Tom Jones International

Saying, “From one Welsh person to another,” Sir Tom Jones gave Duffy her Brit for Outstanding British Album at the awards ceremony yesterday.

There were lots of red carpet interviews and one we saw backstage. In fact here’s one more from t5.com that’s short (1:10) but nice and he just looks and sounds terrific.

Finally, there’s another also from t5.com — this one by British musician Guy Pratt on t5.com. It’s crystal clear — actual TV footage as opposed to quick news footage — and clocks in at a respectable 5:22.

Although one must wonder what that instrument is doing there at Tom’s feet (actually, between his feet) the ambiance is friendly, admiring, and again demonstrates Tom’s ease in front of an interview camera.

And, he answers the question, “What gets you out of bed in the morning?” You might be surprised at his immediate, very honest, answer. (See? He’s just a real person after all!)

Because it’s the best of all the Brit interviews, it’s posted in the TJI.com Video Library. As always, you can download it and watch it on a larger screen with RealPlayer Downloader.

News Update: Tom got his wish. He presented the British Album of the Year to….DUFFY! Is a duet next?

……Well, you get it: Tom talks, as he does so well — especially in response to some dumb questions:

“Who do you like?” “Who do you want to win tonight?” And the question that, apparently, interests only Welsh people, “Tom, what have you done to your hair?”

The interview is harmless fun to promote the Brits, so it’s also all good. Here’s a link to the interview.

Here’s an interview with Sir Tom arriving at The Brits.

Finally, another red carpet interview.

It must be said that Tom Jones is working incredibly hard to promote 24 Hours and one can only hope that what he’s doing and has done in the UK, the USA, Poland, Germany and España pays off in mega-sales. The CD’s made the Top 100 UK chart, going from #129 last week to #85 this week. Amazon UK has it at #73 overall; #5 in Easy Listening; #7 in Dance & Electronic and #7 in Dance Pop.

Amazon.com has it at #935 overall; #28 in Vocal Pop Classic (interesting category); #42 in Dance & Electronic and #63 in Dance Pop. Hopefully, his upcoming TV appearance on The View Tuesday and his series of concerts will boost the CD sales here.

And, because some in the UK have accused this site of being too Amer-centric, it’s worth noting what the sales recognition criteria are in each country. In the UK certification for a Silver album is 60,000 units sold; Gold 100,000; Platinum 300,000. In the US, the RIAA certification is: 500,000 units: Gold album; 1,000,000 units: Platinum album; 2,000,000 or more units: Multi-Platinum album; 10,000,000 units: Diamond album. Thus, gold in the US represents 10 times the sales as in the UK. (Of course, given that the US is about five times more populous than the UK, it’s a fair system.)

And, if you want to learn how the Brit Awards work, and why British bookies suspended betting on them, check this blog. And, no, it does NOT mention Tom.

I know I am partial, but I really believe the song says all there is to say about New York: “If you can make it there you’ll make it anywhere….”

Sir Tom has repeatedly “made it” in New York. He will again next week, on February 24, when he plays Terminal 5. If you doubt it, check with the local press.

Time Out New York says, “Does a sexier singer than this manly Welsh beast exist? We would certainly hope so. Nevertheless, get your panty-tossing arm warmed up, ladies. Jones, as always, is sure to whip out the hits. He’ll also share songs from his latest CD, 24 Hours, which suggests the recent retro-soul boom could have unsuspected benefits for a performer old enough to sound au courant again.”

The New Yorker says, “Though the Welsh wonder hasn’t released a collection of new material in more than fifteen years, he has a new album, 24 Hours, in the works and he’s set to bring his high-powered vocal style back to the stage. His underwear-throwing fans may show up to hear old favorites like What’s New, Pussycat?, but Jones (whom Queen Elizabeth II knighted in 2006) is sure to showcase material from the forthcoming album, which features contributions from Bono and the Edge, of U2.”

As noted, Tom’s played New York City many times, the last being the Nokia Theatre in 2007. Before that, it was Irving Plaza in February 2006 and November 2004 (photo top left performing — did you guess? — Pussycat). But one of his biggest engagements there was in May 1993 (photo, bottom left). He played the Limelight, the former church that was converted into one of the city’s hottest concert venues. Various incarnations of the Limelight had a long, varied history in several cities. The NY outpost lasted for 20 years, from 1983 to 2003 and the film Party Monster was based on a murder connected with drug dealing at the club.

Anyway, people who were there at Tom’s show tell us he was, as always, terrific, but they mostly remember the two women demonstrating their affection for each other while leaning at the edge of the stage. For a more professional review, however, we turn to Jon Pareles in The New York Times, who we hope will cover Sir Tom’s show there next week. I’ve been reading Pareles for a long time and he knows his stuff. An interview he did with Bono a few years ago for which I was in the audience was fun and informative.This review wasn’t a rave — doubt that today he’d call Tom Jones a “journeyman” — but, in hindsight, it is interesting:

Click here to see a great photo from 1993 or so and (more…)

From Metro comes this:
Why, why, why is the new single reminiscent of some of your earlier rootsy stuff?
I’ve been wanting to do something like this for some time and record companies kept saying that kind of stuff didn’t work any more. Then Amy Winehouse’s CD put the rubber stamp on it and proved it can be done; it just has to be done in a new way. The flavour remains the same and the arrangement is similar but the production is different; the drums are louder than they would have been in the 1960s.

