Tom Jones International

Because it’s been an extraordinarily busy several days, I apologize for not updating TJI.com. But, check back Tuesday for a veritable orgy of Delilah.

When Tom’s recordings with Jack White were announced, some people asked who he is. I tried to answer as best I could, but now I can show you who Jack White is!

The video here is from a TV show that I watch (actually, DVR) faithfully, along with Pawn Stars on the History Channel Monday nights. It is called American Pickers and it follows two guys — Frank (with the beard) and Mike — as they wander the nation from their home base in Iowa searching for lost treasures in barns, garages and homes.

In this episode, they’ve opened a store, their second, in Nashville and, for that, they’ve picked a taxidermist’s collection, spending a bundle on an elephant’s head (fake tusks). They get to Nashville and Danielle, their assistant, tells them she’s had the elephant sent to a potential customer, Jack White and hasn’t given him a price. You can watch the video here. (Note, too, that at the beginning, in Third Man’s photo studio they encounter a redhead who they learn is named Tempest Storm. She’s a stripper born Leap Year day, 1928 (!). She lives in Las Vegas and I’ve seen her at several events. She’s amazing!)

Now for some Tom! In 1997, Mark and Brian, DJs at KLOS, 95.5 in Los Angeles, had Tom as a guest on their radio show.

On Wednesday night, driving home from the Bellagio, I set my iPhone music on “shuffle” and this song came up. I knew I’d heard it before but couldn’t remember where. So, thanks to Patti, Tom and Lois for refreshing my memory. It’s an hilarious three minutes-sixteen seconds.

It’s well worth taking the time to listen to Tom Jones when he sang Help Yourself with Mark and Brian playing backup horns. Have fun!

Clearly, the server hosting TJI.com was having lots of problems. Sorry for the inconvenience.

TOM’S OFFICIAL SITE FINALLY UPDATED/POSTING NEWS ABOUT THE JACK WHITE-PRODUCED RECORDINGS: Tom’s official site yesterday posted “news” about the Jack White “side project” (their words, not mine). They’ve still not commented on the lack of 2011 Las Vegas dates. Their announcement isn’t exactly kind to White and Mojo. (And what, pray tell, is the “bonkers-epic” approach to music ascribed to White? And if Tom loved the recording experience, why are they so rude? His Management is very perturbed that:

“As you all know, Jack White unexpectedly let the cat out of the bag regarding his collaboration with Tom in a yet-to-be-published article in Mojo Magazine. This was unintentional, as the interview would have been published after the announcement of the project, so talking about it would have made sense. But someone at MOJO decided, without any consideration to the parties involved, that this was an interesting tidbit of info to get out to the press. This caught us all unawares, and consequently the announcemen’t [sic] was a bit slap-dash.

“Here’s the story: Jack and Tom had been chasing each other for a session for a few years. They admired each others work and knew instinctively that a collaboration would be great fun and had the possibility of turning into something special. Many dates to get together were put forward, but between the two busy diaries, none ever seemed to work. Then last year Tom was in Nashville, booked to play at the Ryman, and Jack just happened to be home at the time. A session was hastily put together with Jack and his band, Tom hopped over to Jack’s place (he has an amazing studio in the grounds of his house) and in about 3 hours, they had the two tracks. Tom loved the experience, loved Jack and the way he worked, and we’ve heard the feeling was mutual.

“The two tracks, Jezebel and Evil are sensational – Jack’s bonkers-epic approach is in full flight, the band plays out of it’s skin, and Tom shows how he does it, nails it, and why no-one else can do it like he can. The release is on Jack’s label Third Man Records, which is a dead-cool little business that specialises in vinyl.

The added that this is a “side project” (which TJI knew was done when Tom was in Nashville in April) and that his follow-up to Praise and Blame>, another work produced by Ethan Johns, will be out in the summer when — I assume — Tom will tour again as his TV stuff will be complete by then.

If you missed the post below, be sure to check it out to read the article about Tom from Wales On Sunday and for info on tickets to see The Voice.

From the Third Man Records website:

January 6, 2012 WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT?

