Tom Jones International

TJI learned for sure last week that Tom’s new CD has been mastered and, now, it is in a newspaper that it will be released in May. To promote it, he’s going back to the tracks — 2 UK racecourse dates for Sir Tom:

On Friday, June 22, Sir Tom will play Kingsholm Rugby Stadium in Gloucester, where he has family roots. Buy tickets here or call 0871 871 8781 opt 2. A VIP package including an allocated padded seat in prime viewing of the stage as well as access into a private lounge with its own bar and a welcome drink on arrival is £60. Add a two-course meal and it’s £100 and a hospitality suite and it’s £1,500 for 12 people. General admission is £32.

Negotiations noted here on December 27 have borne fruit and Sir Tom will again play Newmarket Racecourse. The date is Friday, August 10. “Adrian Simpson, sales and marketing director at Newmarket Racecourses, said: “We’re thrilled that Tom Jones is returning to Newmarket Nights in 2012. His performance last year sold out quickly so people interested in attending this year will need to be quick. We can guarantee everyone attending a wonderful evening of top racing and live music.”

Tickets are now on sale and start from £12 for under 16’s and £22 for adults. To book tickets or for more information visit Newmarket Racecourses or call 01638 675500. Prices range from £22 to £40 for adults and £12 to £17 for children.

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‘People are seeing and not listening’: Tom Jones slams other reality shows for focusing on styling over vocal talent

By Liz Thomas | The Daily Mail PUBLISHED: 18:19 EST, 11 March 2012 | UPDATED: 18:44 EST, 11 March 2012

Modern music is too focused on styling and production over vocal ability, Sir Tom Jones has warned. As on X Factor, left.)

The 71-year-old singer said people had got too used to “watching” artists and the industry needed to get back to basics of finding talented and unique stars.

In a dig at ITV’s The X Factor he added that his new show The Voice was purely about singing rather than a lavish production or an image overhaul.

He said: ‘People now are seeing and not really listening. You can see shows with a lot of singers in there and there is a production value involved, a lot of people like that kind of thing but I like to hear a voice.’

The veteran entertainer added that many artists today sounded the same because record bosses are too focused on finding acts that are similar or can be compared to those already a success.

He added: ‘I look and listen to these shows for talent. I don’t want to hear someone copying other people.

“I don’t want someone to say, oh you don’t move like so and so and so or you need to be more like so and so for production values.

‘We have to start with basic talent. It’s like listening to the record for the first time without knowing who that person is.’

The X Factor, which Cowell created, is famed for the millions it spends on production values to provide a Saturday night spectacle.

Sir Tom also said he had been offered a role on all the talent shows but had turned others down.

In a further criticism of The X Factor and similar shows, he said he opted for The Voice because it had “four coaches” instead of judges and the coaches were made up of successful singers rather than managers or record company bosses.

The X Factor has had a mix of artists, managers and record company bosses as its judging panel .

Sir Tom said: ‘We are here to be coaches. We are not judging them. It’s the first time they’ve had four singers as coaches not record producers.’

His comments come at a time when ITV and the BBC admitted they are embroiled in a bitter battle for Saturday night audiences, this spring.

BBC1’s The Voice will clash with Britain’s Got Talent on ITV1 when they launch on Saturday March 24.

To see the rest of this article and the interview with Will. i. am where he talks about Tom and explains why the UK version of The Voice is better than the US version, please click here to (more…)

Question: Some devoted, obviously well-meaning fans are posting interesting videos of Tom that are of extremely poor quality. Often a bad video can be fixed, but these are so bad — they look like cellphone video taken of VCR tapes — they are beyond repair. Do you enjoy seeing those? Or do you only want high-quality or, at worst, barely decent, videos? Any opinions? Please comment. Thanks! (I’ll be posting a lot more here when I have a chance.)

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New Gig Announced: It’s not on OFFICIAL Tom Jones yet, but the event organizers have announced that Tom will play Osborne House Concerts on the Isle of Wight, Sunday, July 29.
From Ventnor Blog.com: He’s heading for the green, green grass of Osborne House this summer, Tom Jones is back on the Wight. This in from Solo Promotions, in their own words. Ed

We are very proud to announce that the Welsh legend Tom Jones will be headlining Sunday 29th July at Osborne House Summer Concerts.

He will be returning to the Island after going down a storm at the Isle of Wight Festival last year.

