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!
Tom Jones’ “24 Hours” Video — What Do You Think?
Friday, September 19th, 20085:49 PM, PDT, Sept. 19: The CD is ranked #291 on amazon.com! How great is that?!
Note: Just checked amazon.com and the CD is pre-selling for $13.99 and, best of all, it’s ranked #624 in sales ! This is 2+ months before it’s released. Terrific news, isn’t it?
Here’s the video from youtube:
What do you think?
Thanks Top TJ Fan — As always, you came through!
You can pre-order Tom’s new CD, 24 Hours by clicking the link at right.
And be sure to read posts you may have missed, below.
September 19th, 2008 at 4:11 am
The song is poignantly beautiful and I think the video captures perfectly the depth of emotion Tom conveys as he sings it. No fancy camera work; no distractions. Its simplicity (especially being in B/W) is so befitting of the haunting melody and the effect is mesmerizing. I love it; can’t stop watching it.
September 19th, 2008 at 4:50 am
Wow…..haunting!
September 19th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Out of this world - PUR ;)I love it!!!
September 19th, 2008 at 8:30 am
24 Hours is even more haunting than Green Green Grass of Home, and some older ballads of Tom’s. Will it come across to all audiences; I don’t know, but can’t wait to hear all the other tracks……$13.99 not a bad price through Amazon!!!
And….can we still order the third TITJ series through you???
September 19th, 2008 at 9:20 am
I just checked amazon.co.uk: the CD is priced at £16.49 ($30 approx.) so $13.99 is a really great price.
September 19th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Only could get the audio and not the video. WOW…I love it. It truly is different. I kept waiting to his voice to belt out at the end but he held back and it was beautiful and pure. I’ll be ordering my CD through TJI today. With the release date pushed back, I sure hope he includes the new tunes in his MGM show. TJI, you made my day!!!
September 19th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Only could get the audio and not the video. WOW…I love it. It truly is different. I kept waiting for his voice to belt out at the end but he held back and it was beautiful and pure. I’ll be ordering my CD through TJI today. With the release date pushed back, I sure hope he includes the new tunes in his MGM show. TJI, you made my day!!!
September 19th, 2008 at 10:06 am
OMG, I just got the clips. TJ’s “Alive”, he’s “real”, he’s THE MAN. I’ve got myself an obsession. TJ “Gives a little love” and we ain’t “Never” going to give him up!!!
September 19th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Susanne - I was waiting for his voice booming out too at the end but the end was 24 hours ago ;(
September 19th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Helppppppppppppppppp!!!!! I’m getting lost in all these updates. Nothing like having all these great updates. Moderators, I want to buy everything….am I on the right thread????
September 19th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Its brilliant,
September 19th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
24 Hours is a definitely a nice departure for Tom. We Got Love and Give A Little Love are the only other nice ones from the view released. It’s more of the kind of thing he should have been doing for a while now. Can’t wait to hear the rest!!
September 19th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I really love the songs on the clips but 24 Hours is something really special it is beautiful — so much feeling. I pre-booked the CD yesterday on amazon. I only have one question: HOW do we wait …..
September 19th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I am so thrilled about the new CD. Some of the tunes remind of songs from his very early music. This is the most press coverage I have ever seen for Tom Jones release. By the way the official site keeps updating minute-by-minute
September 19th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
WOW, what a great song! Can’t wait to hear him sing it live. I bet you’ll be able to hear a pin drop! The CD sounds like a HIT already!
September 19th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Yowzer! Tom has sparked a fire with this video!! ‘Can hardly wait for the rest. In the meantime I’m stuck with 24 Hours alternating with U2’s Desire! pounding in my head! I’m burning with DESIRE for Tom’s new CD!!
September 20th, 2008 at 12:38 am
I could only watch it once for now. In my present mood it’s too dark and painful. But it’s breathtakingly good, another one that had me mesmerised as often happens when I hear a new song by Tom for the first time. I was reminded of last year when I heard “the Reason” for the first time. All of a sudden the whole world seems to dissolve away and there’s only that incredible emotion filling everything.