Third Man Records is proud to announce the most virile entry in the history of its Blue Series singles: The man, the legend himself Mr. Tom Jones laying his unmistakable voice over Howlin’ Wolf’s Evil and the Frankie Lane classic Jezebel (as covered over the years by the likes of Edith Piaf and Anna Calvi). Both tracks were produced by Jack White at Third Man studios and will be available on 7” and iTunes March 5th.

Third Man Records was originally founded by Jack White in Detroit, MI in 2001. In March of 2009 a physical location was established in Nashville, TN. Third Man Records in its current state contains a record store, record label offices, photo studio, dark room and live venue with analog recording booth.

Almost all of our records are recorded, printed and pressed in Nashville, TN and produced by Jack White. In this fashion TMR strives to bring a spontaneous and tangible aesthetic back into the record business.

UPDATE: Early reports said that the version of Jezebel is the one written by Wyclef Jean, Jerry Duplessis and Tom for the Wyclef collaboration, Mr. Jones. It is not.

According to Third Man Records, Tom will be singing the Wayne Shanklin-composed Jezebel as recorded by Jezebel as recorded by Frankie Laine. It won’t be an exact duplicate, as it’ll be bluesy and a lot funkier. I like it much better than his other song titled Jezebel. Click here to listen to Tom sing Jezebel from the Mr. Jones CD.

According to Third Man Records, the WORLDWIDE RELEASE DATE FOR BOTH THE VINYL AND DIGITAL VERSIONS OF THE RECORDING IS TUESDAY, MARCH 6. It’ll be available wherever records are sold and on any iTunes in the world. Links will be posted on TJI.

Finally, I like the picture above, but wonder if I am the only one who finds the angle or the lens used on the photo a bit odd? When I look at it, Tom’s face looks extraordinarily long and lean. Or, am I wrong?

TIME TO GET TICKETS FOR THE VOICE

The first chance to get FREE tickets to see Tom on The Voice! The dates are Wed 18th Jan 2012 – Time: 13:15; Thu 19th Jan 2012 – Time: 13:15; Sat 21st Jan 2012 – Time: 13:15; Sun 22nd Jan 2012 – Time: 13:15. You must be 18 or over to attend. (I believe these are the dates the show will be recorded, not broadcast.)

If you can be there, you may want to visit the Applausestore.com for free tickets to The Voice. After you register, just move your cursor to the right and click The Voice on the list of shows. More dates will be announced soon. (Thanks, Chas)

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First, let’s take a moment to think of Elvis Presley on this day that would have been his 77th birthday. He lives on through his music and we’re still so fortunate that he shared it with us!

Their fans know Tom and Elvis were great friends — singing gospel together and gaining inspiration from each other.

Their friendship is part of the reason we’ve been given such wonderful gifts of music from each of them.

We are, indeed, fortunate, aren’t we?

MORE NEWS! The record — yes! the vinyl! — Tom recorded with Jack White will be released on March 7 and will be available digitally on iTunes the same day. Come back for the next post (Tuesday) for more news about that. (By the way, you can see Jack White Monday night in the USA on American Pickers on the History Channel. It’s on a few times, so check listings.)

So, of course, with a release date announced, this recording happening and we apparently don’t, in this instance, have to wait for the “OFFICIAL” word that it’s true. Though dozens of news organizations have carried stories about this. OFFICIAL Tom Jones is still touting those recipes (in which you learn that the “ingredient in pork shank” is — wait for it! — “pork shank”). You’d think they’d care more about discussing a much-anticipated recording than telling his fans what Sir Tom enjoyed eating last year. Really.

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Tom Jones ends his 42-year love affair with Las Vegas

Wales On Sunday | 8 January 2012

HE’S made everything from the Statue Of Liberty to part of the Orient Express disappear, but now David Copperfield has gone one bigger – he’s made Sir Tom Jones vanish from Las Vegas.

The award-winning US illusionist has taken over from the Voice Of The Valleys’ resident Vegas slot –putting an end to the legendary Ponty singer’s record-breaking 42-year run.