Set in the grounds of the breathtaking Osborne House, the three-storey royal seaside villa overlooking the Solent will open to the public and will play host to a two night concert that sees British pop sensation Steps and living legend Tom Jones take to the stage for an unforgettable weekend.

He’ll captivate the audience
With a career spanning decades, this is a chance to witness an unbelievable performance from one of the biggest names in music. Tom Jones will bring his powerful vocals to the grounds of Osborne House and will keep the audience captivated from start to finish.

John Giddings, organiser of Osborne House Summer Concerts and the Isle Of Wight Festival, is thrilled to have teamed up again with Green Eye Events, Riverside Productions and English Heritage to put on this unique weekend. “I can’t think of a more perfect summer evening than Tom in the grounds of Osborne House, Queen Victoria would be proud of us….” he said.

From a couple of websites: We read several days ago that Sir Tom said of The X Factor: “Some of their judges aren’t even singers and wouldn’t be able to sing a note, so what do they know? Some of the judges don’t have the experience to be on talent shows – if you’ve only been in the industry two minutes, how can you offer advice? I have the experience and I listen to all sorts of music, so the advice I give will be valuable”

Now, an X Factor rep responded: “You are basically talking about worldwide success for nearly all of the stars who’ve come through the ranks on Simon’s shows. It’s a bit rich for someone appearing as a judge on a BBC show that hasn’t even started yet to criticise him. Simon’s always held Tom Jones in high regard but he’s being drawn into a PR stunt by the BBC when he should know better.”

Must say, I agree with the above. I am sure other Voice judges were asked to get involved, but they wisely declined. That is why one must always work with professional public relations people who will be able to see the danger of this type of thing. There is a real difference between good and bad press. This is bad and, like all bad press, can harm the person involved. It won’t hurt Simon Cowell, but will probably — and rightfully — come back to bite Tom. And, really, such negativity isn’t necessary. If the show is good, people will watch. If not, no matter how anyone picks a fight, viewers won’t stay with a show over the long haul.

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Evil and Jezebel are now on iTunes in the USA. The songs will be on iTunes elsewhere on March 19.

The drama King of the Teds — not strictly Sir Tom’s acting debut (just ask Tim Burton and Angelica Huston) — will premiere on Sky Arts Thursday, April 12, 9 pm, as the first in the network’s drama-comedy series Playhouse Presents.

It tells the story of Tina (Alison Steadman), who works part time as a cleaner. Her husband Ron (Tom Jones) has been made redundant (fired or downsized in the USA) by the bottle factory. The lives of this long-­term married couple are turned upside-­down with the surprise visit of their best friend from the 1950s (Brenda Blethyn) and deep feelings are rekindled.

The play was written and directed by Jim Cartwright. best known as the writer of the terrific 1998 film Little Voice that starred Brenda Blethyn, Michael Caine, Jim Broadbent and, in the title role, Jane Horrocks. It’s a wonderful film available on Netflix.

In addition to Little Voice, Brenda Blethyn won a BAFTA and was nominated for an Oscar® for Secrets and Lies and was in A River Runs Through It, in addition to extensive work in film and on TV.

Alison Steadman has a long, stellar list of TV credits, including Gavin and Stacey and The Worst Week of My Life

Tom, clearly, is in good hands on this adventure into TV drama.

The title, by the way, refers to the character’s past as a so-called Teddy Boy, those guys in the 1950s who affected modified Edwardian — hence, the name “Teddy,” from the nickname for “Edward” — clothing. They were tough and wild. In the USA they might have been called “hoods” or “rocks.” Fonzie was an example of the US vintage.

[Moderator's Note: It's great that Sky Arts is doing a series like this. I remember such anthology drama/comedy series from when I was a child. I miss them, although Antenna TV shows a few. But many great dramas were on then. Hope a major US network follows suit, as today it seems to be only cable networks that do this kind of thing.]

For these two and seven more photos posted by OFFICIAL Tom Jones, and photoshopped a bit by TJI.com, please go to the TJI.com Flickr set Tom Jones On Stage. That set contains now 152 photos and there is a total of 1,036 photos in the 11 TJI.com Flickr sets.

Please don’t forget the posts below (especially the TJI Question of the Month). I’m hoping to get as many songs you requested posted as is possible. As new stuff comes in today and tomorrow I’ll post it here. New post on Saturday.

Please don’t forget to answer the TJI.com Question of the Month for March in the post below.