I don’t know how non fans would see it, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this album makes it really big, it sure got the potential.
September 20th, 2008 at 3:27 am
Wow great video, grat voice!!!! Tom looks so sad and his voice is perfect with the sad lyrics. Tom can sing happy songs very well but also sad songs!
September 20th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
It brings tears to my eyes as I watch it. Truly a reflective, poignant song. His face is so beautiful with emotion as he sings.
September 20th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
All I can say is that my wish came true. I’m a long time Tom Jones fan but i also us to be the French fan club president. Today when i listen 24 Hours it brings me tears from my eyes…… i don’t mean that what Tom did in the last decade was not good,but i think that this is the real TOM JONES!!!! I’m really upset that the different media try to compare Tom’s new CD to Amy Winehouse’s last album , because they only had to listen to the album This Is Tom Jones from 1969 or The Body and Soul of Tom Jones from 1973 o,r better to the compilation, Tom Jones: Loaded, to understand that Amy Winehouse didn’t invent nothing!!!!(poor little girl) tom you’ll be alway the greatest! I can’t wait to hear your new CD. Hope to see you soon in France All the best to all Tom Jones fans Vince
September 20th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I know I am in the minority here, but I don’t like 24 hours. Yes it is a beautiful song, but I listen to Tom to be energized and uplifted not depressed. It does show his tremendous talent in being able to show a different side of him but its too gloomy for me.
September 20th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I loved Tom’s voice. It sounded like “young” Tom. He was beautiful to look at too, such emotion. (OK now, don’t everyone get mad at me,) but I thought this song was morose. If it was anyone else singing it I probably wouldn’t have listened to it all the way through. It was Tom though and I would listen to him sing the phonebook!
September 20th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Darla - I love TOM when he is teasing and pleasing the audience
But you know maybe this song 24 hours and this cd he had to do for himself - to show a different side of Sir TOM Jones - and I love this side too because one day we all have only 1 more minute 24 hours ago……
September 21st, 2008 at 1:09 am
Just listened to the songs, sounds great!
September 21st, 2008 at 5:43 am
BeBe, I know and I don’t like thinking about it!!!! Like I said, it was Tom singing so it was perfect!
September 21st, 2008 at 10:02 am
This certainly brought a tear to my eye. It makes me reflect on my own life and all the pleasure Tom has given me through his concerts and music over the last 35 years.
September 21st, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Terry: From what we’ve heard — mostly privately — you are not the lone ranger here. But it is a departure and it is, as we keep saying, something new. So, we think we just have to wait to evaluate any part of it until we hear the entire thing.
September 21st, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Terry, you are not the only one. There was something I found to be very eerie, haunting and very depressing. For me, it was like watching Tom Jones walking to his own death, it gave me a very lousy feeling about it and I didn’t like it at all. I wish someone takes that song gives it an uplift cause it needs it, and as for the video, it needs to be reproduced in color with a different setting and have Tom Jones look alive. We live in depressing times, let not make it more depressing. Oh, do I miss the old days! Please bring them back.
September 21st, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Eerie, hauting and very depressing video. God forbid we should ever watch Tom walk to his own death!!! The song is beautiful and his voice sounds great, but the video could have been done with some poignant war montage clips from various wars through out history, instead of a very sad, very old and very tired looking Tom.
Don’t they test market these videos before releasing them? Didn’t they ever hear of focus groups?
September 21st, 2008 at 6:49 pm
There is a very fine line between artistic/avant guard and just plain black.
September 21st, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Marisa: As we’ve said elsewhere, that’s what makes horse races. Sounds like this work is going to showcase many, many sides of Sir Tom and we think that’s great. At least he’s not talking — “ooga, ooga, ooga” — about his “crib.” Lots of fans loved that. We hated it. We’d much rather hear this.
