Fan Fare, What's New, Pussycat?
Here’s where you’ll find TJ photos and stories that don’t fit into any other categories. It is, as its name says, just for fans — and, hopefully, for fun.
Tom Talks. Twice. Twenty Years Apart. And A Shrink(?) Discusses Tom, Sweat & Knickers
Tuesday, July 10th, 2007
Check out these two brief clips on youtube.
Here, Tom returns to the UK after 10 years and, in an interview on The Late Late Breakfast Show (a nighttime talk show) on September 10, 1983, and tells Noel Edmonds about all the changes he’s noticed. Just remember as you listen, it was almost a quarter-century ago (photo at right).
In the second clip (looks like it was done at the premiere of Intolerable Cruelty in 2003), Tom talks about the most important lesson he’s learned in his years in showbiz. The chick doing the interviewer for some reason sounds puzzled at the end.
The thing that shines brightly through both of these clips is what a nice guy Sir Tom Jones is. There’s an earnestness that’s kinda sweet. And we clearly remember those stage suits with the bolero jackets — good times.
And, because we all needed a “scientific” explanation, here’s an unnamed shrink discussing Tom’s “Intimate Contact With The Audience.”
For the TJ historians among us, here is a list of all of Tom’s appearances on the BBC, both radio and TV. Note that the first “Tom Jones” listed on that page was on the BBC in April 1940, so he’s clearly not “our” Tom Jones.
[At the end of the 1983 clip, Edmonds says to Tom, "You've been very involved with the mini-..." Sounds like he said "rugby." Is that right? What was it? Let us know if you know. Thanks to mharding for the older clip.]
July 10th, 2007 at 2:41 am
Re. the first clip, there was a clip of Tom on Youtube in recent months showing him playing rugby with some children in what I think was the same year (’83). It was part of a breakfast tv feature on him and I think he was doing something to get kids involved in playing rugby at the time. I’m guessing that’s what Edmonds meant by “Mini Rugby”.
July 10th, 2007 at 5:00 am
Yes, it was Mini Rugby that he went on to talk about. I remember that show with Noel Edmonds well: Tom had just become a grandfather for the first time and he went on to speak about how thrilled he was and that it was great to be such a comparatively young grandparent. He’s just so lovely in both clips,isn’t he? Thanks to mharding and to Ellen and Ursula for posting; it’s really great to see a bit of that interview again.
July 10th, 2007 at 9:35 am
Loved these clips….thank you. I find the mature Tom very attractive…but the younger Tom is pure hubba-hubba. Whew!!
July 11th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Love these clips. Thank you. Tom has a nice smile.