Tom Jones International

Note from official website to fans, August 1, 2006:

“I’m very sorry I had to cancel the last two shows in Atlantic City this past weekend. I hate to disappoint my fans and all those who made plans to come and see me, and it’s upsetting to have to cancel.

I had an infection that affected by vocal cords, and was ordered not to sing by the doctor. As you may know, singing with cords that are not healthy can cause further serious damage, which of course all singers must avoid. Otherwise, I’m in good health and all is well. My sincerest apologies, and I hope to see you again in Atlantic City soon. ”

—Tom Jones

Most Tom Jones fans know the story. Tom was working days and singing nights in Wales, never losing faith that his voice would be heard; believing that “someone” would discover him. Well, that someone was Gordon Mills, another Welshman who found Tom, brought him and his then-group The Senators to London in 1964. After months of deprivation and being told that in those days — when Mick Jagger and androgynous groups were the vogue — that Tom was hopelessly out of style, Gordon wrote It’s Not Unusual for pop singer Sandie Shaw. She turned it down, Tom got the song and recorded it on November 11, 1964. On March 1, 1965, the record hit number one and Tom and Gordon never looked back.

Gordon went on to brilliantly manage Tom and also, a bit later, Engelbert. Additionally, he discovered and managed Gilbert O’Sullivan (whose hit song Clare was written for Mills’ daughter and whose stage name is the best of all Mills’ name-change creations).

But, while Gordon worked with the others, he and Tom were more than just business associates. They were best friends, trusted confidantes.

Tom has quoted Gordon, who said, “You just sing. I’ll do the rest.” And for more than 20 years he did.

In the summer of 1986, Gordon was hospitalized in Los Angeles. Five weeks later Tom finished an engagement in Indiana on July 27 and flew to LA to visit his friend in the hospital on July 28. They said good-bye and Gordon Mills died July 29 at the age of 51. He was buried in England on August 6. Tom cancelled an Atlantic City engagement to to go to England where he was a pallbearer at Gordon’s funeral.

Throughout his career, Tom has acknowledged his gratitude to his first manager. After Gordon’s death, most fans know, Tom’s son Mark Woodward stepped in to manage his father. With Mark, Tom has reinvented himself several times, staying current and successful.

But, without Gordon Mills 40 years ago there might be no Tom Jones today.

So we, like Tom, are grateful for Gordon and all he did and want to pause to remember him today, on the 20th anniversary of his death.

The photo above left is from Tom’s 1987 tour program. Above the photo of Tom, Mark and Gordon it said, “In loving memory of Gordon Mills.” Below it said, “There will never be another you.” The cover photo at right is from the September 18, 1970 edition of Life magazine. The photo of Gordon here was on the inside flap of a fold-out cover. The front cover had photos of Tom and Engelbert. You can find out more about Gordon Mills by going to our Back In The Day page.

THIS JUST IN: TOM’S SHOW TONIGHT (SATURDAY) IN AC IS CANCELLED BECAUSE HE HAS A TOUCH OF TROUBLE WITH HIS THROAT. HOPE ALL IS WELL FOR TOMORROW’S CLOSING SHOW THERE.

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It was the boys versus the girls Friday night at the Tom Jones dance marathon. The boys may have won… believe it or not!

Tom’s audience had anticipated his arrival long before the curtain went up inside the famed Superstar Theater. When the “money” stepped into the limelight the cheers went up. It sounded more like a football game for a second.

A very excited group in the middle of the room were immediate and sincere in their quest to let Mr. Jones know that among men, he IS the man! It was actually refreshing to see a group of guys who were not afraid to show their mutual manly affection toward their teenage idol. It was out of “respect.” These New Jersey wiseguys were genuine fans. They are wise indeed! When Tom realized that they were no “pussycats,” he connected with the fellas, throwing a knowing nod and a thumbs up their way.

Not to be outdone, ladies throughout the venue were up on their feet twistin’ and twirlin’ in response to the male onslaught. It was West Side Story 2006! Ha ha!