September 21st, 2008 at 7:26 pm
THAT SONG/VIDEO IS AMAZING. it is also very deep and heartfelt. also, im glad that its not all rap and r&b stuff, i didnt really care for it
September 21st, 2008 at 9:14 pm
It’s a brave step for Tom to be real and be filmed in black & white when he could have insisted on color, full make-up and the usual music video. YAWN. Boring.
I found “24 Hours” to be deeply moving and touching: like glimpsing into a man’s private thoughts with the last moments of his life ticking away.
This is the real deal. Serious music, serious lyrics demand a video that fit: stark black and white, minimal set, and just Tom and his hauntingly beautiful voice. A masterpiece of simplicity.
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:33 am
Well put Renn. I agree with you even though I am like Terry. I need Tom to make me feel happy after a crappy day. But it would be a bit selfish of us fans to expect only that.
I’ll just stick to “Tom Jones and Jools Holland” for a few more years then
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:28 am
I am really relieved to see that there are a few people that agree with me. It is hard to even say the least little negative thing about TJ. I will reiterate what dragaonlady said, it is a depressing world with depressing, dark things going on, when I put music on, I want it to be uplifting and take me to a better place not bring me further down. I could always count on any of Tom’s songs to do that for me. This is such a far cry from most of his other songs, it doesn’t even look like him in the video. What does everyone think he is really trying to accomplish with this song?
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:08 am
Maybe this is being over-analyzed. One song can have a different meaning for each person that hears it (or sees it with a video). That is the beauty of it.
Also, “24 Hours” is only ONE cut from an entire CD. The other tracks that have been released for preview didn’t have this same sound at all. Diversity is good. For me, an entire album of the same thing over and over is boring. Some different types of songs, as well as different beats and rhythms make the CD more listenable (not sure that’s a real word?).
As usual, you can’t please everyone all the time. Fortunately, we are all free to discuss — and being fellow fans — we can feel free to debate in that spirit.
Personally, I’m happy Tom is taking chances on something entirely new and different for him, but most of all I’m thrilled to have a new CD (which means new set material too). Perhaps as the moderators have suggested, judgment is best reserved until we hear the entire final product. Cheers.
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:15 am
Cheers on that Renn, I agree some of the other songs sounded great and anything from Tom is better than nothing.
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:29 am
Love the song, Love the voice, Hate the video.
I’ve been saying for a long time now that he needs some really good videographers…his music can never be wrong. I will say that this video is maybe one notch above the “Stoned in Love” VIDEO, again… great music paired with poor visual imagery.
Let’s not forget that “video killed the radio star” and the VISUAL component is vital to the financial success of a new release.
It’s just as important as a good website (which Tom’s management has absolutely failed to produce and is the very reason why we are all here on a fan-produced site; and, a good MySpace page (does Tom even have an Official page?).
For this horse race I’m betting that Tom’s voice will be excellent in every song he sings on the CD and that the videos for watching and sending to friends are going to be just as bad as many of the other ones his video production people have done so far.
Someone in music management on his team has got to get with the program.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:15 am
I think the video is spot-on. It needed nothing more to capture the aching beauty of such an evocative and thought-provoking song and didn’t detract from Tom’s wonderfully controlled delivery. No visual imagery is required - that’s what your imagination is for.
September 22nd, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I feel the haunting tone of the video goes so beautifully with the raw and emotional lyrics. Once again, Mr. Jones has impressed me with his empassioned delivery of a song that only he could do justice to. I personally prefer more upbeat musical fare but occasionally we all need to stop, slow down a minute and think. This song does exactly that.
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I was touched deeply by this video and song 24 Hours for very personal reasons - and it was perfectly filmed in black ‘n’ white. Yes, TOM looked old and tired but this song is about death and that’s what we look like when we say goodbye to this world. It took a few days but now I can watch it without braking out in tears. I don’t know if i can ever watch it when TOM is singing this song live - I hope I won’t be in the audience, because I couldn’t stand the last minute of silence in that song….
