Tom Jones International

Please don’t forget to read the good news for fans in post below this!

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First, the raffle to benefit the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation is complete. Winners were chosen by a fellow named Ethan McCoy, son of Tom Jones impersonator Steve McCoy (as, at this time, Steve was the closest I could get). The (very excited) winner of the memorabilia raffle is Diane, a fan from Colorado. The four pairs Ravinia tickets were won by Eunice and Monica (from Illinois) and Sue from the west coast. Sue won four tickets.

By the way, Steve, who is going back into Legends In Concert at Harrah’s on The Strip the third week in July, was most eager to participate in any way he could and to let his seven year-old son help because, he says, “My 84 year-old mother had breast cancer last year and she’s recovering. But, when I was still single and back on the east coast, a 23 year-old a girl I dated died from breast cancer, so I’ve been aware what breast cancer can do. We’ve got to cure it and I want my son to feel the same way I do.”

The photo at left is a screen shot taken from video of Tom performing at the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 18 in New York City.

As one person wrote me, “It is priceless!” Hope every viewer enjoys it as much as Tom clearly enjoyed himself at the event.

You can watch the performance in the TJI.com Video Library.

Once again, lots of stuff posted on TJI.com lately, so be sure to scroll down this page so you don’t miss anything.

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You may recall the fuss kicked up here on May 9 when the poster for Tom’s European tour this fall was discussed. You may even recall that the Welsh newspapers had a story about TJI.com and the poster.

Well, that was then. And this — on the right — is now!

I’m experienced enough to know that fans cannot take credit for precipitating the change, but still optimistic enough to want to believe that fan reaction at least in part caused LiveNation to redo the poster which has run as an ad in everywhere Tom will play. Now he looks great — like a singer who is singing; singing his heart out. In the other poster? Not so much.

Things are, really, tough all over and shows are an extravagance. The only date so far sold out is the Saturday night in Cardiff. Of course, this says nothing — absolutely nothing! — about Tom’s popularity. As was famously said in the USA in 1992, “It’s the economy, stupid!” And tickets are in the range of £45-£55 which, though it is still less than it costs to see him at the MGM Grand, isn’t inexpensive.

Perhaps all promoters should do what Dave Matthews is doing. He charges a flat rate and it’s first-come-first-served. He’s not giving tickets away, but it is a system that — once a person decides to buy a ticket — depends upon quick action rather than how much is in the bank. Everyone has an equal chance for the best seats. Seems the fairest way. (Even the scalpers’ price for his shows is less than for others.)

At any rate, did fan reaction have anything to do with changing the poster? Who knows? But it’d be nice to think LiveNation listened, wouldn’t it?

—Thanks, Pat, for the poster! And thanks to Helen for identifying it as the work of Carson Windhorst, who says, “A few months ago I was asked to take some live shots of Tom Jones. One of the shots has been used for his latest official tour ad.”

If you’ve missed a couple of days or, even, several hours, on TJI.com, be sure to scroll down this page for more about Tom at Glastonbury and news published today.

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According to writers Luke Blackall, Kala Paul-Worika and Ashleigh Rainbird in The London Paper, Tom has been asked by The Killers if he’d like to collaborate in “their studio in Las Vegas.”

First, if you don’t know who The Killers are, they’re today’s most popular band to come out of Las Vegas. Last time U2 played here (2005?) lead singer Brandon Flowers came on to sing with Bono. The photo at right was taken that night and was in the January 8, 2009 (does that month and day sound familiar?) issue of Rolling Stone in a story about Brandon Flowers. It was taken by my daughter, Ruth Barohn, when we were at the show.

As for “their studio in Las Vegas,” my guess is that the reference is actually to The Studio at the Palms Resort and Casino. I went there at the suggestion of a musician when I was writing an article called How To Live Like A Rock Star In Las Vegas. The Studio was something — state of the art but, as I recall, there was still stuff to get that analog sound, too. It was pretty amazing — even to someone like me who really doesn’t know much about this stuff. The Studio’s linked directly to the Palms’ concert venue, The Pearl, which is itself the best venue in Las Vegas.

Finally, Tom’s reference to seeing Springsteen was at a show The Boss did Sunday night at Hard Rock Calling in London’s Hyde Park. (Remember the earlier post about Prince Harry and Natalie Imbruglia being there?) Anyway, you can read about Springsteen’s astounding three-hour set in NME. And, all I can say is that if you get the opportunity to see Springsteen — even if you’re not a fan — you should go. It’s like seeing the Beatles. Or Elvis. The Stones or Michael Jackson. It’s an experience you want to know you had when you look back. (Yes! Of course, Tom’s on that list, too!) I know only one person who didn’t like him and she is very negative in every way. If nothing else, the audience member has to appreciate the performance itself. And three hours isn’t an unusually long show for him.