But, for the legion of fans who’ve made the pilgrimage to Sin City to catch Jones in action since his 1969 debut at The Flamingo Hotel, the biggest mystery is why the singer seems to have voluntarily given up his crown as The King of The Strip.

“People would literally come from all over the world to see him here and they just can’t get their heads around why this decision’s been made, I know I can’t,” said Ellen Sterling, the Vegas-based journalist behind the online US fansite dedicated to the star, www.tomjonesintl.com

“The Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand is a wonderful, intimate venue and would always be packed out for Tom. It was much more than just your standard gig experience too, because you could rub shoulders with Tom by the hotel pool and in the restaurant or casino.

“He’d always be very accessible and would happily pose for pictures, sign autographs or just have a chat – he’d would never fail to be polite and welcoming.”

And Sterling estimated that Sir Tom’s tally of Vegas appearances since that first late 60s foray probably ran into thousands.

“I once counted all my ticket stubs from 2005 to 2010 and figured out Tom was doing roughly about 10 weeks there each year, that’s about 140 shows every 12 months,” she said.

“In August 2010, the last time Tom came here, the tickets were $92.50 – but even then the majority of his 14-night stint was sold out, with the remaining shows close to the 700-seat capacity. So it’s not like he was failing to do good box office business.”

However, there is speculation that the move could be a further attempt to reinvent Jones’ credibility and image away from that of the medallion-wearing, hen-party favourite.

It was announced late last year that Sir Tom would be a “mentor” on new BBC talent show The Voice.

The 71-year-old performer recently ditched the hair dye to embrace his natural grey look, as well as taking a new musical direction on his 2010 album Praise & Blame.

It was also announced this week he would be teaming up with former White Stripes frontman Jack White to cover the Howlin’ Wolf song Evil.

“Put it this way, I don’t think anything that happens in Tom’s career happens by accident, everything is subject to careful thought and planning and I’d imagine that’s the case here too,” said Sterling.

“Ultimately, only those who manage Tom’s career can say why this has happened, but I know there are lots who’ve been deeply saddened by the news.”

And the sentiment was borne out by many of the subscribers to Sterling’s website.

One, calling herself SusannePDX, said: “Tom has callously tossed aside his old band (Jones ditched his veteran backing group for a younger model in 2009) and now us. Happy New Year Tom!”.

Meanwhile, Cyndy Stiff wrote, “This is heartbreaking. Tom is so loved over here and I just feel like he or his management have turned their backs on all of us.”

Another posted: “Stunned and saddened, my Vegas trips were the highlight of the year,” while one Llantrisant-born Californian called Shirley recalled first seeing Jones live in his early days at Wood Road Working Men’s Club in Pontypridd.

“We could only afford to have one night out a week and we always made it one of the nights Tom would be singing somewhere,” she said.

“Since moving abroad though, I saw Tom at the MGM almost every time he played. He’s been part of my life for so long and I never thought that would end.”

Jones’ management were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.

Big News! This is in every online music site that deals with this kind of music and lots of newspapers. It’s great for Sir Tom and can go a long way in reestablishing a very credible presence for him — no more “crooner” perhaps? — in North America.

For example: from Rolling Stone.com January 5, 2012 6:45 PM ET:

Jack White to Collaborate with Tom Jones
It’s Not Unusual singer joins White’s Third Man Records 7-inch single series

The latest collaborator in Jack White’s unusual arsenal? None other than Tom Jones, the contemporary Welsh crooner behind such pop hits as “It’s Not Unusual.”

Jones will join White’s Third Man Records in its Blue Series, which has pressed special one-off 7-inch singles from Insane Clown Posse, Stephen Colbert and other guest artists. Jones rerecorded Jezebel, a track from his 2002 album Mr. Jones, and also tackled the blues great Howlin’ Wolf with a cover of Evil.

A release date for his Blue Sessions disc has not been announced, but the sessions went well; White reportedly said of the 71-year-old pop icon, “He impressed the shit out of everybody.”

