Tom Jones International

It’s Monday morning in Las Vegas and, contrary to the trend of late, last week was a very busy one here. Trouble in Mexico caused an uptick in Spring breakers in Las Vegas and March Madness (national college basketball finals games) caused an uptick in visitors who want to be here where the sports book (betting) action is. So, show tickets were selling better than ever. Yes, last-minute tickets are available, but they tend to be in the back of the house.
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Undoubtedly bouyed by the success of his CD, the great reception the songs from it get at his show and by the success of the Comic Relief CD — to which his contribution went a long way toward raising millions of pounds — Sir Tom is on fire! Energetic, happy and with a voice in tip-top shape — still, in so many ways a man in his prime.
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We’ve been onto other topics for the last two days but, be assured, everyone who visits this site wants to share your experiences at Tom’s show. Please post a review or a comment.

Note: Sorry about the color on the photo. The stage lights played a big role in making it odd.

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Please check the post below and, if you wish, answer the question about Tom’s musicians.
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For a bit about the guys at the Bootlegger last night, check out Bobby Gladd’s Santa Fe and The Fat City Horns blog.
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And, as noted, the guys played from about 12:15 to 2 a.m. and, for the audience, the time flew. Great music completely unlike that you’ll hear at a TJ show (which is also great, but different).
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This photo of Frank Strauss is posted there, as are others. They turned up the ordinarily low lights so Bobby could take these shots. Have to say it was a particularly nice gig because of all the musicians who turned out.
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If you’re in town next Saturday night, consider being there. You won’t see Tom Jones, just great musicians playing funky stuff and having a great time along with their audience.

Hopefully, there’ll be photos of last night’s smash performance at the Bootlegger Bistro here in Las Vegas. And, of course, the performance at the MGM Grand was great, too. Not a sell-out, but selling more than many other shows (it’s unusually crowded here because of spring break and March Madness), the TJ ticket-holders are rapturous about what they saw.

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After a bunch of confusing, arcane information, James Masterson, in his yahoo music blog tell us that with the rise to #1 of Islands In the Stream, Tom Jones Sets A Record: “Tom Jones can now at least claim an impressive span of chart-topping singles as it is exactly 44 years to the week since he was first at Number One with It’s Not Unusual. This means he overtakes Cliff Richard into second place in the all-time table, only Elvis with his 47 year span of Number One records. Oh yes, and there is one record he has effortlessly broken with this single – at a little over 68 years and 9 months old he beats a record that has stood since 1968 and becomes the oldest living act ever to have a Number One single in the UK.

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Sunday Note: Although yesterday Billboard reported that the Official UK Charts Company said (Barry) Islands In The Stream was again at #1, today the BBC reports the chart-keeper says it’s slipped to #2. Still a great run for a fun song and, more important, a very worthy cause.

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Now, this is not an official “Question of the Month,” but it’s timely and who said it must be the beginning of the month to ask a question, anyway?
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Last night at the Bootlegger Bistro I watched these jaw-droppingly talented musicians — Brian Monroney, Kenny Anderson, Herman Matthews, Bill Churchville, Frank Strauss, Ric Fierabracci and Mike Turnbull — and began to think about the others we’ve seen backing Tom up over the years. These include, BTW, backing vocalist Elton John and Jimmy Paige.
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Since launching this site we’ve corresponded a bit with, among others, guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, songwriter Les Reed and Keith Airey, who traveled with Tom for years and who backed up his busking gig in London last year.
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Occasionally some memorabilia pops up for sale. we’ve seen an official TJ tour jacket from a 1984 band member named “Mike” auctioned on eBay for $299. Or, someone who played with Tom will talk about the experience.
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On his TV show he always had the finest musicians as guests — amonog them Jerry Lee, Jerry Reed and Stevie Wonder.
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But it was the people who played regularly with him, who backed him up night after night, that went a long way toward making a Tom Jones show musically memorable.
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Who do you recall who has played with Tom? What made that musician special?
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You can check TJI.com’s rundown of past players (and MDs like Johnnie Spence) here and check out today’s group here.
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And, if you wish, you can include a link to a video you especially like of Tom with a musician (or group of musicians) and I can post it.

Moderator’s Off-Topic Note: Just came across three comments on concerts Tom did awhile ago. If you post a comment for the first time and, after a reasonable time elapses (say, one day) and it still isn’t posted, please use the contact link in the sidebar at right to let me know. Sometimes new posters get caught in the spam folder. So, apologies to Donna and Sugar Daddy, your comments are up.