Anyway, the article is below. Please forgive the bragging. And the digression.

Tom Jones set to collaborate with The Killers

Brandon Flowers has approached Welsh singer Tom Jones and invited him to the band’s Las Vegas studio to work on a song

COULD we be seeing a collaboration between Tom Jones and The Killers ?

theBuzz asks after Tom revealed to us that Brandon Flowers’ band have approached him to do some work.

“The Killers asked me if I wanted to come and use their studio in Las Vegas,” he told us backstage yesterday after his packed show on the Pyramid stage.

“Nothing’s happened yet, but it could be interesting.”

It was a busy day for 69-year-old Tom, who goes on tour in the UK this autumn.

As soon as the interview was over, he headed to London for the Hard Rock Calling concert in Hyde Park.

“We’re going to head back to London this evening. I’m keen to catch Bruce Springsteen – I saw him on TV last night and he was fantastic!”

(Photo left, Getty Images)

If you’ve missed a couple of days here, be sure to scroll down this page for more about Tom at Glastonbury.

Here’s news footage from Glastonbury yesterday, in which Tom talks to Sky News about Michael Jackson.

It’s a nice interview and, before you watch it, take a guess at what Jackson’s favorite TJ song is. I wouldn’t have guessed at all.

ALSO, as you must by now be aware, there’s lots of poor quality video of Glastonbury floating around cyberspace. But, if you have patience, there’ll be some really great quality video posted here.

We non-European fans are very lucky to have fans in Europe who understand how much we wanted to see the show and a few of them recorded it and sent it. These are, as you can imagine, ginormous files, so they take some time to prepare to post in the TJI.com Video Library. But have patience. These are, with the right equipment, easily downloadable and are terrific.

How nice that people do this for us — and it is not always easy — when they could just write and direct us to a link that doesn’t work outside the UK or to a site that will have the video only for a week or two. When the video is posted they’ll be thanked by name. (By the way, today’s video was found by Dre.)

Tomorrow On TJI.com: Raffle winners will be notified. This site is going to link to a very special set of CDs you can buy that are, at long last, available and that are wonderful. And, last but absolutely NOT least, news that may mean that fans have influence. (Or, maybe, not.)

As always, if you cannot see the video, drop a note and I’ll email it to you.

If you have nothing else to do, maybe you want to check out this BBC One Show blog. Some fun with Tom on it.

Reviews of Glastonbury are still being written. (I like the jeans and leather jacket look for a change.) but Michael Jackson still dominates the news. Tom’s big summer tour begins July 10 in Milwaukee and one can only believe that, while he might go to Michael jackson’s funeral (and there’s now a very icky, very opportunistic and — yes — disgusting, website devoted to that topic) he’s coming back to prepare for that. Wonder if he’s going to retain any of the material put back in his show for Glastonbury when he tours. Hope so, don’t you? As for the article from The Mirror where it says Tom “cosied up” to the writer and her friend, do you really call it “cosying up” when a celebrity poses in the press area with a reporter? That, friends, tells you in two small words why the tabs are what they are and are not taken seriously.

From The Sun comes this story by Nadia Mendoza:

Tom Jones says ‘I am in shock’

TOM JONES is devastated over MICHAEL JACKSON’s death – as he knew the singer from when he was a little boy.

The Welsh warbler said: “I am in shock. Michael used to come over to my house. I saw a lot of him when he was married to LISA MARIE PRESLEY.

“He was a lovely fellow. I knew all of THE JACKSON 5.

“You can see what an affect he had on people by the way the world has reacted.

“He was a legend in the same league as ELVIS and JOHN LENNON.”

But the It’s Not Unusual singer said there was no need for dedications on stage.

Tom added: “I don’t think anything needs to be said during a performance.

“Everyone is on a high and talking about him would put people on a downer.”

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And The Mirror, in an unsigned bit clearly written by one of the people in the photo at right, says:

Tom Jones says ‘I’ll be there’ for Michael Jackson tribute single

Tom Jones paid tribute to his good friend Michael Jackson as he cosied up to us at Glastonbury last night.

We were among the lucky few invited backstage after he flew in by helicopter for his stomping hour-long set.

The Welsh crooner told us how he became mates with Jacko in LA – even popping in for tea.

He told us: “It’s so sad that such a talented man has died.

Maybe it was the stress of doing 50 dates. But he must have had a weak heart for that to happen.”

After the gig Tom was set to fly back for the funeral, pledging his support for the much talked about tribute single to Michael.

He said: “Anything they want me to do … I’ll be there.”

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AND! courtesy of Shelvis, here’s Tom on Jonathan Ross’ show in 2006 (photo at left) telling a story he’s told before about the night there was a ring on his doorbell. (Note: Any rude insinuation here is on the part of Ross.)