Meanwhile, White’s Third Man has also reached a business deal with Document Records to reissue the blues label’s albums on deluxe vinyl. The first release will be a compilation featuring early 20th-century blues musicians Charlie Patton, Blind Willie McTell and others.

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In response to a request from a friend, I’m posting the Howlin’ Wolf original of the song Tom is supposed to have recorded, Evil. I’d love to hear him sing another Howlin’ Wolf song, Built For Comfort. It’s perfect for him, along the lines of Git Me Some.

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Consequence of Sound.net says: “Jack White has revealed his latest strange bedfellow and it’s none other than 71-year-old singing legend, Sir Tom Jones. According to this month’s MOJO Magazine, Jones is the latest participant in Third Man Records’ infamous Blue Series, which has previously offered releases from Stephen Colbert, John C. Reily, and Insane Clown Possee. For his part, Jones recorded a rendition of Jezebel from his 2002 album Mr. Jones, along with a cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s Evil. As White notes, ‘He impressed the shit out of everybody.’”

If you are not familiar with Jack White, Rolling Stone says: “Weird and passionate, with burning eyes and an old man’s sensibilities, Jack White spent the 2000s going from promising garage-rocker to international rock star. He was one of the most important guitarists of the decade — on the strength of his forcefulness and ingenuity rather than virtuosity — as well as a great conceptualizer and a top-flight songwriter who could draw on a seemingly bottomless bag of riffs and melodies.” You can also check his official website, White Stripes.com.

Moderator’s Note: Of course Tom was impressive. According to the Third Man Records website: Singers and bands that are traveling through Nashville, are invited to stop by to record one or two songs at Third Man Studio to be produced by Jack White. The songs are then, as soon as possible, made available on 7” vinyl and digitally on iTunes. The cover photos are taken in Third Man’s “blue room” photo studio/live venue.

The first thing I bought that White produced was the Loretta Lynn album, Van Lear Rose. It was wonderful and, as someone who really loves vinyl, I love the idea of a 45! Of course, we’ll have to file this under “Rumor or Reality,” but I’m sure it’s true and it will show very soon up on OFFICIAL Tom Jones, as it should.

So, what do you all think of this?

For a vintage 1980s article about Tom’s allegedly favorite recipe/meal, please click here to (more…)

I hope you all had a very nice new year holiday and that 2012 is good to all of us. Please take a moment to answer the Question of the Month in the post below.

The only real TJ news (if you can call it that) is that Tom drank Brains beer, his favorite manufactured in Wales, when he was in Russia, as the company is starting to export the product. So, they bragged about Tom having a pint. No photo, though.

Comment From A Singer-Songwriter:
On December 18 I posted a fun song called Living Next Door To Tom Jones and Ceri Haggett, the singer-songwriter, to whom I wrote at the time, just responded. He read the (mostly negative) comments and wrote:
Thank you for taking the time and trouble to listen to my little ditty and to join this thread…comments good and bad…ha!..the song is just a bit of fun, not intended to ridicule tom at all….he is indeed a great man with whom i actually sang with once…….he was on the radio and i was on the toilet!…..peace!

Some Comments on Comments:
The December 29th post, A Record-Setting Run In Las Vegas — 42 Consecutive Years — Is Over…And That’s Very Sad elicited 40 comments. That is, for this site and the (sadly) ever-more limited universe it draws, pretty good. So I checked back to see what other posts drew a lot of comments. I found two:

On November 28, 2009, a post entitled, It’s A Fact — The Tom Jones US Band ill Not Be Back drew 38 comments.

But the largest response — 95 comments — was for the on January 16, 2009 — Tom Opens In Las Vegas: Ladies And Gentlemen, THIS Is Tom Jones (Au Naturel!)

The photo here is from that post, the first ever photo of Tom with gray (or, if you’re a Brit, “grEy”) hair. I took it the night he opened and a friend in New York published it on his website. As I’d told him to expect, he got calls for the picture from the BBC and MediaWales. It was sold to them (I never saw any money:)) and it made big news in the UK.

Anyway, that post drew 95(!) comments. Looking back, they’re interesting to read.