September 22nd, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Ok, the video was aching… my teenager could have shot it with her cell phone video camera.
How about Tom in black tee shirt and jeans sitting on the steps of the 9/11 footprint…there’s a viral video for you in the U.S. right before election time… or touring Katrina…or anything but a distracting spotlight behind his nose.
They could have have even gone with a futuristic, apocalyptic CG animation with a “Bladerunner” feel to it for this song. Skimp on the special effects much? You have to spend money to make money.
If this beautiful song is making a statement on the fleeting nature of time images from Katrina, the Tsunami, the Earthquake in Shangai or anything else depressing could have made that statement.
Rule #1: The Star that is making a comeback should never look old and tired in public lest the media use it as an opportunity to rip him apart. For God’s Sake, the man can’t even go swimming without the tabloids lashing into him, why give them fuel for the fire?
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Marisa: Interesting, thoughtful take on the video. Thanks for posting.
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:14 am
Tom said in an interview that this cd is a journey through his life - I think starting this cd with “I’m Alive”, ending it with “24 Hours” and filling the rest with songs about his life is perfect. Also the video “24 Hours” because it’s all about TOM and his last minute…. Showing a video with disaster victims or dark futuristic scenes wouldn’t make any sense to me - not for this CD - not for TOM’s message to reflect on his life.
Of course we all have likes and dislikes for songs, music and video - I think this upcoming cd will have a lot of fire to inspire many conversations
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:59 am
I cannot help but post - all this talk of dying - is there something wrong with Tom? Why not celebrate a fabulous career - of a man who came from nothing to the very pinnacle of show business? Be writes Tom ast his last minute - what does that mean???
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:28 am
Beverly - 24 Hours is only one song on the new cd. The cd is also called 24 Hours, maybe this caused a misunderstanding. But I was refering to the song and it’s video clip…one more minute 24 hours ago..then TOM stopped singing snd the song ends after 1 minute…
All other songs from the cd, well the one’s we already sneaked into
- are celebrating his Life - I like what I have heard so far 
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I think we’ve all had become too wrapped up with this clipping of “24 Hours.” Tom Jones has such an impact with his performance, emotions, his voice and singing that it has affected us all, more towards the negative side of it. Yes, the song is haunting, and truly, Tom sings it beautifully, and definitely, Yest, wish somehow he would have ended the last track of his new CD with a more light-hearted song, instead of this one. This song almost gives you the feeling that the clicking clock is about to stop. That is not how I wish to percieve it. What was Tom Jones’ reason for making this video and choosing to sing this particular song? If we heard his reasoning then maybe listening to 24 Hours would not sound as morbid. If he did state his reasoning, I may have either missed it or oversighted it.
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I also think that after having seen “24 Hours,” Tom Jones has made many of us more concerned and worried about him and wonder the reason why on his choice for this song. Tom Jones did draw attention with this video. The song, GREEN, GREEN GRASS OF HOME was beautiful and sad, but this song, it’s got a completely different feel and not a good one. It’s only a song, and for the love of God, let it be, just a song.
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:59 pm
In the latest review posted here, on TJI.com, the reasons for Tom’s choices on “24 Hours” are clearly stated in his interview. “I’ve been getting reflective recently, looking over my journey through life, and I wanted to get that down on song,” added Tom. “This time I wanted to make something that was all about me, my stories, my life. “In other words, you listen to this album and you get the real me.”
Being reflective or making a different type of video doesn’t mean Tom’s sick, dying or anything as deep and dark as all that. I think it’s as simple as what he said in the interview. If nothing else, a departure from the type of video that would have been usual or safe will be noticed and stir up discussion.