Then, from our friend — the TJI.com fans’ friend — LampieTheClown, we have another video of Tom singing I Want You Back. It was recorded in Colston Hall, Bristol, U.K., in 1996. You can watch the performance in the TJI.com Video Library.

Finally, I’d like to direct your attention to what Herman Matthews wrote about Michael Jackson in his on-line journal. Just lovely.

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Also making news — because tabloids are what they are — is the fact that Prince Harry dined with Natalie Imbruglia last night and Tom went over to their table to say hello.

Be sure to scroll down this page for more about Tom at Glastonbury and to come back to see if more is posted. (I’m not being coy. I am really not sure what we’ll have.)

Now, here’s Tom’s radio interview with Cerys Matthews. And, here in Part 2 Tom sings Kiss.

Listen to the crowed when he sings, “I know how to undress me” and when he dances. Amazing!

We’ll be getting video of his performance sometime in the next several days (I hope). As soon as it’s hear, it’ll be posted. Meanwhile, we’ll have to make do with stuff from youtube, like Tom dancing-glastothis one of Tom dancing. The sound is almost non-existent (again shot from the TV screen), but you can see he’s (1) working hard and (2) wearing….jeans!

There may be a video link posted on his official site, but the plan here is to post it in the TJI.com video library so you can see it and download it, if you wish.

On his facebook page, Herman Matthews wrote: “This was truly a day to remember for me… Today June 28, 2009 at Glastonbury Festival. It was Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

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The Independent also has what-to-say about Glasto. In a long review of the whole event, the dyspeptic critic says, “Blur’s official reunion gig is the great event of this Glastonbury weekend. Sunday builds slowly to this crescendo, with the day’s traditional, jokily received old-timers. Status Quo, Sheffield crooner Tony Christie and the orange-skinned, now entirely irrelevant Tom Jones dominate.” Nice, huh?

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Of course, TJI.com will continue to post artcles, links to articles and photos as they come in.

As always, thank you, mh.

Be sure to scroll down this page for more about Tom at Glastonbury and to come back to see more to be posted.

Here’s some not-so-good video (for which I, for one — lacking at the moment any better video — am still grateful to have of Tom singing Unbelievable. It looks as if this was shot with a video camera from the TV screen. Hope for better stuff later but, meanwhile, Tom and the band — and Tony Reynolds, especially — were great!

And here’s report from someone who watched the proceedings on TV from The Guardian’s music blog:

Glastonbury festival on TV: In which we consider who of the Sunday afternoon acts we most want to sing along to

The first highlights show of Sunday was filled with the venerable acts, rolled out for a pleasant sing-along. But who was the sing-alongiest? And look! Tom Jones has stopped dying his hair!

It was extra bonus sing-along-a-Glastonbury day from what you could tell from the first BBC2 highlights show on Sunday. Tom Jones, Tony Christie, Madness AND Status Quo? You are spoiling us, Ms Eavis. So for the whole of the first highlights show it was air guitars, dad-like dancing and lyric sheets at the ready, but who won the day?

There were scant clips of Tony Christie, only a belting out of Avenues and Alleyways and a well-received Road to Amarillo – you couldn’t say the crowd seemed to be singing along that much. Mainly they joined in with the bits that went “La la la la la lala La – OY!” – and otherwise contented themselves with punching the air, and pretending they were walking on a treadmill miming singing along in a moment of pop-culture weirdness.

Madness sounded as tight and as wall-of-soundish as they ever did, though their sing-along-a-score might be brought down a few points by their insistence on playing lots of new material. But when they played the things people really recognised? The crowd went nuts for them.

If you want to read specifically about Tom’s bit on the TV and a review giving him only two out of five stars, click to (more…)

More photos of Tom at Glastonbury can be found at the top of our flickr set Tom On Stage.

From NME here’s the first print news of Tom at Glastonbury. The photo here is from PA.

Welsh legend ends Pyramid show with EMF cover

Tom Jones returned to Glastonbury for a nostalgia-packed show on the Pyramid Stage today (June 28).

Now a veteran of the festival having first played in 1992, the Welsh soul legend greeted the audience as old friends, declaring: “We love you Glastonbury, God bless you.”

Backed by a full house band, Jones delivered a funked-up set of old favourites like Delilah and It’s Not Unusual for Sunday afternoon’s now-legendary heritage slot.

The show was heavy on the singer’s trademark cover versions ‘Kiss’ and ‘Sex Bomb, but he had one more surprise up his sleeve, encoring with a cover of ‘Unbelievable’ by ’90s electro-rockers EMF.

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According to the BBC’s website, Tom played 22 songs:

I’m Alive, Hard To Handle, Help Yourself, Give A Little Love, Green Green Grass Of Home, Delilah, If I Only Knew, Git Me Some, Never, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, If He Should Ever Leave You, Mama Told Me Not To Come, St. James Infirmary, She’s A Lady, What’s New Pussycat, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Sex Bomb, Stoned in Love, Venus, It’s Not Unusual, Kiss, Unbelievable

(I wish he’d continue to do Never, If I Only Knew and Unbelievable!)