But alas, the ladies may have met their match. An older, very tanned, distinguised gentleman, a capo di tutti capi, made his way front and center, stripped off his shirt, and threw it at Tom’s feet. It was an odd but strangely splendid sequence —

Caught us all by surprise. His orange, leather like, wrinkle filled, handbag-waiting-to-happen lizard skin would have been better left inside the very item he decided to throw at the feet of the truly talented one (who has a slight orange hue of his own), his shirt!

Security seemed to be stymied by this grotesque yet mystifying twist of actions. So, this macabre topless dance went on for a few minutes while we all watched in amazement (with a little amusing horror mixed in). This gentle geriatric reptile kept right on with his brand of off-beat slither dance. He was kind of cute, in a National Geographic kind of way.

Then came the guy’s shoe… bam! it landed right at the feet of the superstar who was busy working his stage. Finally security got to the guy. He got his shirt back, and eventually his shoe too. And the great thing is, after all of that, he didn’t get thrown out. I think the audience liked the fact that the incident was simply absorbed into the excitement of the evening. Or maybe it was that this guy’s last name was Corleone. Nah! Tom took it all in stride and didn’t skip a beat.

In response, female fan with generous attributes re-adjusted her already low-cut, trendy top. It was a successful effort, enticing Mr. Jones back into the female fold.

In the end, a great time was had by all. It was a fun and interesting night.

Did I mention that Sir Tom shocked us all when he sang With These Hands as the third song of the set last night??? For it he received a very gracious standing ovation. We were simply delighted with this unexpected pleasure.

Don’t blink. Who knows what may happen tonight.

What’s your 20 now? Hurry up!

Scoop… out!

For those who don’t know it, Atlantic City, New Jersey, is perfectly located on the ocean in the southeastern part of the state. For more than a century it’s been a seaside playground with a wonderful boardwalk (first built in 1870) and a real carnival atmosphere in the summer. In fact, the city was such a highly regarded playground for the rich that a Pennsylvania game designer used Atlantic City’s streets on the original, best-selling board game, Monopoly in the 1930s. Since then, the city had fallen on hard times, becoming infested with crime and poverty. In 1978 voters there approved casino gambling, believed to be a cure for the city’s ills. The boardwalk rose again, with massive casino hotels, the first of which was Resorts International, where Tom plays four times each year these days. Of course, the urban issues that plague many citys were not resolved by gaming and, today, as a gaming center, Atlantic City is struggling, competing with the Indian casinos that have drawn much of their large New York patron pool away and with a more spectacular Las Vegas. But, whatever, Tom just rocks on there next to the beautiful ocean.

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Tom is back in Atlantic City! Mr. Jones is comfortable at Resorts. After all, he’s been a mainstay at the Superstar Theater for years.

Enthusiasm for his show has not waned over time. Employees trumpet the return of “Sir” as fan regulars flock to this east coast ocean oasis to hail “The Voice.”

Always before and after his sold out shows, the Jones elite belly up to black jack, the bar, or the myriad electronic enticements, all guaranteed to take your money. Of those things, it is only Mr. Jones who actually earns your money.

Mr. Jones earneth, Mr. Blackjack taketh away! Mr. Casino very happy!

As usual, the mood inside the Superstar Theater is dark and mafia-like, but without the hazards of cigarette smoke, smoking guns or goodfellas! The old showroom is a kind of relic. But it’s the perfect place to get up close and personal with the thunder from… Wales!

This first night of four for Tom was good, but the voice did start to waiver halfway through the show, but only when he went for his highest notes. May have been the long flight from LA, or his demanding schedule away from the stage. Still, a rock-solid performance was enjoyed by all in attendance.

You see, Tom is able to shift gears without detection. If he knows his voice is not 100 percent, he takes his money notes to another, more manageable plateau. Yet he still delivers, and almost always he comes back the next night with a vocal vengeance.

Many entertainers “work” for a living. Tom Jones actually works for a living. He’s one cool cat who keeps you wondering what’s going on inside that famous head.

