Tom Jones International

A bit of moderator’s housekeeping: I’ve been lucky enough to have been assigned a lot of writing lately and, along with this site, have been trying to get it done. Today, in addition to meeting wonderful friends from Colorado Springs for lunch and a visit, I got to interview Jerry Springer and Engelbert Humperdinck. I’ve got to write those stories (a pleasure, as I love to write and they were good interviews) and, then, get things here ready. My youngest daughter is arriving in a few days and we’re going to see U2 next Friday. Then, my sister arrives and we go to Palm Springs where I have been assigned to write about a luxury hotel and spa (I know, poor me). So, I’ll do my best to keep up the site, get my work done, work on the calendar, etc. But please be patient. And, please, don’t forget to order your 2010 TJI Fan Calendar!

Here are two photos and a review from Tom’s opening night in Cardiff. I have to say that Chas — whom I met with his wife Rosina when they were in Las Vegas a couple of years ago — has to be one understanding husband, in addition to being a nice guy. He has sent 60 photos from that show and will be sending more from Manchester this weekend. The review below Chas’ is a canned job — if whoever wrote it — there’s no byline which is always an indication of this — actually spoke to Sir Tom, one would never know it. They also chose to run the most sad sack, awful photo of Tom.

Friday 9th October 2009 — The place: Cardiff — The man they call “The Voice:” Sir Tom Jones!

We set of to Cardiff from London at 3:30 that afternoon. It was a nice leisurely drive that took us four hours, but we were not that bothered about the time as we knew Tom would not be on until around 9pm. As we got to the C.I.A . (Cardiff international Arena) we could see the fans queuing outside waiting to get in to see their hero Tom Jones. There must have been maybe 200 fans waiting to get in. We took our place in the queue and before long we were inside the arena, Rosina was getting excited at the thought of Tom being on stage soon.

As per normal we went to the kiosk to see what tom goodies were on sale the usual stuff t-shirts of which Rosina bought four, and the new tour programme that was selling a treat.

The arena was soon packed. Rosina and I met a few friends of ours. They were as eager as Rosina to see Tom. We were in the seventh row and they were in the sixth. Nice seats.

The time was nearly nine pm when the lights went down and the music started to play. You could just make out the band coming on to the stage and you could feel the excitement as it was getting close to the time for The Man to appear. In the distance behind the stage you could just make out a figure walking towards the middle of the stage. The audience knew who this was and a roar went up. Then, yes, you guessed it — Tom Jones came on stage and the whole arena went wild. Tom looked fantastic with that great smile of his which really sends Rosina off on one.

When he started to sing that was it! What a man! There is no other to compare to this man they call “The Voice.”

For the other review and to take a quick glimpse of that awful photo they ran with it,

Sugar Daddy, Give A Little Love. If He Should Ever Leave You. 24 Hours. Too Many Lovers. Thunderball — I will tell you this he can still hold on to those notes especially that last note in Thunderball. Wow! Burning Down the House and Rosina’s all time favourite, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again. It makes her cry every time but this time she cried twice with the next song being He’ll Have To Go. The list goes on. He looked sexy as ever and Rosina’s heart just kept beating to his voice.

The slight hip movement was still there. Delilah, She’s A Lady, Pussycat, It’s Not Unusual, Kiss, Sex Bomb, Hard to Handle….and on.

When tom sang 24 Hours you could of herd a pin drop in the silence. It was beautiful, and at the end of the show he finished with Take Me Back to the Party.

One thing I did notice: After Tom sang Stoned In Love he went offstage and changed his shirt, as we know Tom does sweat a little bit, doesn’t he? I know I’ve missed a couple of songs, but most I ever remembered. I know we did enjoy Save The Last Dance For Me and the country version of Green Green Grass of Home,, as Tom said this he used to sing when he was with Tommy Scott and the senators. Before we knew it, the show was over and we were back on our way to London. We got home at 3:30 a.m., a long day but well worth it.

We are of to Birmingham this Sunday to see the man again.

Our friends enjoyed it. I got a text message the following day saying how fantastic he was — better then ever. The older he gets the better he gets, just like a good bottle of vintage wine that gets better with age.

