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 Jones: A Man & His Music; A Song You’ve Probably Never Heard & It’s The Last Day To Enter for CD Drawing
Thursday, April 30th, 2009TV NOTE: The Biography Channel is showing the 2005 bio of Tom. It will be repeated today. Check you local listings. It’s kind of lame (as he’s not interviewed and, in fact, he knew nothing about it being made) and it’s quite mean-spirited with nasty remarks about Gordon Mills. In addition, of all the people Tom’s associated with over the years, why did they choose E. Humperdinck, Chris Hutchins and Robin Eggar to talk? Surely, the producers could have found better “experts” than those who have axes to grind. If you’ve seen it, what do you think?
Today is the last day to enter the drawing to win a CD of music that influenced Tom. If you order the new This Is Tom jones: What’s New Pussycat DVD from TimeLife (link at right) you will be automatically entered in the drawing.
Meanwhile, here’s a song that is unreleased called But If You Ever Leave Me. This is not to be confused by similarly titled songs done by Barbra Streisand and Vince Gill or with the standard If Ever I Should Leave You from Camelot or with Tom’s song, If He Should Ever Leave You.
I’ve contacted people who may know its history and, when I find out (if I find out) I’ll pass on the info. If you know it, please share. All that’s certain is that it’s from a producer who saved such tracks
Listen and please share your opinion.
April 30th, 2009 at 10:05 am
A very strange and bizarre arrangement, also a difficult song to sing. It starts out kinda folksy Country then morphs farther south into some quasi Mariachi thing.
Tom is from a different world than that song, yet, amazingly he knocks it out…as usual. When they say the man can sing anything, truer words were never said. Tom has got to be the most versatile singer who ever lived.
April 30th, 2009 at 10:07 am
The falsetto parts of this recording indicate that Tom was indeed, at this stage of his career, wearing his pants far too tight.
Only joking. Interesting to hear this. Is it late seventies or thereabouts?
April 30th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
This track has been released. It is from a vinyl entitled “Do You Take This Man” which was released in the UK. I think it is from 1978 or 1979. I remember it well. Also, the name of the song is “But If You’d Ever Leave Me”.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Abbie: Unless you have a different version of Do You Take This Man, (EMI/1979) the song is not on the version I am holding in my hands as we speak.
April 30th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
This sounds like it comes from his Country period in the 80′s. Another track that might have made it to the ‘From The Vaults’ CD.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Dear Ellen. The Uk version of the album is on Columbia Records. It has the track, But If You’d Ever Leave Me on it. Please see “The Great Rock Discography” By Martin Charles Strong. That book is available online through Google Books. I’m not saying that the book has all the recordings that Tom has done, but it is a good source.
April 30th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Well I can’t get it to play. I have tried 4 times, I keep getting can’t open the web site.
April 30th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Abbie:I have the original album. It is a Columbia/EMI album — yes! the 33! — and the song is not on it. There is a “specially imported from Great Britain” sticker along with two Union Jacks on the shrink wrap.
Strong’s listing is only partially — not really — correct. The UK version I have has only 10 songs on it. Missing, according to him, are the song here and You’re So Good. In addition, he’s got several titles wrong. For example, it’s Act of Mercy, not Out of Mercy; it’s Easy Lady, not Go Easy Lady.
As I said, I don’t mind being wrong, but in this case, I don’t think I am. If you wish to discuss this further, please email me.
April 30th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
I have also tried watching the Biography station, and there is nothing listed for Tom Jones right now it is Eric Clapton, then the group Chicago, Someone listed the times for Tom as 8-9, 9-10 and 11-12 I could not find it on cable here in the US New York.
April 30th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
I saw this Biography episode last January, they have it on at crazy times. It was on today at 10AM, 4PM and 4AM on 5/1. I don’t remember the remarks about Gordon Mills, but I did think it was crazy that Enge was on it and he talked as if he thought Tom was the greatest singer in the world. They did show at least one old interview with Tom, I don’t remember another. It wasn’t the best, but I like to see Tom on TV anyway. I think either the Biography or History Channel sells a DVD of this program if I am not mistaken.
April 30th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Hi Maureen, I just checked the local cable listing for Biography. If the schedule is correct, the time slot for Tom Jones is slated for 4:00 am. Sweet, we’ll all be in bed, sleeping. Hope the VCR recorder is working. Hope the Biography Channel will have Tom Jones on again over the weekend. Anyway, hope someone will be able to record it and then post it here on the TJI.com for all to see. Good Night.
April 30th, 2009 at 11:27 pm
TJF: The show was first broadcast in December 2005. It isn’t new but, even if it were, I have no way to post it….the file is too large. If you must — and I strongly urge you to resist — you can buy it at the Biography Channel store. They’re charging $24.95 plus “an estimated” $2.95 for S&H in the USA. It’s really not worth it.
May 1st, 2009 at 7:36 am
Hi that song is not on my copy either : Side 1,How Deep Is the Ocean; Act of Mercy; Baby As You Turn Away, Do You take this Man, Easy Lady. Side 2 Love Is In the Air, Going through the Motions, Lady Put the Light Out, If I sing You A Love Song, Hey Love, It’s A Feeling. The date on the album is 1979. I haven’t heard that song before. Thanks for posting it. It’s not on From the Vaults