On a serious note, we are all dying: from the minute we are born our clocks are ticking away. We don’t know when our time will come. Not to get deep here, but really what’s wrong with being reflective? Lots of people have unfinished business. We wait and say we’ll deal with it tomorrow. We’ll send that card tomorrow, make that call tomorrow, say we are sorry or say I love you tomorrow. Days go by, weeks, even years. People die without saying or doing what they could or should have done. My step-sister died a few months ago. She was 40 years old. She dropped dead. Literally. Sadly, she had a lot of unfinished emotional business in her life. So if a song like “24 Hours” can stir up a little emotion, maybe for some people that could be a good thing. Tom has lived a real life and has written about it on “24 Hours.” It’ll be fascinating to hear what comes next!
September 24th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Renn, you say it so much better than I could. I am sorry to hear about your step sister! She was the same age as me.
We all had our experiences with death, it’s part of life. It was just hard for me to watch this last Saturday because one of my best friend just had the news that she might be terminally ill. Thank goodness it’s serious but not that bad. She’s only 28 after all. I’ve always tried to live every minute fully as possible since we never know when it will end. And yes, every day I try to follow my dreams a little bit more and I remember to tell people how much I love them.
Yes there will be a lot to talk about with this album, very diverse and good so!
September 24th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I Wanna Get Back With You — no one ever saw this video on VH1 or much of anyplace else, but it was one of his better, more recent ones.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:25 am
Woah, what an eerie song. Very haunting. I like the video. So simple yet so good. Bring on the album!
September 26th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Paula, many young people today don’t use their imaginations when deciding whether to pay $1.99 to download a video to their iPhone. If the video isn’t hot, the single is not going to sell as well as it could. At least in the video cited above (which came out before the invention of the iPhone) the old, tired looking guy isn’t Tom. Tom is looking slim, strong and casual in his black turtle neck. The next time Tom is looking old and tired “his people” should keep the video cameras away from him.
September 27th, 2008 at 7:48 am
Marisa: first of all I have not seen any mention anywhere that “24 hours” is to be released as a single. Perhaps I’ve missed something.
I respect your opinion and understand the point you are making but, as far as this song is concerned, I remain in complete disagreement. I am quite aware that “young people don’t use their imaginations” (more’s the pity) and found your comment somewhat patronising. This song is starkly beautiful and speaks for itself. Images of war and/or hurricane devastation would be highly inappropriate in my opinion and would detract from the lyrical content and Tom’s impassioned delivery. You say repeatedly how “old and tired” he looks: again, that’s your view and it’s not shared by everyone. ( He looks just fine to me: emotional rather than tired.) Not everything needs to be spelled out in large technicolour capital letters. I think encouraging people to think is a very good thing and is one of the joys of this song. In essence, its sheer simplicity speaks volumes…….leaving the listener to interpret its meaning in their own way.
Tom has had to jump on the commercial bandwagon so much in the past - if you want to have a hit, that’s what you have to do - and has been criticised for it. This, after all, is only one track on the album; can’t he occasionally be allowed a little artistic (and not overtly commercial) creativity? I would imagine that other tracks will receive a more mainstream treatment and, as Renn mentioned above, surely diversity is to be welcomed?
I know the excellent video you’ve linked to above — it received a lot of airtime in the UK — but the song is entirely different, you simply can’t compare them. You also mentioned Stoned In Love which you believe also received poor video treatment. I would tend to agree in this case - but that didn’t prevent it being a huge hit in the UK and Europe. It’s horses for courses really….I don’t think you can ever second guess what will have general appeal these days: people have become incredibly fickle.
I think 24 Hours is one of the best things Tom’s ever done: it’s stunning - sheer class. Just my opinion. Whether the general public will agree, we’ll have to wait and see. I certainly hope so because I believe it deserves widespread acclaim.
I certainly can’t remember when a TJ song last received so much comment and discussion (and “Stoned In Love” would take some beating) but really, (whether we deeply opinionated Tom Jones fan agree or not!) that has to be great, doesn’t it? Life is good….
September 27th, 2008 at 8:49 am
[...] you look at our post from September 19, in which we asked What do you think?, you’ll see that it, along with everything else posted on the song elicited almost an [...]