That’s also part of what keeps us coming back to see him.

Those eyes and that half-smile reveal just enough to keep us addicted. Add the voice and a simple shift of the hip, and you’ve got a musical meringue that is still tangy, and begs to be touched, and — oh, my — eaten!

The weekend is here. The ocean is here. Tom Jones is here. What’s your 20?

—Scoop Out

Scoop emailed us:

“I think [Variety's] review of Tom at the Hollywood Bowl robbed your readers of what I thought were two very memorable nights. Though the review was positive, it didn’t capture the depth of the heights Tom reached in that massive outdoor venue. Looking at nearly 17,000 people on each of two nights in a row at the Hollywood Bowl will be among my most cherished memories of seeing Mr. Jones. The many ovations he received those nights were thank you’s, not just for the evening, but for a career. When Hollywood embraces one of its own like this, it must be extremely uplifting to the soul. I hope Tom allowed himself to enjoy what happened there last week. I know I did.”

Moderator’s Note: Our guess is that Variety doesn’t gush. It’s a publication that watches from the sidelines and lobs sardonic, ironic comments on what’s happening. Guess it doesn’t do for them to be impressed with anything but the bottom line. Thanks, Scoop, for your insight. After all, regardless of a knighthood or birthplace, by this time Tom Jones is indeed one of Hollywood’s, LA’s — and the US’s — “own.” It’s great that he’s big enough to belong to so much of the world. And isn’t “depths of the heights” just a great descriptive phrase?

Called “the show business bible, Variety is an important place to have a good review. This is an example. Congratulations to Sir Tom, his musicians and singers. (Audience comments sent into the LA Times are in a post below.)

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Tom Jones; Pete Escovedo Orchestra

(Hollywood Bowl; 17,391 seats; $145 top)/Presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Society. reviewed July 21, 2006, closed July 22, 2006.

Bands: TJ: Brian Monroney (musical director), Ken Anderson, Sharon Hendrix, Darelle Holden, Herman Matthews, Michael Mennell, Peter Olstad, Tony Reynolds, Kevin Richardson, Frank Strauss, Mike Turnbull; PEO: Pete Escovedo, Juan Escovedo, Peter Michael Escovedo, Joe Rotundi, Mark Van Wangeningen, Michael Angel, Kerry Loeschen, Arturo Velasco, Sal Cracchiolo, Mario Gonzalez, Alex Murzyn, special guest, Sheila E.

By STEVEN MIRKIN

Even in an age when graying, wrinkly leading men romance starlets one-third their age, the idea of a 66-year-old sex symbol should be preposterous, but in his Hollywood Bowl debut Friday night, Tom Jones managed to pull it off. Yes, the panties that were tossed onto the stage were more likely to be from JCPenney than Agent Provocateur, but Jones (that’s “Sir Tom” to you, as the introduction reminded the aud) retains enough of his swagger and winking, randy charm.

Since his hit 1987 cover of Prince’s Kiss with the Art of Noise, Jones, who also played the Bowl on Saturday, has insisted on his relevance by collaborating with younger artists, including Stereophonics, Jools Holland and his current British single, Stoned in Love, recorded with electronic dance producer Chicane.

The hips may not swing as smoothly and the clothes don’t fit as snugly — and they’re quickly soaked through with perspiration — but his voice has held up; his hits (It’s Not Unusual, Delilah and What’s New Pussycat) still sound fresh and playful, he can still bring the heat on Jerry Lee Lewis’ End of the Road and quasi-operatic power to the torch ballad Love Letters. He may be Great Britain’s sweatiest life peer, but he’s an entertainer, a talent that age can’t dim.

The Pete Escovedo Orchestra opened the show with a 40-minute set of easy-going Afro-Cuban jazz. While the horn section (especially Arturo Velasco on trombone) and pianist Joe Rotundi were impressive, the real thrill of their perf was watching the interplay between Escovedo and his sons Juan and Peter Michael (and daughter Sheila E., who sat in) on percussion.

