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Great Stuff! More Tom With Jools; “24 Hours,” “Think,” Live; Tom’s Version of “The Hitter,” & Springsteen’s, Too
Saturday, October 18th, 2008On Jools Holland’s taped Friday night show, Tom sang an electrifying, theatrical version of 24 Hours Live. It is, in a word, stunning.
Then, he and Jools meet at the piano, talk about the new CD and sing Think.
If you have a problem viewing these videos here, go to the TJI.com Video Library.
Thanks again to our friend The Flash.
Here — at long last! — is Tom’s version of The Hitter If you read this site you know we are — or, at least, Ellen is — Springsteen fans. And we could find only five people who have covered him and all of them did Born to Run. He may not be a great singer, but Bruce Springsteen is a unique artist and his songs (like Dylan’s) read like poetry. It takes a brave, secure and thoughtful artist to cover him. Tom Jones is that artist. We love this.
You can see Bruce Springsteen performing The Hitter live in Bologna, Italy in 2005. He explains the song: “This is a song about a young man, leaves home, goes to the war, becomes a champion, comes back home, shorts himself, cheats himself. The song is a conversation between him and his mother toward the end of his life.”
Please remember you can pre-order 24 Hours by clicking the link at right.
October 18th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Oh yeah! Tom and Jools playing together! I need nothing else to feel happy
October 18th, 2008 at 9:21 am
24 Hours sung live is much better, soul stirring. This could be a real show stopper — so enjoy hearing Tom’s lower range. It will be interesting to see if Tom puts this in his upcoming Vegas & AC shows or not.
Always liked Think (along with all the music he did on the CD with Jools) — enjoyed seeing him do it with Jools. He & Jools seem to have a special rapport and Tom seems very relaxed with him.
The Hitter is well done. Another great cut from a sounds like a wonderful CD. I already have visions of a video for this one dancing in my head!
Thanks Ellen & Ursula for getting all of these videos, interviews & songs to us so fast! You are doing a fantastic job. The first thing I do every morning after I get my coffee is check your site for Tom updates!! You are THE BEST!!
October 18th, 2008 at 9:35 am
The Hitter…A man’s song! I almost wept but smiled at the end!!
October 18th, 2008 at 11:50 am
This is another spine-tingling song, along with 24 Hours. Am not sure how Tom’s audiences will take these two songs, but Tom does the most outstanding interpretation that can be done with both songs. Is there something wrong with my player, or was Tom lip-synching on 24 Hours??
October 18th, 2008 at 11:55 am
The Hitter! amazing performance’s on Jools, you could see Jools was enjoying too.
October 18th, 2008 at 11:56 am
This album must be a Hit Album.
October 18th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Marian: No, he wasn’t lip-synching. If he were, it would look better. That sometimes happens with lo-res videos.
October 18th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Thanks, Moderator, thought it must be my player or my PC speed.
October 18th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Wowser! This CD is going to be an instant classic! I can’t wait to see him perform these songs live.
October 18th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
I was anxious at first–wanting the CD to be a big hit with old and new fans but I had nothing to worry about. The more cuts I hear, the more convinced I am that 24 HOURS will be a well deserved hit for Sir Tom. “The Hitter” is awesome!!!
October 18th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
“The Hitter” in TOM’s voice is unbelievable
My Goosebumps are not going away after many repeats…..
I am speechless…..
October 18th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Mary: As we often say, everyone’s entitled to an opinion. The thing about The Hitter is that it’s in the tradition of the great story-songs and it strikes a note of truth that so many songs do not.
October 18th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
‘GREAT STUFF’ My heart is still beating with excitement. The definition of excite, to stir up the emotions of—ME. Thanks Ellen & Ursula for all your devoted work and time.
October 18th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
For me, hands down, Give a Little Love is still the best song on the album and the best stage number. The other good song for stage is If He Should Ever Leave You even though I don’t care for that song too much but I admit it’s growing on me. The rest of what was released so far is nice as far as his going in a new direction with more writing and all, but they don’t smell like hits or numbers that would go over too well in concert. Maybe it’s just me, but I have experienced times in the past when I’ve needed to listen to an album a few times to really see it differently. I’m not saying this is a bad album at all, it’s just that for radio or concerts, only 2 are stand outs so far. Can’t wait to hear the rest.
