Tom Jones International

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Archive for April, 2006

Meet Steve McCoy

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Does the guy at the right look sort of familiar?

He’s Tom Jones impersonator Steve McCoy.

Meet him and see more photos in the entertainment section of Our Las Vegas and be sure to check out his website. Not only does he have a terrific voice, but he’s got the mannerisms perfectly.

Steve says he’s grateful for the role model Tom presents as a performer; for the opportunities he’s gotten; the people he’s met (including Tom himself) and for the travel he’s done as a result of “being” Tom Jones. And, he adds, he’s especially grateful that Tom has always been gracious to him — from the time Tom judged the “Tom Jones Look-Alike” contest Steve won in Atlantic City and started him on his present career.

Tom Does “Friday Night With Jonathan Ross” on BBC 1-TV April 21

From a BBC Press Release/Date: 21.04.2006




Friday Night With Jonathan Ross: “I’m scared of retirement”, says Tom Jones

tom on ross 4-21Sir Tom Jones talks frankly about his fear of losing his voice when he guests on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross today on BBC ONE.

Tom confides to Jonathan Ross: “I dread the day when I can’t sing as well, which will happen. I’m not looking forward to retiring… when singing is taken away from that’ll be a sad day for me.”

He also talks about protecting his privacy and why he’s never written his life story: “If I was going to do an autobiography I’d want to do the whole thing, it’s not a thing I’d like to do, I’m not a tell-all person.”

He also regrets ageism in the music industry today. “I was always doing new things but didn’t get the chance to record them — it’s an on-going struggle.

“They’re [record companies] always looking for youth. When you’ve been around for a while sometimes it’s difficult to do something new.”


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The photo above is from the BBC press release. Andre has sent us lots of screen shots from the show like the (very cool fade-out) one on the left. They’ll be posted in our flickr sets. When that is done, we’ll add a link so you can see them.




For a great, detailed description of the show, be sure to check out mharding’s comment below. And we sincerely thank him.

Tom On Two Radio Shows — Hear the Interviews Through Thursday, 4/27

In the UK to promote Stoned In Love until next Tuesday (he opens at the MGM Grand Thursday for 14 shows) Tom did two radio interviews today.

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The first was on The Colin and Edith Show on BBC1. The almost-20 minute long live interview starts at about 2 hours, 14 minutes into the show. You can listen here for one week.

While Tom was being interviewed, the webcam was going. Below are a couple of blurry photos, but you can see Tom if you look carefully. (Thanks, M)

They didn’t ask the really interesting questions sent in by listeners and we’d love to know which question won the mask.






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The second interview was on BBC Radio 2′s Chris Evans Show. A phoner from his London hotel suite (which, you will hear only has one loo, so he and Don have to share), this short bit is kind of fun. And, as this is written, Sir Tom, his son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren are — according to what he said in the interview — having dinner in a London restaurant.

You can listen to that interview here through next Thursday. It starts shortly after 30 minutes in.

(When the BBC radio player is playing, buttons to fast forward, stop and pause are on top of the play window.)

OK, So He Won’t Have To Use His Bus Pass. But Is He Really Writing An Autobiography?

Our only comment: Tom Jones deserves every bit of his success and has earned every penny — er, shilling. Whatever, he’s earned it.




Sir Tom tops Welsh celebrity Rich List




Apr 21 2006/Sally Williams, Western Mail

SIR TOM JONES has banked more than any other Welsh celebrity this year as he boosted his fortune by £10m.

Sir Tom’s sell-out concerts, his knighthood and the rights to his eagerly awaited autobiography, all helped to raise his fortune to £185m, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

He is equal 10th on the music list with Sting, and 318th on the full list.

Rich List compiler Philip Beresford said yesterday, “Tom seems to be evergreen, he keeps producing hits, he can get his bus pass but he shows no signs of needing to draw his pension yet on this ranking.

“His knighthood has added a certain lustre to his name. The juicier he makes his autobiography, the higher he will climb up my list in future.

“He has a huge Los Angeles estate — he doesn’t have to pay high taxes there and it is close to Las Vegas for performing.

“And he has been selling the £3m home that he bought for his late mother.

“The home he bought in Bel Air for his sister Sheila is also up for sale because she preferred a bungalow.”

A New BBC Radio Interview With Tom 4/21; Contest, Too! + A Questionable Headline

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On Friday, April 21, Tom will be on The Colin and Edith Show on BBC1 from 1 to 4 p.m. in the U.K. You can listen here for one week, through April 27. We’ll try to let you know how far into the show the interview is.

A signed mask like the one worn in Stoned In Love is offered to the person who asks the best question of Sir Tom (who, for the record, is clearly not modeling it in this photo). The winner must be a UK resident (of course), but that shouldn’t prevent anyone from asking a question, should it?

To post your question, go to Colin and Edith’s site. If you do enter and feel like sharing your question, please tell us what it is. Or, if you don’t enter and just feel like posting a question, that’s OK, too.

Think quickly (remember the time difference) and get your question in. Good luck!


Raise Your Hand If You Believe This Headline:

“Tom Jones Questions His Knighthood”

Here’s the brief story from the MTV/UK website:

The Welsh sex monster wasn’t sure he was worthy, he tells Russell Brand…


Tom Jones had to question whether he deserved his knighthood, he has revealed.

