Tom Jones International

On September 7, 2002, Tom and Jools Holland recorded a song they co-wrote called Don’t You Kiss My Cheek.

It was included on the CD called More Friends: Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.

Also on the CD are Norah Jones, Bryan Ferry, Dionne Warwick, Hhrissie Hynde, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Robert Plant, Jeff Beck, Marianne Faithfull, George Benson and Bono.

You can listen to samples and, even, buy it by clicking here.

On Holland’s 2003 New Year’s Eve Hootenanny, Tom sang the song with Jools Holland on piano, Dave Swift on bass. You can watch it in the TJI.com Video Library.

Here in Las Vegas, all is not what it seems to be. Even the name of the place.

If you want to sound like a native, you’re in Las (pronounced “loss”) Vegas, Nevada (the first “a” in Nevada is pronounced like the “a” in “caddy,” not like the “a” in “Harvard.”) It’s easy, just takes a little practice.

When a native talks about the numbered highways here (15, 215, 95, etc.), the number is always preceded by the article, “the.” Thus, you take “the 215 to Henderson;” “the 15 to California,” and “the 95″ to wherever the 95 goes.

And, be warned, just because a road seems heading toward where you want to go, don’t be too sure it will actually get there. Streets in Las Vegas often have an odd tendency to just — well — stop and then pick up elsewhere. So, when you’re exiting onto Buffalo, for example, unless you have the correct side of Buffalo you might get lost very soon. A map or GPS system is very handy here.

Speaking of roads, that brings us to the actual act of driving. Everyone here talks about how bad the drivers are. Apparently that doesn’t bother the Las Vegans as they attribute the bad driving to the fact that most bad drivers here are originally from California. So, in the end, bad drivers in Nevada have nothing to do with Nevada.

Being neither natives nor Californians, we cannot pass judgement on those beliefs. But, we can tell you to watch it. Lane changes, signals, turns — all are done casually with little or no regard to what other cars are doing. The very term “defensive driving” was invented for Las Vegas.

AND, THE BEST THING ABOUT DRIVING IN LAS VEGAS? It’s the parking. Specifically, the valet parking at hotels and casinos. Sure, there have been incidents where cars were damaged, but that can happen in any parking garage anywhere or, for that matter, on any street. The fact is that, for just a few dollars for a tip, you don’t have to schlep through a parking garage for seemingly miles until you get to your destination and you don’t have to walk through an empty garage late at night. Try it, you’ll love it!

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In this city that is so full of bad fakes, Steve McCoy, one of the premier Tom Jones impersonators, is a treasure.

A landscaper from New Jersey, Steve won a Tom Jones look-alike contest and since then has never looked back. He’s played Tom in venues around the globe, quite often with Las Vegas’ fabled Legends in Concert show.

The most unusual thing about Steve — yes, it is unusual — is that he has the vocal chops to attack Tom’s most difficult material. (It Looks Like )I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Till and 200 Pounds are all part of his act at one time or another because he also keeps it current.

As Tom himself said when he brought Steve onstage at the MGM, “He’s the best I’ve ever seen…he does me better than me!” If you have the opportunity to see him, by all means do so.

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The production of Phantom of the Opera that opened in June at The Venetian is aptly titled Phantom: The Las Vegas Experience. As you can see from the shot of the theater’s interior, it looks nothing like any other production. All the songs are intact, but the show has been cut to 95 minutes. The performers who opened it here are all from Broadway and include Tony-Award winner Anthony Crivello as the Phantom. Not to be missed!

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Cirque du Soleil has five shows running in Las Vegas — O, Mystére, Zumanity (“the adult side of Cirque” restricted to people 18 and over), KÀ and the newest entry, Love, at The Mirage. It seems you cannot get two people who have seen the Cirque shows to agree on which is the best. Like imploding buildings, Cirque arguments are real sport in Las Vegas.

For example, Ursula loves Mystére and Ellen — entranced with the sheer technology of the theater — chooses KÀ.

But, the newest show, Love, is just perfect, especially for someone not in love with all the mime, the people in body suits jumping around and the new-age Enya-like music. Love is Cirque’s interpretation of the music of the Beatles and came out of a suggestion about doing a Cirque show to this music made by George Harrison several years ago. Sir George Martin, who produced the Beatles recordings (and, not incidentally, worked with Tom on a recording of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood) recreated the music for the production directly from the original tapes. It is spectacular.

They’re all worth seeing but be warned, Zumanity is very explicit, so it is not for the faint of heart or the narrow of mind.

Photo of KÀ by Tomas Muscionico; costumes by Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt © Cirque du Soleil Inc.

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The Bootlegger Bistro is the restaurant that, today, is a rarity in Las Vegas. It is open 24/7 and each night offers entertainment. We love it and it is favored by Tom’s drummer, Herman Matthews. It’s about three miles south of the MGM on the South Strip and is worth a trip. Lots of celebrities frequent the place, so be prepared to spot ‘em. The food at The Bootlegger is traditional Italian and their pizza is to die for. There’s no charge if you stay in the bar area; there’s a small minimum in the dining room. It is the best bargain in town.