October 18th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
To me, this site is like the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you for so carefully following the UK promotion of the new CD, and sharing all the details. The anticipation of seeing Tom do some of the new songs live in AC next month, is building with every new sample I hear. I can’t help but wonder what is involved in the process of changing the set list? What songs will he choose to do? How does the band prepare, and when, with Tom’s busy schedule will there be time to rehearse? I loved the effect of the lighting at the end of 24 Hours and would like to see that type of statement in a live show also.
October 18th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I’m with Dragonlady, Tom & Jools at the piano is what music is all about!
The 24 Hours Live clip in color is WAY better than the the black and white “hey, let’s be dramatic and use a fog machine and two spot lights” video, but I still can’t handle it. Tom Jones standing still and not grabbing his microphone and letting loose is not for me unless he’s singing a National Anthem at boxing match.
THIS SITE IS ABSOLUTELY THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING!!! THANK YOU!!!
October 18th, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Well, people, we think there are several standouts. And we are so grateful.
October 18th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
The Hitter...I couldn’t understand a word Springsteen was singing (my apologies to Ellen). How is it that Tom can clearly enunciate every word in almost every song I have ever heard him sing!!! That beautiful Welsh/English singing and speaking voice is a talent in itself that stands far above the crowd.
October 18th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
If Springsteen’s The Hitter has the same impact that Curley Putman’s Green Green Grass of Home had for Tom, this song should be a real “Hit!” And as dark as 24 Hours is, it may have the same impact if given enough radio play.
October 19th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Marian: It’s not Springsteen’s voice that I like so much — it’s what he’s saying. (It’s singers like Tom, Sinatra, Streisand whose enunciation of every word that — in addition to their voices — sets them apart from all the others.)
But, listen to Springsteen’s song The River (“Then I got Mary pregnant and, man, that is all she wrote. And for my 19th birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat. We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest. No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle, no flowers, no wedding dress”), about working class American kids that is the story of so many people and that is a snapshot of real life….in New Jersey, the south, California, Wales — everywhere in the world.
Or, perhaps, listen to My City of Ruins, a song he wrote about his hometown of Asbury Park, NJ, with which he opened the Concert for New York right after 9/11 After that, it became an anthem for my favorite city. And, then, he wrote The Rising, about a New York firefighter on that awful day. And one cannot forget 41 Shots, the story of the tragic shooting of Amadou Diallo in New York City in 1999.
Then, of course, there are the exuberant songs that helped define a generation (Born to Run)) and the story songs like The Hitter…I’ve gone on long enough. Like Dylan (Bob, not Thomas), Springsteen writes epic American story songs very closely identified with only him. And, as we said elsewhere, it takes a brave singer to cover them. In fact, at first quick look, we could find only five people who have dared to cover Bruce and all of them covered Born to Run.
Tom Jones doesn’t cover singers. He covers songs. And, apparently he and his producers possess the insight to see how he could make The Hitter his own. I’m just so thrilled he did.
—Ellen
October 19th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Tom singing 24 hours was so great I think it will become a standard .it made the hairs on the back of neck stand on end .wonderful .I just wish Tom had done more tv while he was here .
October 19th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
The Hitter is a gut-wrenching song and I think Sir Tom has made Bruce proud!
October 20th, 2008 at 3:02 am
“The Hitter” is another powerful song that Tom delivers with a punch.Not a song I would like to hear too often but different.
October 31st, 2008 at 1:55 am
[...] We’d guess that, since Tom’s been in the UK for so much time, we’ll see a slightly different show as the run goes on until, toward the end, the setlist is finalized. We’d guess, too, — and based on nothing but instinct — there might be another song added in the finale. (We’d love it kick off with 24 Hours performed with the ambiance as on Jools Holland’s TV show. [...]