Also, please don’t forget to check out the videos and reviews below— and add your own.Thanks!

For the second week, (Barry) Islands In The Stream is at #1 on the UK charts according to Billboard. Fun song, great charity. It’s too rare that a good time is had by all for a good cause. This is one of those rarities. And, if you missed the video and the “making of” video, check it out in the TJI.com Video Library. Just scroll down a little ways and it’s all there, part of the 60 videos posted so far.
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In Las Vegas? Check out Midnight Music tonight!
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This is the first in a series called “Midnight Music” at the Bootlegger — an old-style Las Vegas dining tradition — which will put the spotlight on the gifted musicians who primarily play play here as back-up for visiting headliners (Tom Jones, Barry Manilow) or who play nightly in Cirque du Soleil shows. It’s a chance for the back-up people to be front and center and it’s well worth being in the audience when they are.
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While absolutely no celebrity sightings are promised, what you will see and hear is this terrific group of musicians as you’ve never seen or heard them before. It’s great fun — good music, good food. And, you’ll notice in the audience there are lots of other musicians out to support their peers.
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That these musicians are top-notch is no secret. If you’ve seen them, of course, you know that. But, lately, review after review calls attention to their contribution on stage. It’s quite an experience for an audience used to hearing them in the background playing Tom Jones music to hear them play their own.
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You should come and see for yourself. If you’re coming from the MGM Grand, the Bootlegger is 3.7 miles from the hotel. Just go to Las Vegas Boulevard and head south. It’s just after the Off 5th Outlet Store on your left.

First, as Carol noted in a comment below, Tom will be at Philadelphia’s Mann Music Center on Wednesday, June 17. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 23. You can buy online or call 215-893-1999 to order tickets.

Tonight at the MGM Sir Tom was again sensational. He wore a black velvet jacket (sorry, no photo yet) and was clearly enjoying himself — having a lot of fun with an over-endowed, under-clothed woman who sat front and center and a good time was had by all.

Be sure to check out the video below. You don’t want to miss it!

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The headline on this post says it all — Tom Jones triumphed last night at the MGM. Tired after non-stop touring for the last several weeks? You’d never know it. If his voice was tired, it never showed.
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Looking….oh, I don’t know….one doesn’t want to gush…..just fabulous (that photo at left does not lie) and sounding so, too, Tom was in total command of his material and of a crowd that was more than willing to go along with him.
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Tom walked out to a wall of cheers that didn’t stop all night. And, if you doubt for one second that Tom Jones lives to perform, doubt no more. He fed off the audience response and it energized (and seemingly delighted) him.
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The only quibble one might have was with the lights at the end of If He Should Ever Leave You and in the musical bridge during Never. They turned on those lights called “audience blinders” and the lights did their job. Sitting right by Booth 105 in the front middle of the theater it was like a flashbulb going off in one’s eyes. On the other hand, his rendition of Never was flawless. (Cannot wait until he — or to see if he — adds Sugar Daddy.)
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The addition of Never last month and the new lights and new intro made the show different. There were looks of puzzlement in the audience as the intro was played — snippets of songs from 24 Hours broken up by some kind of (if I can recall correctly) banging sound. Whatever it was, it was disconcerting. (And, no, that’s not a pun.)
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Tom was on, the band (Herman is growing his hair and now has a stubbly beard) and singers (Darelle and Sharon looking especially smashing) were better than ever and the peple in the theater couldn’t get enough. Even people who’ve seen him more times than they can count had the kind of almost-like-the-first-time experience in the Hollywood Theatre last night.
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The “welcome surprise” noted in the post below? There is a new lobby card (right, of course.)

Saw Tom’s opening tonight and I can honestly say it was one for the books. But, because it’s late, there’ll be more on that tomorrow — along with photos. Including a very, very welcome surprise.

But! Thanks to MHarding (my favorite Welshman whom I haven’t met except by email) here is a new video for Give A Little Love.

We saw a snippet of it on one of Tom’s UK TV appearances, but here it is in its entirety.

Produced by Seconds Out Productions — Tom’s Production Company — and S-Curve Records — it was made by the animators at RJDM Studios in the UK.