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Of course, it goes without saying that, for our money, the best show in town remains Tom Jones.

As the staff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote in naming him the 2006 Best Singer: “Yeah, baby! The Tomcat turned 65 last summer. But you can take that AARP card and shove it — in your wallet, then head to the record store and try to get a seniors discount on Reloaded. Put on the greatest hits CD and let Jones blow the doors off your Oldsmobile with the opening notes of If I Only Knew. Or you can just go down to the MGM Grand every so often to watch him do it live.”

Couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Even a new resident from New York has to admit that the shopping in Las Vegas is spectacular. And it’s pricey. But fabulous; a feast for the eye, capable of causing famine in even the most well-fed wallet.

Here is what we believe is the best of the best.

The Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace (right) are amazing. High-end and endlessly interesting. There’s a terrific FAO Schwarz (better than the flagship in New York City), loads of designer fashions, a Fabergé shop where you can see a cross that would put even Tom Jones’ best, brightest and bling-iest to shame. And Vosges Haute Chocolat is not to be missed.

The Shops at Via Bellagio are also fabu.They include Tiffany, Armani and Hermés, among others.

The Esplanade at Wynn is very high end. Here there is a Judith Lieber evening bag in the pattern of the hotel’s carpeting. And you must have read about the on-site Ferrari dealership. There’s also Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana and Oscar de la Renta. It’s quite the mall. (For information about the Esplanade, you can also go to the Wynn site but this involves a long introduction that just isn’t worth the effort)

The Fashion Show Mall (across from the Wynn) offers Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, the only Apple Computer store in Las Vegas and lots of other shops. As malls go, this one is great.

The District at Green Valley Ranch, in nearby Henderson — 5.3 miles from McCarren Airport — has good shops and restaurants and is very worth checking out.

The outlet shopper can choose between Las Vegas Premium Outlets downtown or the outlet center near the Strip on Las Vegas Blvd. South.

Lucky us! Las Vegas offers the only brick-and-mortar Unica Home store anywhere. If, like one of us, you are a devotee of this fun, very modern (and very expensive) style, you must visit. (In fact, there’s no pressure to buy and you can spend a lot of time just “visiting.”) They carry Alessi’s line, designs by Ron Arad, Joe Columbo, Ettore Sottsass — all of the standard-setters of today. They’re located at 7540 Dean Martin Drive (formerly S. Industrial Rd), Suite 501 in Las Vegas. You can call them at 1-888-89-UNICA or, locally, at 702-616-9280. They’re open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Owners Bonnie and Hugh invite you to call for an appointment if you’re short of time.

There are more restaurants in Las Vegas than even the heartiest restaurant critic could visit. Our restaurant section starts small, but will grow by leaps and bounds. You will probably notice among the missing are restaurants specializing in pizza, Chinese food and bagels. They just don’t make ‘em here like they do back east. Of course, your additions and comments are welcome.

The best burgers on The Strip are at The Burger Bar at Mandalay Place where you can get delicious Oregon Kobe Beef burgers, all sorts of imported beer and the best sweet potato fries anywhere.

Also for great burgers and amazing bar-b-q, Lucille’s Smokeshouse Bar-B-Que in Henderson cannot be beat. The ribs are great, the barbeque chicken salad is amazing — we love everything about the place. Try to avoid weekends there but, if you have to wait, it’s worth it.

Since Tom Jones fans spend most of their time at the MGM Grand, it’s worth talking about the restaurants at the MGM.

We like Fiamma for Italian food. They advertise it by saying, “Italian food so authentic you’d swear you were in New York.” Really. They also have amazing desserts and, if it’s just dessert you want, you can sit in the comfy chairs in the bar area and really relax. For casual dining, ‘wichcraft and the Grand Wok (for sushi) are good. Of course, nothing beats the hot dogs and fries at Nathan’s in the food court. That’s as good as you can get in Coney Island. Surprisingly, most of the restaurants close fairly early, so don’t dawdle after the show unless you want to eat in the less-than-wonderful Studio Café, the MGM’s 24/7 coffee shop.

For the best crepes in the city, visit La Creperie in Paris Las Vegas.

At Caesars Palace, right between the casino and the Forum Shops is Cypress Street Marketplace where you’ll find casual and pretty inexpensive dining. There’s a nice range of choices, excellent salads and everything’s fresh. Great lunch spot.

Hands down, the best view of The Strip is from Mix at THEhotel at Mandalay Bay.

The restaurant and adjoining club are on the 64th floor of THEhotel — the boutique hotel inside the Mandalay Bay — at the south Strip and the view is just spectacular.