We’re surprised you don’t rest on your laurels and do the veteran’s circuit…
I like new songs and I like to try new things but I still do a lot of the old stuff. They fit in very well. I now do six songs from the new CD but Delilah and Green, Green Grass Of Home still fit well with them.

It’s not unusual for people to get fed up of old hits. How many times have you sung Green, Green Grass Of Home?
I have no idea. I sing it every night we play and I do about 200 shows a year, but it’s about the people. They keep the songs alive. You start the song and you get immediate applause before you start singing. But do I sing it in the shower? No.

What prompted you to go grey?
I was looking at a couple of TV shows and I was thinking: ‘Christ, my hair does look dyed.’ It didn’t look natural any more, plus it was picked up a couple of times in reviews. Any time I get off, say over Christmas, I usually let it go, so this year it had a month off and I thought: ‘Why bother?’ At the first show I did with it, people were shouting: ‘You look great!’ I would have done it before if it would have gone white straight away. I like it white, it’s the grey in-between I didn’t like.

Do you ever help yourself to the knickers thrown on stage?
At first it was sexy. Women would just rip items of clothing off and throw them but it ended up becoming a bit of a giggle. I don’t know what happens to them. I used to capitalise on it a bit, you know, pick them up and wipe my brow with them and stuff. When you sing in pubs and clubs and people throw something, you try and turn it to your advantage. There aren’t that many women who do it anyway…

Who’s your all-time favourite singer?
A singer cannot do everything great; they shine in different areas. The kind of stuff Frank Sinatra sang, he sang great. But he couldn’t sing rock’n’roll music or rhythm’n’blues. If you want to listen to blues, you listen to Howlin’ Wolf or John Lee Hooker. But, then again, Hooker could not sing Fly Me To The Moon. Elvis covered a lot of ground, he had a big voice. His range was almost as big as mine.

Would you have liked to record with him?
His manager Colonel Tom Parker would never allow it. Elvis would come to Caesar’s Palace when I was playing and he wouldn’t even come up and do something on stage with me as he knew Parker wouldn’t like it. We’d go back to his suite and sing all night in private. They were always watching for someone recording it. I tried it once. There was a lad who worked for me called Chris Ellis. We were in my suite in Hawaii and Chris slipped in a tape. Joe Esposito, who worked for Elvis, just walked over and stopped it. We just wanted a souvenir of me and Elvis singing together.

I’m getting married later this year. Are you booked for December 5, can you make Inverness and how much would you charge to sing the first dance?
It’s a bit of a bloody stretch to get to Inverness. I think we are doing a British tour towards the end of the year, so who knows? I may just pop in.

In five days an interview commemorating a career milestone for Sir Tom will be posted here. In it he talks about the American music that influenced him and, in this, includes country. Very early on in his career, way before his Nashville era, he sang a lot of that music. Just check his early albums.

When Tom Jones was growing up in Wales, in Nashville Ray Price was a major influence on all of country music. In fact, to say he was influential is an understatement. His band, the Cherokee Cowboys, included over the years the likes of Roger Miller, Willie Nelson and Johnny Paycheck, Price’s hits included Release Me and the beautiful For the Good Times. He introduced a sound that came to be known as the “Ray Price Shuffle”, a 4/4 arrangement of honky tonk with a walking baseline that can be heard on his huge 1956 hit Crazy Arms. At 82 he is still performing and in the next few months will be in Florida, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kansas.

In November 2001 Tom sang that song on Jools Holland’s Later in the UK. In the scheme of Tom Jones’ career, it’s not a significant or landmark moment. But it is a clear and lovely demonstration of Tom’s way with a country song.

You’ll find the video of Tom singing the song here. (The piano explains quite clearly all that 4/4 beat stuff above.) Enjoy it!

Moderator’s Note: February 17: The legs on this story are almost — but not quite — as sturdy as the ones on the story about Tom going gray. It’s all over the world. Amazing!

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If you’ve ever posted a personal message to Sir Tom on a website, a forum or chat room in the belief he would see it, he wouldn’t. But that doesn’t mean the guy’s not social. He tells The Sun:

I’m useless at the internet and I’ve never sent a text

By CAROLINE IGGULDEN/Published: 17 Feb 2009

HE may be pushing 70 but legendary singer Sir Tom Jones still has his finger firmly on the pulse of youth culture.

He goes to the pub with Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys, offers career advice to Robbie Williams and records with the same producers as Dizzee Rascal.

But while his iPod is packed with albums by trendy artists such as Kings Of Leon and The Ting Tings, he didn’t download them himself.