Even people who don’t particularly like animation seem to get a kick out of this. It’s a totally unique idea and it would be terrific to see it get some play. As S-Curve was involved, one can only hope it somehow hits the US market. As you can see from the frame at left, it sure does not look like every other music video around today and that’s probably a good thing.

MHarding — himself an accomplished animator — explainss, “Safe to say they were were influenced (for this project anyway) by Fleischer Studios who did the original Popeye, Betty Boop and Ko-Ko the Clown cartoons.”

You’ll find it in the TJI.com Video Library. It’s guaranteed you’ve never seen another music video like this. Check it out.

Alexis Grace was voted off American Idol last night. In an interview on the zap2it blog she covers a range of topics, including her fondness for Sir Tom. Maybe, with Kara DioGuardi now a judge, he’ll be a mentor? I don’t like the show at all, but even I think that would be so much fun to watch. Wouldn’t it be nice?

I was reading up on your love for Tom Jones, so tell me a little bit about that.
I think it started a long time ago, my mom likes Tom Jones a lot. I just like his voice, it puts me in a good mood. I probably should’ve listened to some Tom Jones last night.

Did you make your roommates in the mansion listen to Tom Jones at all?
I should’ve but I didn’t. We were gone all the time but if we had some free time I definitely would’ve put some Tom Jones on and had a dance party. Everybody would have to do “the Carlton.”

Tom begins a two-week run tonight at the MGM Grand.

Especially lately, he has to qualify as one of the hardest working entertainers anywhere. Beginning with the release of 24 Hours in the fall he seems to have worked without pause, promoting, promoting and promoting. His work has taken him across Europe and the US, hopping back and forth between the two continents as if he were just going next door.

The promotion seems to be working. The charity CD he did with Ruth Jones and Rob Brydon is #1 in the UK. The promotion of that song seems to have had a nice halo effect, as 24 Hours is in the Top 12 in three categories on amazon.co.uk and in the Top 100 on amazon.com.

These two weeks in Las Vegas might, to Sir Tom, be the best of both worlds — he gets to stay in one place where (at least for a day or so) there’s lots of sun for basking and an eager audience each night that he can get to without leaving the place where he’s living. The only catch is that at this time business is awful in Las Vegas.

[At the left, as you can see, is the schematic of the Hollywood Theatre seating chart. The red outline closest to the stage is the fabled Table 5 that is eagerly sought by fans. The larger outline further back takes in two seating areas. Booth 105 (the venue's "house seats") and the table right in front of it are —really — the best seats in the house. When any celebrity shows up, or friend of the talent, they are given Booth 105. It gets released to the public only if the entertainer isn't using it. What makes it special is that it is directly eye-level with the performer on stage. When you sit at one of the tables next to the stage you are thisclose to Tom, but you are looking up or to one side or another. If you always try to get next to the stage do yourself a favor and, just one time, sit further back. I promise: you won't be sorry.]

Even though it’s warming up outside, Las Vegas today is kind of cold. All the hotels, restaurants and shows in town are relatively empty. Rooms in even the best hotels are deeply discounted. Restaurants are offering all kinds of specials. There is really no such thing right now as a “tough” ticket. You can see anything you want and, often, see it with a discount. In January — usually a slow time of year compared to others — it was absolutely quiet. Tom’s shows, like ever other one, were at best two-thirds full. That is scary. The only performers who’ve sold out here in the last few months are George Jones, the Jonas Brothers and Britney Spears. As a result, ticket prices are being slashed at many venues, locals are getting healthy discounts and dinner-and-a-show specials abound.

At any rate, lots of fans will be here from across this country and others and we look forward to a terrific two weeks.

If you see the show, please share your review.

Photo: Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register

In the March 10 issue of the UK edition of Hello! magazine, Sir Tom give a nice-sized interview where he responded to the usual questions — knickers, gray hair, his sex appeal, and so on — to which he gave the usual answers.Mostly, anyway,

But! At right is a wonderful quote from the article. It contains a universal truth about aging (the question asked by the reporter was, “How do you feel about getting older?”.) These are words so many people might consider taking to heart and should put to rest all the “controversy” about his decision to leave his hair au naturel.

You can download the two-page PDF here: Page 1 • Page 2

(Note: For PDFs these files are somewhat large, so they make take awhile to download.)

As noted each time a PDF is posted, if you cannot download it, just drop me an email and I’ll sent it to you. Once again, it’s surprising that this hasn’t turned up anywhere else online. If you are outside the US and come across a new article, please let me know.