TJ Questions, What's New, Pussycat?
Here’s where we post our “Question of the Month” and where you can send in a question about Tom and we’ll do our best to answer. To submit a question, please click on “Ellen” or “Ursula” in the “contact” link on the right of the page. Looking forward to hearing from you!
May Question of the Month: Three Songs For An Encore?
Thursday, May 1st, 2008As most of us know, Tom’s three-song encore is now Resurrection Shuffle, I Like the Way and Kiss.
Our question is: If he were to change his encore, what should he change? All of the songs? Only one or two? Or do you think the encore should stay as is? And if he should change his music, what should he sing instead?
So, please give us three songs — only three songs! — and, if you wish, an explanation of your choices. Of course, you can leave in any of the songs Tom sings now. The songs you name do not have to be songs Tom has sung before.
May 1st, 2008 at 3:48 am
Well, I’d like to see this at least once before it changes:). But he did do Kiss when I saw him in 95 so I guess that can change now.
My “dream encore” would be: Resurrection Shuffle; Not Responsible; and Great Balls Of Fire I don’t think I need to explain why LOL
May 1st, 2008 at 5:47 am
As I’m easy going I don’t mind what he finishes with. I don’t want him to end really.
May 1st, 2008 at 10:40 am
I’m with Gill. Especially on the last sentence.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:33 am
Of course we don’t want his shows to end but if they must I would like him to keep I Like The Way because it is fun and very energetic and the whole audience gets involved. Kiss should be moved to the front of the show and Resurrection Shuffle dropped. In place of these songs it would be great if he would bring back The Boy From Nowhere or Baptism By Fire or another big ballad to open the encore. Then, I Like The Way and to close I would love to see something high-energy. We know Tom can sing anything, so he should just shake it up a bit. Kiss is too dated, like resurrection Shuffle.
May 1st, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I would like The Boy From Nowhere, Love Me Tonight, and Kiss.
May 1st, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Ok - after much deliberation and hand-wringing, my three songs are as follows. Paralyzer*, Take Me To the River and end with My Soul is a Witness. Resurrection Shuffle should just go away, but move Kiss to right before It’s Not Unusual. I’m sure he could still work I Like the Way into the set somewhere.
*By the group, Finger Eleven.
May 1st, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Well, I am with Gill, I never want to hear the end of the show, but I am easy going also. I really think it is up to Tom and what he feels comfortable with at the close. I love everything he sings, whether it be at the beginning or at the end. I guess I am just satisfied.
May 1st, 2008 at 6:39 pm
I also agree Tom should lose Resurrection Shuffle. In its place, just about anything as long as it rocks.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:42 pm
My choice for an encore would be:
A Little Less Conversation - I’ve never heard Tom sing this song before so I don’t know if he ever has but I know he would sound great and I would love to hear him sing the ending - “satisify me, baby…”
I Like the Way - It’s a rockin’ song and the audience (and Tom) really gets into it.
Land of 1000 Dances - I know this is really outdated but every time I see Tom sing it, he seems like he really loves singing this song and of course with the audience participation it would be a great way to end the show.
I don’t really care for Kiss but I would want him to keep it in the show somewhere because of the “shirt lift”
although he could do the “shirt lift” at the end of 200 Lbs… just as long as he doesn’t stop doing the shirt lift! 
May 1st, 2008 at 11:52 pm
The end of a Tom Jones show is always a very difficult moment for me but it’s less hard when he leaves us on an energetic song so my choice would be: Looking Out My Window (the new version), Kiss and T J International (the version which is on the 2-song CD, the other one is much less energetic). I adore it and whenever I listen to it I feel like I could raise mountains.
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:10 am
I would love to see Kiss moved to another part of the show. Years ago he used to introduce the band halfway through the show as they started playing an up-tempo song…this would be a natural for Kiss. And, if he insists on keeping Kiss in the he needs to update the “Dynasty” lyric to Desperate Housewives as Prince (the songwriter) has done a couple of years ago. Also, please lose Resurrection Shuffle. It is soooooooooo dated. Put it in the wayback machine and let it go.
Now, for the final three: (1) It would be fantastic if he came out for the encore and sang a big, sexy ballad. My choice would be the Otis Redding standard - I’ve Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now) — also a good title for an encore. (2) Since he seems to enjoy I Like The Way and it’s still fun, that would be okay in the middle of the encore. (3) Finally, why not end with his favorite singer and a song he also enjoys doing, and doing well - Great Balls of Fire?
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:12 am
My encore choices would be (okay…I am old school)…
Leaving us breathless!!!
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:26 pm
go to youtube and search for “van velzen” the song is entitled “baby get higher”. Bruce Springsteen “down to the river” or “dancing in the dark”. And Final, Robbie Williams “let me entertain you”, definitely custom made for robbie & tom!, search for live@knebworth on youtube, and you all will no what i mean.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:44 pm
George Michaels “careless wisper”, Elvis Presley’s “don’t cry daddy”, “in the ghetto” that would be really something. Robbie William “feel” an amazing song it would suite tom’s voice no doubt.
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I Like the Way needs to stay. It’s great — energetic, gets the audience involved and it’s fun every time. I’m partial to a ballad called Feel Like Going Home he did with Mark Knopfler (on youtube.com) but not for an encore, somewhere else in the set. I’d like to see him do a George Thorogood song, Who Do You Love as the first encore song. I think he and the audience would have alot of fun with him singing it and camping it up. I’m at a loss for a third song.. perhaps from the next CD?