Rosina has been a fan of Tom’s since 1968 when she was hooked by the song Delilah. (“Why why why?)

Rosina will never follow another man other than TOM.

— Chas and Rosina

Blackpool Citizen/2:06pm Friday 16th October 2009

Interview: Sir Tom Jones

FROM bunking off school and singing in the YMCAs in Pontypridd, South Wales, to internationally acclaimed and knighted superstardom — Sir Tom Jones has had one heck of a journey to where he is today.

And now, after over four decades in the business, he is still firing on all cylinders with his latest release 24 Hours, which has been hailed as the defining album of his career.

Many artists shy away from making such a personal and confessional album but Tom Jones encapsulates his innermost thoughts and relishes the opportunity to share them live with his fans.

“Seasons is my favourite track on the new album as it’s very stripped-down and bare, especially when you’re performing it live. It begins with just my voice and the piano — you could hear a pin drop. It’s very intimate. It’s like baring your soul on stage.”

And this is the first time that Tom Jones has had a major hand in songwriting.

“The songs that were being suggested to me just didn’t feel right,” he said. “Someone had written a one with me in mind called You Look Good in My T-shirt but I felt that’s not what I should be singing about. Young listeners would be asking why I was singing about T-Shirts.”

The end result is a work of revelation from one of the biggest-selling artists of all time.

“It’s been a very intimate album because I have been so much more involved in writing the songs and I am very honest about it. When I go on stage and perform one of the songs I have written from 24 Hours I tell the audience about it.”

It’s a testament to his character and staying power that Tom Jones has maintained his popularity over so many decades.

“I’m very versatile so I can adapt to many styles. I don’t think the structure of pop music has changed that dramatically over the years, although sounds, ways and means of production have — the spectrum is very wide. Producers pull from all sorts of sources now.

When I was younger and rock ‘n’ roll was just kicking off. I remember the older generations going ‘God, what is this? And now you have hip hop and rap and all sorts of sub-genres and the older generation are having the same reaction. They can’t access it. I think that people can relate to my music. My voice hasn’t changed over the years. When I’ve recorded with younger artists it’s not like I’m looking in the mirror and thinking of the age difference. It’s about the music, like it has always been. I worked with Future Cut on my latest album, who came from the drum ‘n’ bass scene and have worked with Lily Allen, Estelle and Dizzee Rascal. I listened to their work and the tracks they build and really liked the sound of what they do.”

Originally from Pontypridd, Tom has fond memories of his early years there.

“You don’t really appreciate it at the time but I had a lot of family in the surrounding area when I was growing up. I had lots of cousins and aunts and uncles. It’s great when I go back to play Cardiff as the whole clan comes down. My aunt and uncles are no longer around but my cousins are. A lot of them have come out to see me in America, which is great as it’s something a bit different for me and I love having them at shows. I’ve got so many cousins I could probably play a show just for them.

At 68, Tom, who has lived in America since the ’70s, doesn’t show any signs of slowing down and is touring 200 days of the year. His popularity is such that women often strip off in front of him while he is on stage.

“I still love performing and feel great,” he said. “I know some performers who grumble: ‘Oh I’ve got a new album coming out and I need to go promote It’, like it’s a negative, and I can’t understand it. I honestly love touring. I couldn’t imagine not doing it.”

And by the sound of it Tom can still party as much as the next showbiz guy.

He tells me: “I was at the Q awards the other week and Alex from the Arctic Monkeys asked if I was going to the pub afterwards. I had said yes. He said if I was going then he was too. He’d been talking to me about one of my old songs from the ’70s — I’ll Never Fall in Love Again — how he liked the vocals, which is very flattering and nice to hear.

Tom Jones has pretty much done it all — he’s sold more than a 100 million records, has had his own TV series, toured around the world many times over and been made a knight of the realm. Is there anything else he left to achieve?

“I want to continue writing songs and creating records and I want to perform until my voice no longer enables me to do so.

“I have this God-given gift to sing and want to make the most of it. I don’t want to retire. What would I do if I retired?

I want to be remembered as a great singer. I remember hearing that my grandfather was a good singer but. as his voice was never recorded. there’s nothing for people to hear him on.

“I hope that when people listen to my records they might hear something meaningful to them and remember me as a great singer.”