Thanks to Oqi for sending this.

In TJI.com’s efforts to keep you updated on all f Tom’s activities, here’s what we’ve heard so far from Norman watching on BBC:

“He came on first at 5.00 pm. The set is Soul Man, Help Yourself, Give A Little Love, Green Green Grass of Home, Delilah. They have just cut away from Tom and gone to some presenters who said how great he is and then introduced some group call The Noisettes!!!!! They’ve promised there’ll be more Tom later (It’s a two hour program). I’ll let you know.

“By the way Tom looked and sounded great!!!!”

UPDATE FROM NORMAN: “They’ve just done a short interview with Tom as his set must have finished. They are now showing more of the set…What’s New Pussycat, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Sex Bomb, It’s Not Unusual, Kiss and Unbelievable!!!“

Here’s Tom doing about 59 seconds of Kiss. Dre kindly shot this from the BBC broadcast. Hopefully, much more later (or tomorrow).

Moderator’s Note: Parts of the show will be broadcast on BBC Radio 6 at 7 pm UK time (2 pm EDT; 11 am PDT, etc.) You can listen via the internet and, hopefully, there’ll be some video on this site. (And I hope he keeps Unbelievable in the show:))

Since few TJ fans have tickets for Glastonbury because they sold out almost as soon as they went on sale in October, months before his appearance was announced, if you are there, please let us know. And, Tom’s appearance will be broadcast on BBC 2 tomorrow. If you can record and send it, please drop me an email and I’ll tell you how. There should be a few set list changes and some interesting stuff. And Tom front of all those people has to be spectacular!

Orange is a UK broadband and mobile phone company. In the UK they do what Sprint does in the USA — they advertise before a film is shown and use the tagline, “Don’t let a mobile phone ruin your movie. Please switch it off.” In an effort to become part of pop culture they also have a blog that covers news, sports, music, film, etc. Below is their pre-Glastonbury interview with Tom, and it’s a good one: short, sweet with original questions and, just from reading it, you can tell Tom is pumped for the festival. (Notes: “Long-drop” is Aussie slang for a deep hole in the ground with a toilet set placed atop it that’s used for obvious purposes. The “stone circle” mentioned in the interview is like a mini-Stonehenge.)

Just how does a pop legend while away his Thursday afternoon? Why, by talking to us about Glastonbury, of course! I tracked down Tom Jones, the nation’s favourite sex bomb, to talk about Elvis, throat sweets and why all the kids can’t get enough of Delilah…

How does it feel to be playing Glastonbury 2009?
It feels great. I did it once before in ’92 – it was wonderful then, it was different for me then because it was the first time I’d played a festival of that sort, so it was really good. I was looking forward to finding out what was going to happen because it’s all young people and there are so many bands on, but the reception was fantastic.
What can we expect from your set?
Well, I haven’t decided yet, because I remember the last time I was doing some TV shows up in Nottingham and I was doing a lot of soul music, and I thought that would go down well – which it did, but I realised then that I only had Green Green Grass of Home and It’s Not Unusual in the set. John Peel was there and he said he never thought he’d be standing in a field with a bunch of kids shouting “we want Delilah!” And we didn’t have it because we hadn’t rehearsed it. Those things you need to have.
Who are your dream headliners?
Most of the people I’ve always liked were ‘50s rock’n’rollers
If you could bring one back?
Oh, Elvis Presley. That would be it, I think. He never played Britain, which was I shame, because I knew him well and he really wanted to come over – especially towards the end of his life. He wanted to do it, and he never did do it, so this would’ve been fantastic… and he would’ve loved it too.
Essential festival item?
Vocalzones.
What are those, Tom?
I’ve got one in my mouth right now – they’re vocal lozenges that were made for singers. A fella put me onto them in the ’60s. When [Stereophonics singer] Kelly Jones came to see me in Cardiff for the first time, he saw my Vocalzones and said: “Wow, I never go anywhere without these things!” And then the singer from Kings of Leon said: “Do you use Vocalzones? I do too!”
You obviously started a trend…
I don’t even have any shares in the company.
Port-a-loo or long-drop?
[Chuckles] That’s a good one. I can’t remember what I did the last time I was there. I think they’ve got toilets back stage for the entertainers.
What is your top campfire song?
That’s another good question again. Well, you know, some of the songs I’ve recorded would be good singalong songs. Delilah would be a good one.
Falafel or burger?
I love all food. There’s nothing I don’t like – that’s the problem with me.
Have you ever seen Jesus at Glastonbury’s Stone Circle?
I’ve never seen Jesus… in any circle.

—Kat Lister