Sir Tom In the News, What's New, Pussycat?
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Interview/Preview: Tom At Outside Lands Festival Early Friday Evening; New CD Being Recorded?
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009Outside Lands: Tom Jones
Sir Tom still has the goods
BY SEAN MCCOURT/Wednesday August 26, 2009/San Francisco Bay Guardian
PREVIEW/INTERVIEW Though he may be one of the oldest performers to take the stage at this weekend’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, Tom Jones will undoubtedly be one of the best. For more than four decades the Welsh singer’s rich vocals and electric stage presence have propelled a career that continues to produce hits even as he is less than a year away from turning 70. As he proved to a full house at the Warfield earlier this year, Sir Tom (he was knighted in 2006 by Queen Elizabeth) still has the goods when it comes time to entertain a crowd, singing old favorites such as It’s Not Unusual, She’s A Lady, and What’s New Pussycat? along with more recent hits like Sex Bomb.
Jones pulls in a wide variety of people to his shows, ranging from kids in their early 20s to original fans near his own age. The singer still loves connecting with an audience, be it at a Vegas nightclub or an outdoor festival like Outside Lands.
“If there are people out there and they’ve come to see me, I’m going to give it the best I can — whether it be 5,000 people or 10,000, or 100,000,” Jones says.
“I don’t change the show from Las Vegas to a festival because I don’t do a ‘Vegas’ act anyway. I don’t use any dancing girls — it’s a concert I’m doing. My show is basically the same, [though] I maybe make sure I cover the stage a little bit more,” he laughs.
Jones, who released his latest album 24 Hours (S-Curve) last year, is already gearing up to work on a new record after he completes another tour through the U.K. and Europe. As for the tradition of female fans flinging their undergarments at him while on stage, the man known as “the Voice” looks at it from a couple of different angles. “It depends on what song I’m singing at the time. If I’m singing a serious ballad, it can break the mood,” says Jones. “But I don’t think it’s for an entertainer to dictate to an audience what to do — the entertainer does what he or she does, and hopefully the people get it.”
TOM JONES At Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival. Fri/28, 6:50 p.m. Golden Gate Park, SF. $89.50–$225.50. www.sfoutsidelands.com
August 26th, 2009 at 2:27 am
Great performers are made for giving joy to their fans. It’s a kind of personal hedonism. He is one of the greatest and we are so lucky to follow him and his music!!!
August 26th, 2009 at 2:55 am
Interesting that the article says Tom’s gearing up to work on another record after his UK tour!
August 26th, 2009 at 7:00 am
When do you think he’ll have time to record it?
August 26th, 2009 at 8:49 am
Wow a new recording session after his U.K.&Europeon tour !!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Keith: I don’t know when, but the MGM website has R. Carrington in December 3 through 12….at 10 pm. Of course, the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) is in town and those are traditionally Carrington’s people…..so, who knows?
August 26th, 2009 at 9:03 am
New album in 2010! Yesssssssssssss!
August 26th, 2009 at 10:10 am
Hmmmm – recording in December instead of Vegas???
August 26th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
I hope the info about a new record is true. It would be great!!
August 26th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Nice! It is the moment to record the RELOAD 2 album with young people again (The Killers, Joss Stone, Duffy, Arctic Monkeys, Mousse T, Chicane, Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Elbow, etc) Nevertheless The Killers are from Las Vegas, so it is easy for him.
I think we have to try to convence Tom to record the Reload 2 (in september it has passed 10 years of the RELOAD Album). Are you agree? Please support it
August 26th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Raphael: Such a CD has been discussed for quite awhile now. Sadly, the powers-that-be never released Reload in the USA, just a kind of sad watered-down version of mostly greatest hits called Reloaded. But, I’d try to add some US groups to the mix. He’s done Chicane (kind of blah) and Mousee T. Joss, Duffy and The Killers would be great. He’s mentioned Elbow. How about Kings of Leon and, also, some more seasoned performers (I dunno — how about Tom and Tony Bennett? Bono? Barbra?) to produce a CD with lots of variety and appeal to a broad demographic? Let’s hope whatever it is gets released in the USA as well as Europe and that smart choices are made.
As for Las Vegas, we have here what many in the business consider the best recording studio in the world — The Studio at The Palms. I wrote about it in an article and it is amazing….records digital AND analog. Really state-of-the-art and used by some of the best artists in the world.