So, here’s the question: It’s been three years since Tom went gray, or as he referred to the change, “au natural.” How do you feel about it now? If you commented on the original post, have you changed your mind? And, if you were there that evening, do you recall your first reaction?

If you were away for the holiday or too busy to visit TJI.com the last few days, please be sure to read the December 29 post just below and check the comments, and be sure to add your own voice to the discussion if you wish.

Wishing the entire TJI community a year of health, prosperity, joy and good music!

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We all, I daresay, wish Sir Tom and his family a year of good health, good things and good music.

But, there are other things we probably all wish for Tom in 2012. Those wishes likely include a hearty “break a leg!” for any appearances he makes on TV or in concert and a wish that the new album be a smash worldwide. We also probably each wish he’d appear in a venue where we can see him.

So, the TJI.com Question of the Month for January, 2012 is:

Is there anything besides the items mentioned above that you wish for Sir Tom in 2012?

(Please don’t respond that you want him to appear near you. that is a given and does not need to be repeated.)

It was Mike Weatherford, the entertainment reporter from the Las Vegas Review Journal who, back in 2008, first alerted TJI to the fact that Tom Jones was about to open for the 40th consecutive year in Las Vegas. That, he reckoned, was more consecutive years than any other entertainer on The Strip could boast of accumulating. (Although some may have played here longer they didn’t do so consecutively.) (An interview request by another reporter working on the story was denied.)

In today’s (January 29th) Las Vegas Review Journal Weatherford writes about “Two Las Vegas Legends” leaving The Strip, comic Shecky Green (“forced”) and Tom Jones (“retiring voluntarily”). He tells of an issue with Greene’s last appearance here and then says:

But some fans of Tom Jones claim that barring a last-minute miracle, 2011 will break the eternal sex god’s streak of performing on the Strip every year since 1968. It should be said that Jones has played only a handful of U.S. shows this year, but here in town David Copperfield basically took over the MGM Grand theater Jones has played for years.

“People are honestly upset, hurt and angry,” says Ellen Sterling, who runs a Jones-devoted website. “People have invested a lot of money and time” to see him in Las Vegas.

One of them is 81-year-old New Yorker Mary Pascale, forced to break a tradition [of seeing Tom Jones annually] for “the first year in my life since 1969. … It’s most depressing for me.”

Would it rub salt in the wound to mention that age-old rival Engelbert Humperdinck returned to the Strip this year after an exile in the suburbs?

Moderator’s Note: So unless Tom shows up in the next two days and plays a public gig in Las Vegas, the book on his record is closed. That is so sad because fans come to see him there from around the world — literally “from around the world” — and Tom has said many times that enjoys playing Las Vegas.

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One of the few shows Tom played in the US in 2011 was at the New Orleans Jazz & Blues Festival on May 1.HitFix Blogger Melinda Newman included Tom’s NOLA show in her best of the year. She’s got great credibility, is the former West Coast Bureau Chief for Billboard Magazine with more than 15 years of experience in the music industry. She covers music and entertainment for the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Associated Press, MSN, AOL and other outlets. She wrote in a post titled, “My top nine concerts of 2011 featuring Adele, Death Cab for Cutie and Tom Jones?:”

“Tom Jones, Jazz Fest, New Orleans, May 1: How can he still be this hot and sexy at 71? Maybe it was the magic in the New Orleans air or he just has his own brand of voodoo that follows him wherever he goes, but even the men were swooning as Jones soared through hit after hit with that sultry baritone of his to close out the first weekend of Jazz Fest. He paid tribute to *NOLA with St. James Infirmary and Hey Pocky Way, but, of course, left room for She’s a Lady, and It’s Not Unusual. His encore of Prince’s Kiss was fun, but left everyone wanting more.”

*NOLA=New Orleans, Louisiana

Hope you all had a great weekend. If you missed the posts December 23 and 25, please take some time to check them out. Good music and good memories in each.

Rumor Or Reality? Last year, when Tom played at the Newmarket Racecourse summer concert series, his gig was sold out in June.

