Tom Jones International

You can buy a copy of the program (or, as they say in the UK, “programme”) from the Concert For Diana website. For the US and Canada it costs £16.25, including shipping ($33.28 USD; $35.10 CAD). The site also says there is a DVD of the concert being prepared for release “later this year.”

On eBay the programs are going for hundreds of dollars. Even at the official price we must ask if it’s worth it. (Actually, insofar as Diana is concerned, it’s well worth having. We even considered ordering several and selling them on eBay. But, no.)

But as far as Tom goes, you have to decide for yourself. The 128-page book is a beautiful document commemorating a beautiful woman. But, then, there’s the stuff about Tom. The photo at right is the one they use in the book. It’s from 2003. The copy that goes next to the photo is, like the picture, outdated and, in fact, sometimes downright incorrect:

“In his native Wales, he is known as ‘Jones the Voice’. Today, he is one of the enduring personalities in the music entertainment business. His unique vocal power, ability and charismatic persona make him one of the most respected, admired and loved performers in modern popular music. His recordings have spanned the spectrum from pop, rock and country to classic standards, rhythm and blues to boogie woogie and rockabilly through to contemporary dance and urban soul, but he is first and foremost a rocker with a true rhythm and blues soul.

“Tom had his first hit single, It’s Not Unusual in 1964 and is still both recording and performing to great acclaim. The millennium saw a shower of honors, among them a BRIT Award for Best Male (UK), Amigo Award for Best International Male (Spain), NRJ Award nomination for Best International Act (France) and Echo Award nomination for Best International Act (Germany). A profile of Tom was presented by Vicky Mabrey on 60 Minutes II and by Lord Bragg for The South Bank Show. Last year Tom released his Greatest Hits package in the UK and US, undertook a massive tour of Europe and was presented with a BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. He was knighted Sir Thomas Woodward by The Queen on 29th March this year.”

OK, then, what can we say? The Concert for Diana was July 1, 2007, so the bio — which is almost always provided by the artist’s people — is all out of date. The Greatest Hits CD was released in the US in 2003. The Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music was also in 2003. And Tom had his first hit single in 1965. It was recorded in 1964. And we won’t even discuss the photo used. It’s all so easy to fix and as fans we are frustrated.

We believe that Sir Tom, who really is one of the greats, deserves better.