Tom prides himself on moving with the times musically, but when it comes to hi-tech gadgetry, he is a self-confessed Luddite.

He says: “I am useless at the internet and I have never owned a computer. I have an iPod but I don’t load it up myself.

“I don’t get any pleasure from that sort of thing. I have never seen a text message — what’s the point? Why not ring someone up?

“I think a lot of people hide behind emails because they don’t like being asked questions. I love being interviewed and asked questions because I like a good chat.”

It is this sociable streak which no doubt makes Tom such a hit with young artists.

He says: “I enjoy talking to these youngsters.

“They tell me I am an inspiration because I still love doing my job so much and it gives them hope that they won’t burn out.

“I was talking to Robbie Williams on New Year’s Eve and told him I was about to start a massive tour.

Click to see a photo of Tom with a red nose, to see a photo of father and son side-by-side, as Sandy requested (comment #12 below) and to (more…)

Don’t forget the video posted this morning just below! Lots of fun!

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Lots of fans wondered why, when Tom was making the rounds of New York City-based TV shows in November and December he missed The View.

Wonder no more. Tom will be on — live — a week from tomorrow, Tuesday, February 24. That night he’ll play Terminal 5.

Broadcast times vary depending on location so check your local ABC listings.

Cannot wait to see him with Whoopi and Joy! And, forgive me in advance for the next sentence: Sir Tom Jones is a “Hot Topic” all by himself!

Over the years, Tom Jones has made no secret of the fact that the music of Jerry Lee Lewis, the 50′s rock n’ roller from Ferriday, LA,* was a major influence on him. Just listen to the joy with which he announces it when his next song, End of The Road, is a “Jerry Leeeee Lewis song!” Clearly the beat caught him early and has stayed with him ever since.

It’s interesting that Tom talks about his own talent as a “gift from God” and Jerry Lee says, “Other people — they practice and they practice… these fingers of mine, they got brains in ‘em. You don’t tell them what to do — they do it. God given talent.”

And, having seen Lewis play a couple of years ago that was, in fact, the amazing thing. Then age 71 and considerably slowed down, no matter how haltingly he walked, how softly he sang, how little he moved — those fingers were still magic and played like he did back in the day at Alan Freed’s show at the Times Square Paramount.

This video — old solo stuff and the two together on TITJ plus some from the show Jerry Lee Lewis and Friends that was broadcast on PBS in December 2007 — gives the viewer a sense of what both men were like back in the day and a glimpse of them together today. Sadly, when the CD of the show was released Tom’s duet wasn’t on it and that’s too bad because it’s likely a safe bet that of all the perfrormers who admire Jerry Lee Lewis’ music, Tom Jones is the leader of the pack.

By the way, if you’re passing through Ferriday, LA, you can visit the Jerry Lee Lewis Museum and Liquor Store.

You’ll find the video in the TJI.com Video Library. Hope you enjoy it and, in the USA, the President’s Day holiday.

*Ferriday is also the birthplace of Jerry Lee’s cousins Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart — quite a family, no? — and of newscasters Campbell Brown and the late Howard K. Smith.

If you were too busy to check TJI.com this week, take a few minutes and scroll down, following the links to some fun video.

Because the Question of the Month for February was chosen to air opinions on a subject from elsewhere, I thought it would be fun, having posted Without Love yesterday, to continue on the theme and ask one more question of you this month:

If you could choose one — just one! — love song that Tom has recorded as your favorite, which would it be?

I know it’s difficult to choose just one, but I’ll start off with The Anniversary Song from the 1977 album Say You’ll Stay Until Tomorrow. Tom took a classic and made it his own….soft, emotive and very lovely. A beautiful and, like Without Love, too often overlooked recording.

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And, as a late Sunday night diversion, this vintage video came up online again. From his old stand-up act, here’s Jim Carrey’s impression of Tom Jones.

On this slow news day in the world of Tom Jones, the Welsh papers are again — for the umpteenth time — reporting as news that Sir Tom would like to sing with Duffy. Um, old news already. Since there is nothing new, a visit to the old may be in order.

It’s Valentine’s Day!. Let’s talk love….songs.

For those too young to remember, those who may have forgotten and those who would like to revisit that time, here is Tom Jones in his first wave of popularity. The song is Clyde McPhatter’s Without Love which, almost as soon as he recorded it, became “Tom Jones’ Without Love.”

Though the video isn’t too good, the sound is and it’s an amazing piece of Tom history from TITJ. Just listen to the audience as the first few notes of the music play and Tom begins to speak and sing the now too-often overlooked Without Love. It gives listeners today just a hint of what Tom-mania was like. (If you were there that day, please post and tell us about it.)

The video format is RealPlayer. If you cannot watch it, drop me an email and I’ll try to send it to you. Thanks to Dre for reminding us of this. Happy Valentine’s Day.

PS: Here’s a special video compiled by a special person — TopTJFan — for Anita, a special fan. In it’s way it, too, is an appropriate song for Valentine’s Day. Check it out.