In an October 9 post, TJI wrote: “In October, 2011, the racecourse announced, “THE visit of Welsh crooner Tom Jones to Newmarket’s racecourse in August was the course’s most profitable ‘racing plus music’ night in its 25 years of hosting them.

The news was revealed by the course owner, The Jockey Club, which also announced that it had seen a record total attendance to its programme of racing plus music events in 2011 across its courses nationwide.

“The fixtures, which saw competitive racing followed by performances from a music act such as Sir Tom Jones, Scissor Sisters and Blondie, welcomed 302,032 people in 2011. This compares with 297,750 attendees in 2010.

“Paul Fisher, group managing director of Jockey Club Racecourses, said: ‘Our 2011 music programme has generated a seven-figure return on our investment, which we are directing straight into our sport, in line with The Jockey Club’s mission to act for the good of British horseracing.

“’Despite a very tough marketplace for music festivals and events, this was our third most profitable year ever from racing plus music fixtures.

“Sir Tom Jones, who joined other top acts to celebrate Newmarket Nights’ 25th anniversary, attracted a crowd of 21,980 – the course’s most profitable music night ever.”

As for the “Rumor Or Reality” part, TJI has learned from someone in Suffolk — not Suffolk County, Long Island (where I lived) or Suffolk County, Massachusetts, but the Suffolk County in England where the racecourse is located — that Newmarket Racecourse is negotiating to again offer Sir Tom in a racing and music event.

The gig will happen, TJI is told, “if the price is right.”

Let’s hope for more news soon — and maybe some news about North American gigs? The Hollywood Theatre at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is free from January 31 through February 6 and, again, after March 4.

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December 28 is the birthday of someone many of us know and of whom we are very fond — the world’s best drummer, Herman Matthews!

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, you can celebrate with him at:
Cafe Cordiale • 14015 Ventura Blvd • Sherman Oaks, CA 91423-3511 (818) 789-1985 • Live music starts at 9:00pm
On December 28, Herman will be playing with the band, Babylon Social Club that night and, the following night, he’ll be there playing with Never Not Broken. Same time, same place, same great drummer!

In 1969 and 1970, This Is Tom Jones happened to be broadcast on December 25. Naturally, Tom did Christmas material. The first year, among other things, Tom and the Treorchy Male Choir performed A Child’s Christmas In Wales, the by immortal Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. In 1970, the Choir was back, along with Ella Fitzgerald and, in a departure from Tom’s usual variety material, he hosted ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev and prima ballerina Merle Park, dancing the pas-de-deux from The Nutcracker Suite, an annual Christmas tradition in much of the world. (I saw Nureyev and Park dance — other ballets — and each is wonderful.)

You can watch a bit more than 40 minutes of Tom Jones holiday video (in two parts) in the TJI.com Video Library.

(And, if you have the free app, RealPlayer downloader you can download it. Go to the Real Player website.)

Be sure to visit TJI Sunday, Christmas Day, for very special holiday videos! It will be posted at 12 a.m. Pacific time on December 25.

Back in the day when there were active Tom Jones Fan Clubs, Tom sent a a holiday greeting to club presidents and members. It wasn’t personal, of course, but it gave everyone a sense that fans were important. As we know, these days there are few, if any entertainers who mail such stuff. Why should they when they can post a greeting online?

Anyway, to download a PDF of Tom’s 1980 holiday greeting to “Fan Club Presidents and Members,” click here.

Because this is one of your moderator’s favorites: Do you remember (around 2004) when Tom would sing What Am I Living For? He’d always say the same thing before he sang the song. He’d say this. Of course, as noted here before, Chuck Willis recorded the song in 1958.

Tom recorded it in 1969 for the BBC sessions. When he brought it back in this century, people just loved it but that early recording never did much and, therefore, wasn’t heard much. Tom did record it more recently. It is on the CD and DVD of the 2005 Australian tour he did with John Farnham. Here is Tom singing What Am I Living For? on the terrific live CD of that tour.

Finally, if you click here you can listen to that 1969 version of What Am I Living For?