Our friend Steve McCoy was just nominated for a “Cloney” award, the honor given by International Guild of Celebrity Impersonators & Tribute Artists (IGCITA). He was, of course, nominated for his impersonation of Sir Tom.

The Cloneys will be awarded at the group’s conference in Orlando in the fall.

Steve says, “I do not think I am Tom Jones. I enjoy performing and it just so happens that the guy I impersonate is a charismatic performer and personality and a phenomenal singer. I used to watch Tom Jones on TV with my Mom and my sister on Thursday nights. We went to see him at the Latin Casino in Jersey — where they had a sign up that simply said, ‘HE IS HERE’ (which got a lot of the local clergy upset) — and he came out in a tuxedo and drove the people nuts. I was a 13 year-old kid and I saw the women taking off their blouses and bras! What an experience. I never forgot it. He was my idol and I’m so lucky I have a full life and am able to get up and perform in front of people and, for the time I’m onstage, know they will forget their problems. That’s a blessing and I am grateful.”

You can check out video of all the nominees here.

We wish Steve the best of luck. We’ll let you know what happens.

You can see Steve at Belterra Casino in Florence, Indiana August 3 through 7 and August 25 and 26th at Sprit Mountain Casino near Portland, Oregon. Check him out — especially his 200 Pounds.

Music: Still a sex bomb

Welsh superstar Tom Jones is preparing to play Belfast in October. Sunday Life caught up with the ageless performer, who reveals he’s not quite ready to lose the leather.

By Edwin McFee/23 July 2006

Life must be a hell of a ride if you’re the newly knighted British crooner Tom Jones.

Even at the ripe old age of 66, the leathery legend (we mean that in the best possible way, Mr Jones) continues to pack them in at concert halls world-wide.

And of course, he still gets his fair share of ladies’ knickers lobbed up at him on stage.

It also seems that every so often, Tom reinvents himself for a younger crowd.

In the Eighties, his notoriously OTT version of Prince’s Kiss brought him back to life and the same thing happened in the Nineties when he tackled the ever so subtle strains of Mousse T’s Sex Bomb.

And now, he’s done it again with his own inimitable take on dance music — see his recent Top 10 single, Stoned In Love, for further details.

So what will his hard-core fan-base think of their hero’s current incarnation? Tom, it’s over to you.

(more…)

Below are emails sent to the Los Angeles Times in response to a request for reader reviews. This was for Tom at the Hollywood Bowl Friday night (played there Saturday, too).

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July 23, 2006/T. Burns/Fountain Valley, CA


Saw Tom Jones for the first time after listening to him for what seems like a lifetime. At first, it was difficult to believe that it was him. A completely different look and with beard and mustache as well as vocal chords that were definitely showing their age. But after a half-dozen songs, the vocal chords loosened up and he belted his way through a chronology of oldies but goodies like It’s Not Unusual and She’s A Lady that satisfied almost everyone in attendance as attested to by the ladies undergarments littering the stage! A solid performer strikes a note against the mediocrity of today’s performers! Eddie Palmeri opened for Tom and gave a good performance although not one distinguished by anything recognizable.




July 23, 2006/M.Brown/Los Angeles, CA


On a sticky summer night, Sir Tom rose above the heat and made some magic. Amazing. Loved that the crowd was from 16 to 75. Loved the fact that Tom is still creating (check out his album with Jools Holland — fabulous!) And really apprecaited the fact that, even though he has sung many of these songs for decades, he still sang them true. Go Tom!


July 23, 2006/richard/newport beach, ca


Best show I have seen in years. Tom rocked the bowl, great band and back up singers. Sir Tom is the rare talent that still has the raw intensity he had in the 60’s. Beter than the Stones live and even Elvis and Sinatra in their late years in concert. Inspired performance!

July 22, 2006/ptbedouin/Long Beach, CA


“Went to the Bowl on Friday night with little expectation. I had seen some legendary entertainers before and had left disappointed. But Tom was fabulous. Great voice and presence. On the way out of the Bowl, I overheard a teenager say to her mom, ‘Tom, rocks mom!’ He sure does.”

