Tom Jones International

Back in April, 2006, MSN UK interviewed Tom and Nick Bracegirdle (aka Chicane) on the release of their single, Stoned In Love. Really new fans might not have heard the song, but we can say that there’s hardly any song that has divided fans like this one. Seems you either love it or hate it. We’re posting this interview again because (first), we’ve learned many fans didn’t see it and plowing through our archives — although the search function on this site does work well — can be difficult and (second) we like what is said….about Tom, by Tom about music, about Las Vegas (he gets it where so many don’t.) If you haven’t heard the song you can do so at the end of the post.

Interview: Tom Jones

He has hung out with the best, and recorded with the greatest in the business since starting out in entertainment five decades ago! We caught up with him to talk about his latest single, ‘Stoned In Love’, and how he’s always managed to stay ahead of the game…

Few artists have remained successful over the course of five decades, fewer still credible. How many have managed both? Engelbert Humperdinck? Go on then, name his last hit single. Cliff Richard? Exactly.

Sir Tom Jones is the exception that proves the rule. We caught up with him to talk about his latest single, ‘Stoned In Love’, and how he’s always managed to stay ahead of the game…

Sir Tom Jones has a story he is fond of telling. Having become a figure of fun by the ’80s, a medallion-wearing, hairy-chested lothario of the old-school, he pulled off the greatest comeback ever thanks to some canny management decisions, an ability to laugh at himself, and, of course, that voice.

Despite this, when he was asked to play Glastonbury in 1993, he wasn’t sure what kind of reception he was going to get. Were they, you know, taking the you-know-what? What would a crowd of people young enough to be his grandchildren make of him? Then he walked on stage and saw a banner bearing the legend ‘Tom F****** Jones!’ and he knew it was going to be ok.

13 years later, as I sit anxiously in a hotel room in London, I know how both he and the guy holding the banner felt. Nick from Chicane walks in first. Lest we forget, Nick is the reason Sir Tom has a new single out, the soon-to-be dance anthem, ‘Stoned In Love’. Then, two minutes later, the man they call ‘The Voice’ enters. Tom F****** Jones.

How did the collaboration with Chicane come about?
Nick – I had the song written but my singing is atrocious. I spent a lot of time thinking about who and what would be good. While we were doing the song, it became obvious that it was a big song, big chorus, and I was trying to figure out who would be the right person for it. Everything has to slot into place. I mean, you can have the best song in the world and the best singer in the world but it just doesn’t gel, you know? Tom sprung to mind, as did two other Welshmen…

Can I ask who they were? Nick – James Dean Bradfield from the Manic Street Preachers and Kelly Jones from the Stereophonics. It wasn’t a Welsh thing particularly, it’s just they’ve all got absolutely stunning voices, but Tom was the one I fancied most of all, simply because I think he’s got the biggest voice and the biggest charisma. So I sent it off and…

Tom (interrupting) – And I heard it. And I loved it. I thought the song was a great song, a proper song. The structure of it is right. It could be done in different ways really but it happens to be done in a dance vein, which works really well. I loved the way the track sounded. So that was it. Nick came over to Malibu, he already had the track, and he told me what he wanted, which was to sing the verse lighter at the beginning, not to give it away too soon.

How did the performance on Jonathan Ross’ show last night go?
Tom – I thought it was great. It felt great. I hope it comes across that way because you can never tell with television. It sounded great in the studio but when they squash it all up… let’s see what the mix is like but the vibe was definitely there.

If it were 1966 and I asked you what you thought you’d be doing in 40 years time, what do you think you’d have said?
Tom – Ummmm…..well, you don’t know, you don’t know which way music is going to go. I would definitely have said I would like to be trying new things, to get the same kind of thing across, but not necessarily in the same way.

I approached songs differently even then. The Green, Green Grass of Home wasn’t like It’s Not Unusual or What’s New Pussycat? You know, they differ. They’re done in different ways and with different producers.

I did It’s Not Unusual with Peter Sullivan and What’s New Pussycat? with Burt Bacharach, you know, so there’s two different ones right there. So I was always open to listening to new things and trying new things, so I would have said at that time, hopefully, that I could continue to do different things.

Among your contemporaries, I can’t think of anyone else who is as credible and successful now as they were then. Why do you think that is?
I think it’s about ability too. And to get with the right producer, to have new ideas rather than to fall into a rut where you’re doing everything the same. New ideas, fresh ideas that you need to embrace if you want something to sound new. There’s a lot of different things that need to come together and I think I’m able to do that. I open-minded enough to do it.

You’re both known for being open-minded in terms of collaborations. You’ve both done stuff that people wouldn’t have expected.
Nick – Yeah, I guess so. It’s the recipe for longevity and to keep things fresh. I said this in an interview the other day but I think one of the other reasons Tom has been so successful for such a long time is he’s got a great set of ears. I called him the best A&R man going.

Tom – I can recognise a song. You’ve got to have those instincts yourself. Sometimes they work but they don’t always work, you know. If they don’t, you think, ‘Well, let’s wait for the next one’. Still keep an open mind though. You can’t think, “Oh.. that didn’t work, so maybe I should….” No, no. You were almost there. Maybe.

Is there anybody you wouldn’t work with?
Tom – Christ, I’ve never been asked that question before.
Nick – I’m not a huge supporter of your Ushers, your Sean Pauls, the people who are more of the… shall we say… poetry side of music. I won’t say I’m not into it because there are some great purveyors of that. I think some bits of Busta Rhymes are fantastic, some bits of The Streets are interesting and very cool but I’m not keen on some of it. I’m not keen on the aggressive side of rap, I think that’s a bit… strange…. but I haven’t got anyone I wouldn’t work with particularly.
Tom – It all depends again on what the song is. It’s back to that song again, you see, that A&R thing again, trying to recognise a song and the way it should be done. But nobody comes to mind where I would think, “I could never work with that person”.

I saw the promotional itinerary for this single and it’s pretty hectic. Tom, I’m assuming you don’t need the money, so what keeps you going? What makes you want to keep doing it?
Tom – The excitement of it all, the freshness of it. If I wasn’t doing this, I don’t know what I’d be doing. I wouldn’t want to be repeating myself. I’ve always liked to try new things and that’s what keeps you fresh, that’s what keeps the whole thing alive, that’s what prevents you from getting caught in a rut. And retiring would be a rut for me. I wouldn’t know what else to do really. I know I would hear something and think, “I’ve got to have a go at that”. I don’t want to stop too early either. In another ten years I might think, “Why the hell did I stop then? There was so much more to do.” I don’t want to stop until I have to.

What have got in the pipeline?
Tom – Tour. The next thing for me is my tour which comes up in October, November, the British tour, which I’m looking forward to now that we’ve got the new song Stoned In Love. It gives it a real shot in the arm. It’s all part of this thing called show business.
Nick (silly voice) – Show business!
Tom – Yeah. You make the record and you hope it flies and everything benefits from it. The live shows are better for it because you’ve got something new to present.

Speaking of show business, do you still do Vegas?
Tom – Yeah, yeah. Oh yeah.

Does your more contemporary stuff like this song feature in that set?
Tom – Definitely.
Nick – I hope so.
Tom – The band that I use in the States are looking forward to doing this now. We’ve rehearsed it already, you know.

I had an idea that Vegas was more of a nostalgia thing. Is that not the case?
Tom – No, no, not at all. I mean it never has been for me. Vegas to me is just another place to play. I go on with the same kind of show. I don’t change my show for Vegas. I’ve never used (grand voice) SHOWGIRLS.
Nick (collapses into hysterics)

Not on stage anyway.
Tom – Exactly!