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:45 pm
For the encore, I Like The Way is a keeper. The other two can go! And I love Dragonlady’s vote for Great Balls Of Fire and for the last song, well, I don’t really know but it must be something what blows all of their chairs and leaves them screaming for more, hahaha
For the setlist (not encore) I just would love to hear TOM singing: Baptism Of Fire, Love Letters, Heaven’s Been A Long Time Coming, Motherless Child and Sometimes We Cry
May 4th, 2008 at 12:23 am
The song Till is the one song Ive been wanting and waiting to see and hear OUR TOM sing. TOM sang it at Harrah’s in South Lake Tahoe many years ago and I still “feel” the emotion he gave the audience. Any place in the show for Till would be just fine with me. And as other have stated I, too, hate to have the shows end.
May 4th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Now this is a hard one. How about Move Closer, Chills and Fever and American Trilogy, as I know Tom did sing Trilogy in the 70s.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:53 am
We will never forget the sound of the first notes of Till in the darkened theater and then, seeing him descend the steps onto the stage as he continued to sing it. The beauty gave you chills (and fever, too). It was, of course, the opening number for quite awhile. We can also see BeBe shares our deep fondness for Reload.. Tom did sing Baptism By Fire in a mere three shows at the MGM Grand in December 2005. We wonder if it was ultimately dropped because of the opening line: “I am a strong man, not such a young man. If so, we hope it is someday reconsidered. He also was doing Love Letters and doing it beautifully before he changed to this set list in 2006.
A lot of choices are, of course, based on what product is being promoted (guess they realized, for example, that Stoned In love was no longer necessary) and on Tom’s voice. We’ve all commented that The Voice has changed over the years. That’s probably why his version of Love Letters is so amazing now and probably wouldn’t have been as striking 20 years ago. Aside from the big hits in the set that he’s almost “required” to sing, his material has to showcase his voice. And the arrangements of even the hits are sometimes modified to fit his voice today. We’re sorry, though, that The Reason was dropped and would like to see it back. He brought to it the depth of experience that, by virtue of their ages, Hoobastank just doesn’t have.
May 4th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I Can’t Stop Loving You, from the LP Tom, Dr. Love and to finish with, I Like the Way.
May 4th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I really don’t care what he sings before his last song of the night because anything he sings is fabulous. But I love, I Like the Way. It’s so energetic and I like the way HE moves!!!
May 5th, 2008 at 5:59 am
I also agree that he should keep I Like The Way but get rid of Resurrection Shuffle. I would like it if he played something from the past and then add a new one that he would try on the audience. Like maybe one he is considering for a new album. Either way, I just love seeing and hearing him sing.
May 6th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
I too love Till. There are some songs that he’s never sing again and I’m afraid that’s one of them for obvious reasons. His voice has changed and it won’t sound the same.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:13 pm
Whatever Tom wants to sing is fine with me. Darla, I agree with you. Tom is so energetic his voice, his moves, his smile I just keep wanting more.
May 7th, 2008 at 4:58 am
I, too, like Dr LOVE. I agree with Rosina. I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOVE, and BOY FROM NOWHERE.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:53 am
Just drop the standards and Grandma’s Hands.
Add Without Love.
May 10th, 2008 at 9:36 am
These may be a bit old-fashioned, but who cares?? Tom mastered these songs!
At this Moment…Once again with feeling only Tom can give…the man really knows how to emote in this one. Only Once (one of Tom’s greatest ballads, I would love to hear it onstage (even if he had to lips ync it.) American Trilogy…one of Elvis’ greatest songs, and Tom sang it equally as well.
May 10th, 2008 at 9:40 am
My first time hearing At this Moment was at my first live TJ concert in 1998. I have never forgotten the feeling he put into this song, and thought it was Tom’s original. I have heard other artists sing this song, but no one could master it like Sir Tom!!!
May 10th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I think the end of Tom’s show has to go with a bang and anything Tom chooses to sing is okay by me.Only I never want the show to end !!!!
May 13th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Check out this video of Tom singing Sweet Soul Music with Darryl Hall and Sam Moore….really great collaboration with these two singers. It would really get the crowd on their feet at the end of his show!!!
May 24th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Wow! Sweet Soul Music sounds real good! Thanks for the link Marian. I agree with all who say that anything Tom sings is OK & that I don’t want his show to end! One of my all time faves for
Song #1- is I (Who Have Nothing). Song #2 - I really enjoyed I Like the Way & I agree with Lori R. on keeping the shirt lift for 200 Pounds instead of Kiss. Song #3 - I think Help Yourself would be a good show closer.
May 25th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Tom and John Farnham have a terrific version ofSweet Soul Music on their live Cd from their Australian tour in 2005. We agree, it’d be great to hear him do this in a show.
May 31st, 2008 at 9:38 am
Jared-
I’m with you on this selection list! The first time I heard THE BOY FROM NOWHERE it brought tears to my eyes from the overwhelming passion! LOVE ME TONIGHT - well, he just moves sooo well to this one! KISS - a very sweet ending…
Actually though, I LOVE EVERYTHING “THE VOICE” sings! I love his every move and that smile could melt an iceberg!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I like anything he sings, this is hard, but I think he could change up the encore with some of the songs he sang back in the 70’s type theme. Plenty of them, but include, I (Who Have Nothing), Try A Little Tenderness, and I Believe.