Friday night, the 14th of July, we went undercover – posing as “Fanilows” – accompanying out-of-town friends to see Barry Manilow. We didn’t know what to expect. Ticket prices were fairly high; bumping up around $250 each for our seats (we were comped). Our friends paid $1000 each. That’s right, ONE THOUSAND dollars. For this privilege they received a champagne reception with ol’ Barry before the show, professional, as well as casual photos with Barry, a private audience with BM, autographed programs, and (drum roll please) front row center seats. We were told that the proceeds from this go to his foundation. Interestingly, fans are allowed to purchase this package only once in their lifetime. Our friend, Laurie, was giddy from the thrill of it all.

Having never been huge Barry fans — Ursula has one old Barry vinyl and Ellen has one CD — we were skeptical. But, we were extremely impressed by the production value of the show. It flowed. It was funny. It was packed and the audience went wild. We admit we knew more of his songs than we knew we knew and we even liked several of them. Barry had a fantastic orchestra, talented back-up dancers/singers. The whole package.

From a Tom Jones perspective, here are our biased observations — too bad the chances are slim that Tom will actually see this:

Barry does a full-screen retrospective of his career before the show opens. It was great. It would be incredible to see some old clips of Tom sometime during his show. He certainly has plenty to choose from. The overall feeling we were left with after viewing the history of BM was that he’s had staying power. What about Tom? Wouldn’t you love to see clips from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s? What a treat that would be!

Barry has a new album out of songs from the 50s. He integrated them into the show without saying something like, “Here’s my new single.” He did an American Bandstand segment and morphed that into some of the songs from his new CD. Very eloquent. And elegant.

Costumes. Barry wore a black shirt and pants and changed into at least five different jackets. It worked with the mood of the music and was part of the show. Aren’t we all more than a little tired of the navy and black sequined shirts? We are.

Barry acknowledged his fans. Several times. Thanked them for supporting him throughout his career. He even pulled one girl up on stage to dance (a waltz) with him during one of the 50’s songs. It was sweet. Enough said.

Barry acknowledged his band. Several times and by name.

There were actual skits and scenery; writing and directing. He talked about how he started out and got to where he is. It was interesting. Tom has quite the story to tell. We’d love to hear more about it.

Finally, Barry was just 60 years old. He actually sang songs that were appropriate for his voice — which isn’t anything special — and his age. Now, we know Tom is always current. That’s terrific and keeps him interesting, helping him find new audiences. But, admit it, wouldn’t you love to see hear him sing a lovely, classic, Cole Porter tune? Or, how about bringing some of his classics (like Till) back, maybe with new arrangements as he did with I (Who Have Nothing)?

With Tom’s phenomenal pipes (the best in the world), there is a whole universe of choices from which he could take material. There are classic ballads or R&B. We recently viewed a clip from The Right Time which was done in the early 90’s. When Tom sang that Otis Redding classic, I’ve Been Loving You Too Long it brought on goosebumps. Leave Stoned In Love to the club set and come back to us. Yes, continue to sing great music — and, please, do an R&B album — and try new things but, always, get back to your musical roots, to the music you love.

Watching Manilow’s show, an audience member gets a real sense of the man’s importance; a sense that he has a special place in popular music. We’re not going to debate that point, but we must state unequivocally that Tom Jones absolutely does have a special place in popular music — the first “trans-Atlantic” TV show; the first single act to make it here during the British invasion; the first single act to play Madison Square Garden. And so on. Thus, his show merits this kind of ambiance — a frame of reference that, without being stuffy or pretentious, recognizes his incredible voice and his amazing 40+ years of making music.

Editorial over. Barry was good. Tom is so much better and his career is so much more extraordinary. What we would give to see Tom step out of his comfort zone and really produce something that rivals what his contemporaries — not “peers,” because he has no real peers — are serving up. Now, that would be something indeed!




—Ursula & Ellen