Tom Jones International

Be sure you check out the post below about Jimmy Webb and hear Tom sing a couple of his songs.

It’s Saturday night and Tom arrives in Malta. With the video, the Times of Malta posted the following caption: “Fans young and not so young greeted superstar Tom Jones at Malta International Airport tonight asking him for an autograph as soon as he got out of the arrival’s lounge. Sir Tom arrived in Malta for tomorrow’s concert at the MFCC during which he is expected to sing songs from throughout his career pleasing all generations. Songs one can expect to hear include his 60s hits What’s New Pussy Cat?, Delilah, It’s Not Unusual and Green Green Grass Of Home. Song from the 70s include She’s A Lady and more recent works include Kiss, Sex Bomb and Stoned In Love. Tickets are available at the door.”

Couldn’t help but notice that there was one apparently quite important man — probably a local cop or security — with Tom who was hell-bent on rushing him through the waiting fans. Tom seemed pleased to have a crowd at the airport, smiling and waving like it was back in the day, but this guy was having none of that. And, on the off-chance you might be wondering, Don is fleetingly seen in the back of the entourage.

From The Times of Malta/Justin Camilleri/October 13, 2009

The real legend that’s Tom Jones

Akin to the old Celtic legends where amid the beautiful, tranquil green country of Wales immortal proud dragons roamed the vast lush countryside sprouting fire, feasting and ruling the terrain from dusk till dawn, hailed a young Thomas Woodward who roamed the streets of Pontypridd unaware of the vast fame and fortune that soon awaited him.

Whether his stage name was picked for a specific reason but like English playwright Henry Fielding’s titular character; Tom Jones as he became known, also grew into a vigorous and lusty, yet kind-hearted, singer who has entertained the masses during the past four decades.

It is undoubtedly the voice that is the sole bold spectacle, to which he gave birth with the classic Its Not Unusual and brought to maturity with the timeless Green Green Grass of Home coupled by that Welsh virile swagger that entices women of all ages.

Tom Jones represents that old school artiste who during the 1960s mingled with the likes of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack and managed to blend their music in his own unique style. In an interview last February on the BBC with Jonathan Ross, Tom revealed that he and Frank were drinking buddies and enjoyed a few glasses of champagne from time to time.

Bond movies have always been synonymous with dramatic theme tunes, and in the film Thunderball audiences had the pleasure of listening to Tom’s velvet inimitable voice belting those powerful lyrics blended with those Bond-ish musical orchestrations. The movie hit song that reignited his career with a younger audience in 1989 was Kiss, taken from My Stepmother is an Alien starring Kim Basinger. Tom’s voice certainly improved on Prince’s original especially the ‘and’ addition in the ‘Women and Girls rule my world’ line as opposed to the ‘not’ in Prince’s original. When questioned by Parkinson on the BBC as to why he added the ‘and’ in the line; Jones answered with a chuckle: “Because I did not want to leave any of them out”.

Another successful cover version is without a doubt You Can Leave Your Hat On from the hit film The Full Monty, which spawned the rousing Full Monty medley live performance at the 1998 BRIT Awards, where Jones entertained the masses.

Jones would reinvent his image for the 2000s with the album Reload, indeed this was the collaboration album as Tom Jones recorded duets of cover songs with younger artistes of the likes of Robbie Williams, Zucchero, Simply Red, Nathalie Imbruglia and The Cardigans.

From Sex Bomb to Mama Told Me, Jones’s music after four decades is as contemporary as ever reaching out to a new generation of fans, during an interview with Michael Parkinson, he was asked will he ever retire and he replied, so long as my voice remains strong I will continue to perform, there is no doubt he will continue to delight us with his inimitable voice for years to come.

Tom Jones will be performing at the MFCC Ta Qali on November 15. Tickets are available from www.nngpromotions.com .