Speaking in an interview with Russell Brand for this week’s 1 Leicester Square, the Welsh sex-god and singing legend revealed that the whole experience of being on the New Year’s Honours List knocked him for six. “It really does shake you up a bit,” said Tom, looking resplendent in black and with his big hair. “When you’re on the New Year’s Honours List, you start to question yourself morally.”

“I kept saying ‘am I worthy of this award?’ It’s a strange thing.”

“Getting a knighthood is a very important thing,” he added. “It puts a weight on your shoulders.”

Watch the whole interview on this week’s 1 Leicester Square, Sunday at 8pm on MTV.

Of course, this is being broadcast, so he undoubtedly did say this. But that headline? Does he sincerely and really question the granting of a knighthood? Come now. It’s probably that sense of wonder one may feel when a tremendous accomplishment, a dream, is realized. Not necessarily an “I am not worthy” moment.

What do you think?

Anyway, please, don’t forget to share your questions from the Colin and Edith Show.





One person actually asked (our current favorite for the prize), “Do you still believe putting on a puppet show is a good way to teach people civil rights?”

Now, that’s a great question. If you have others (even not so great) let us hear them.

iTunes has “Stoned In Love”? Only in the UK, But You Can Read About It Everywhere

Press for the April 24 release of Stoned In Love is going full steam ahead in the UK. Here’s the latest article from icWales. Lots to read in it, too, if you follow the links in the article. We’ll add links to articles about the song as we come across them.

The song is now available on iTiunes only in the UK.

If you have an account with iTunes in the US (or Canada, or anywhere else), you cannot use this account to buy the CD (which sells for £1.99). If you try without a billing address in the UK you are either declined or kicked back to iTunes in the US or the country where you have an account/billing address.

iTunes says there is no way to purchase an item in one country with a credit card address in another. But, if you wish to request a particular item be sold on iTunes in the US, to to the iTunes website and fill in the request form.

Meanwhile, we do hope this song is ultimately sold here, as Chicane’s other music — including the recordings done with Bryan Adams — is readily available on iTunes US. And, if anyone knows how to complete such a purchase, please let us know.

Thanks!

We’ve Added Some Things To TJI.com

Hi:

tjwax 2We’ve added a few small things to our site and hope you’ll check them out. The most obvious is the slightly redesigned menu at right so it’s easier to see what’s on the site.

Under “Pitchman Perfect,” there are now some sound clips of ads Tom has done and, under “Tom’s Musical History” we’ve added some photos (and will continue to do so). Now posted is the best album art ever. And that page is still the best narrative history of Tom’s music over the years. (For the very best discography, click the link at right.)

If you check out the “Our Las Vegas” pages, you’ll see some new photos like the one at right.

We’re also going to be adding a store soon, where you can buy TJI.com logo t-shirts.

Of course, we want your suggestions and feedback, so please stay in touch.

— Ellen & Ursula

Spring Tour Takes Off in Lancaster, PA: What A Knight!

As the lights went low April 5 at the American Music Theatre in anticipation of the start of the show Tony stepped up to the mic, and his introduction went something like this…”Just back from England after being knighted last week….ladies and gentleman SIR TOM JONES!”

lancaster 04-05-06That he was introduced as “Sir Tom” was no surprise, however, it was kind of surprising that the introduction was the last time the knighthood was mentioned the entire evening. Tom did his usual high energy-show, but did not share any of last week’s royal event. Also not mentioned was the up-coming release of Stoned in Love.

The song list remained pretty much the same as he has been doing along with St. James Infirmary Blues, Glory of Love,and Love Letters. The audience seemed mesmerized as he sang Love Letters and other ballads. The quiet in the room was as if everyone realized
they were witnessing a master performing his craft, and, during the ballads, all remained quiet and respectful only erupting with appreication as he finished.

This was the fifth time I have seen Tom so I do have the experience of previous shows to compare. Let me just say this: Don’t we all know the feeling of going back to work after a wonderful vacation? It takes us a while to get back into the routine. Seems to me Tom is no different. The show up to this point was business as usual, and took him a bit to get warmed up. We started seeing the tiger wake up during 200 Pounds. Then, as the first few notes of You Can Leave Your Hat On played, he took his jacket off with a “ready to rumble” attitude and he threw the show from drive into turbo boost.

The next three numbers were hot and the crowd responded accordingly. Up to this point security was all business asking anyone who approached the stage to go back to their seats. Flash photography was not permitted and that prohibition was strictly enforced with a visit from security if anyone tried.

magazineWhen Sir Tom returned to the stage to finish the show with the oldies set, things got interesting. Fans were permitted to swarm the stage area for an up-close-and-personal view of what was to come.

What came was Tom whipping the fans into a rock ‘n roll frenzy of a great time not soon to be forgotten. When he concluded with Kiss he treated us all to a larger and longer peek at his abs then I had ever seen previously. WOW!

A great time was had by all, but I got a special treat above and beyond any expectation. If you visit TJI.com regularly you may recall the story of the little girl who became a Tom Jones fan through being an Elvis fan. Yep, I was that girl, and I took the magazine from 1968 along just in case I got be lucky enough to get a signature, and that’s just what happened. I stood about four-people deep from the stage and caught Tom’s attention. He acknowledged me with a wink, but I was not close enough for him to do anything about it.

As he left the stage someone got him to sign an album cover, so I pushed up front and waved again and he doubled back to sign it for me. This magazine of Elvis and Tom has always been a special keepsake to me but now it’s priceless.

Thanks Tom, what a KNIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

—Audrey