The restaurant, voted the “Best in Vegas” by the readers of the Las Vegas Review Journal offers a menu by Alain Ducasse who also has Mix restaurants in New York, Paris and Monte Carlo. It’s pricey and, if you want the view but not the meal, the adjacent club (photo left) has it, along with comfy seating, a really good bar and the most spectacular restrooms anywhere — floor to ceiling windows looking south and west. Well worth a visit. Reservations strongly suggested at the restaurant. Call (702) 632-9500.

Las Vegas offers much more in the way of things to do than most places. And, it’s a fact that many of these do not involve gaming or going to shows. There are some very cool things of which you can take advantage. Just plan ahead where you need reservations and enjoy the city’s offerings!

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At the Mirage Hotel’s Dolphin Habitat you can participate in the Dolphin Trainer for A Day Program. It’s amazing, fascinating, fun — it’s just wonderful. The relatively new venture is not a “swim with the dolphins” adventure. Rather, participants actually work with the Habitat’s staff to train the dolphins, exercise and feed them and do anything else these amazing mammals do in the course of a day. Call 702.792.7889 for information, hours and pricing (and it’s not inexpensive). If you can afford the time and the money, it’s very worthwhile. You’ll never forget the experience.

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And, speaking of “experience,” you cannot come to Las Vegas and miss The Fremont Street Experience. Every night, downtown Las Vegas is a neon festival with a sound and light show overhead in a covered arcade. There are street vendors, food, the old casinos. (And, like Times Square on New Year’s Eve and any other place that’s real crowded, there are also pickpockets. So, please be careful.) There’s free entertainment and, very recently, a new tradition has started downtown. First Friday is a monthly block party celebrating the thriving arts community in Las Vegas. It features good food, free entertainment and lots of art galleries in the area of the city that is rapidly becoming gentrified.

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Filed under the category of “Only in Las Vegas,” you must put The Atomic Testing Museum. For many years the Nevada desert was home to many of our nation’s atomic bomb tests and this museum (just a few blocks east of the MGM on Tropicana) recreates the time in our nation’s history when were were involved in a hard-fought Cold War with the Soviet Union. The test site even had its own pinup girl — Miss Atomic Testing of 1957 (above). Today, no one seems to know who she was and lots of people are trying to find her.

Among the eclectic collection of items offered in the Museum’s gift shop is this Albert Einstein Action Figure. One of us bought it and it now graces her desk in the hope it will make her smarter.

The Musuem is a really interesting place and is recommended.

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One cannot forget to visit Madame Tussaud’s. The world-famous wax museum has an outpost at The Venetian.




In there, you may see the following familiar people:



















































Yes, along with lots of others, Enge, Dubya and TJ are all waiting to say “hi.” So, if you have the time, do pay them a visit.

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The Ethel M Factory tour and cactus garden just up the road (15 minutes) from the Strip in Henderson is great. Admission is free, you get samples of the chocolate and the cactii are beautiful.

And, Lucy fans, there actually is a lady standing behind a conveyer belt as the candy goes by, just like Lucy and Ethel did. The “M” in Ethel M is for “Mars,” and the chocolate shop is terrific with M&Ms in colors you see nowhere else. Go. You’ll like it.

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Of course there are the natural wonders and those created by human ingenuity that should be seen:

















A short ride away from the Strip lies Red Rock Canyon. Once home to herds of wild mustangs and burros, today you may still see a wild animal. The Canyon also boasts scenic outlooks, hiking and biking trails and picnic areas. It costs $5 per car to enter.

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Valley of Fire State Park is indeed wondrous. It’s just beautiful and the colors live up to the park’s name. If you go, bring a camera because you’ll want to capture the experience.

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Hoover Dam is truly a wonder of the modern world, harnessing as it did the awesome power of the Colorado River to bring electricity to Nevada. The dam is, really, awesome, when one considers it was built in the 1930s with construction methods and machinery we today consider quaint. You can even take a tour into the workings of the dam.

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When Hoover Dam was built, Lake Mead was created. Today, with the region’s demand for water ever-growing, the lake is diminishing. But, it does have a beach and boating facilities. It’s part of the federal government’s National Recreation Area is is worth visiting.

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Just 23 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, Boulder City was chartered in 1931 as a home for the workers building Hoover Dam. The only municipality in the state where gaming is outlawed, Boulder City nonetheless has charm and sites that make it worth visiting. Chief among these is the Boulder City Museum and Historical Association that offers a delightful interactive experience of what life was like for the dam workers. It’s great for children and adults. There’s also a charming, historical hotel and a theater. Don’t look for gourmet food here, though. But, even without the fine dining, a day here is a day well-spent.

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Located 250 miles from Las Vegas in Arizona, Grand Canyon National Park can be done on a long car trip. There are also railroad connections and helicopter flights available. But, however you choose to go, the Grand Canyon is a marvel. If you can spend some time there you can go to the floor of the canyon, or camp, or stay overnight and watch the sun set or rise over the canyon. It’s beautiful.

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