuff from the Canadian series. Everyone should do a bit of homework before buying.
April 7th, 2008 at 5:41 am
I have just been having another look at DVD, Live from Las Vegas …..2003 Waterfall Studios and 2003 TDK recording media Europe, SA. Just another thing to watch out for .
April 7th, 2008 at 7:57 am
Pat: “TDK” is, quite literally, the media — like the tape — on which the music is recorded. Waterfall Studios is the place where it was recorded, or compiled.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Thanks for clearing that up for me .
April 7th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I have looked at my CD Live Tom Jones from Legacy Entertainment Inc., or Tom Jones & Friends. All have Legacy Entertainment Inc. I got them as gifts about 1999 and 2000. Could you send to Rosie? Thank you. — Debbie
April 8th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I have far too many of these releases and have sent my list to Rosie. From other Tom Jones forums some time ago, I learned Tom gets nothing from these due to some contract oversight dating way back. I can only blame myself for buying so many “before” I knew Tom was not getting any royalties from them. Some of the production companies on my collection are: Madacy, Weton-Wesgram B.V., BR Music, Hallmark Music and Entertainment, Pulse, BMG Entertainment, Navarre Corporation, Castle Communications, Classic World Productions, etc., etc., etc. Many state on the package they are from the Canadian TV series.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:25 am
Of course Tom gets nothing from these recordings which are politely called “unofficial” but, in reality, are bootlegs.
If you don’t see the familiar names — producers, exec producers, etc. — that you see on all his official releases and you don’t recognize the label, you’re buying a recording that is not paying royalties. That’s common sense. We’ve found that to many fans that hasn’t mattered, even when they should know better. For example, the so-called “Orange” collection that was just announced by Amazon UK. It is clearly not a sanctioned product; not the much-anticipated CD Tom is now recording. How could it be? There’s been no news about it. But, still, many fans jumped on it.
It’s this hunger for product that drives the market. Hopefully, the first step in solving the problem is being taken.