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NEWS UPDATE: In addition to the promo video at left, The Voice UK posted a video that explains the first step in the show, the Blind Auditions. Each of the four coaches will have teams of 10 — in the US, it’s teams of 12. Presenter Reggie Yates calls the coaches “four of the biggest stars on the Planet Earth.” That is, I believe, a bit of overstatement. I’ll buy it for Tom Jones and, even, Will. i. am. (whom I saw in concert where he received a rapturous reception along with the other Black Eyed Peas), but Jessie J? And that other guy, Danny O’Donoghue? Really?

Anyway, after Blind Auditions come the Battle Rounds. This has to be the most difficult for the judges (and contestants). Here, the judge pairs two members of his or her team and give them a song to perform in a kind of “sing-off.” They get help from guest singing stars the coaches bring in and then they perform a duet. When that is over, each coach says who he or she would keep on the team and the coach of the two singers has to eliminate one and keep one. Has to be very difficult.

Here’s another video (with Tom) that explains the blind audition process.

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TOM IN FRANCE JULY 4: Apparently that war in the 1770s still annoys some people because Tom will celebrate U.S. Independence Day July 4 in Cognac, France at the Blues Passion Festival. He will appear with Sandra N’Kaké, Rosie Ledet, TROMBONE SHORTY & Orleans Avenue and The Delta Saints. Surely, he’ll have sun in the cognac region and you can, too. Get tickets here. The Festival runs from July 3 – July 8 and tickets are very reasonable. Also appearing are The Cranberries, Sting and Hugh Laurie.

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RUMOR OR REALITY? A story about alleged salary demands of the stars of Strictly Come Dancing, says the people on that show are demanding salaries at least comparable to the judges on The Voice UK.According to the Daily Mail:

“Rapper will.i.am is believed to be on £500,000, Sir Tom Jones is estimated to be on £300,000 while Jessie J will earn £200,000 and Danny O’Donoghue £100,000.” (At today’s exchange rate, £1=$1.58 or €1.199.You can be sure that, if the story is accurate, some of them are making less for the entire series than they probably earn in one or two concerts.)

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Tom Played A Corporate Event In Seattle On Friday, March 2. (It’s too bad he couldn’t manage a regular gig at the MGM March 3 or 4. The band must have been with him and it’s not a long or expensive flight from Seattle to Las Vegas. Copperfield was there but, still, it probably could have been arranged. Might not have been as lucrative, but it would have been something for the fans.)

Emirate Airlines, probably the most luxurious air travel in the world, celebrated the delivery of a new Boeing 777 their first flight between the Emirates and Seattle, Washington, Friday night with a gala attended by 600 invited guests at the Washington State Convention Center. Also on the bill was the Irish group Riverdance.

Here’s the story from the Puget Sound Business Journal:

A week of festivities for Emirates Airline and Boeing

“Months of nonstop marketing on the part of Emirates Airline culminated in the airline’s first direct flight between Dubai and Seattle on Thursday – a milestone that will be celebrated Friday night at a gala attended by some of the area’s business and political elite.

“Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire was so excited about the new route that she designated March 1 as “Emirates Day” in Washington state.

“Emirates, known for its luxury service, used the occasion of the inaugural flight to tout its recent order of 50 Boeing 777-300ER jets. The order, with options for 20 additional aircraft, is worth an estimated $26 billion at list prices. Boeing on Friday delivered its latest 777 to Emirates, the 1000th 777 produced by Seattle’s aerospace giant.

“Emirates has looked forward to the day when we would connect Seattle to our home hub in Dubai, on flights operated by state-of-the-art, Seattle-built aircraft,” Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline & Group, said in a statement. The airline pointed out that it already is the world’s largest customer of the Boeing 777 and operates the aircraft to each of its six United States gateways: New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and now Seattle.”

Thanks, KT

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Lots of attention has been paid to the fact that only Spiller’s Record Store in Cardiff will have the tri-colored vinyl edition of Tom’s new 45.

Although the regular black vinyl will be available elsewhere and the songs are on iTunes today, the limited edition of 100 45s was only available in that one outlet in Europe. The record company says it goes on sale today in the US, yesterday in the UK. OFFICIAL Tom Jones finally corrected their disinformation a week ago.

People want these both for either of two reason or both reasons:

First, because Tom is the singer and, second, because the vinyl produced by Jack White’s Third Man Records is highly collectible.

The tri-color 45 sold for £15 ($23.80) at Spiller’s. The price for the regular vinyl is $6 in the US and 99¢ on iTunes.

In this interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), Ashli Todd, owner of Spiller’s, talks about her plans for selling the limited edition record.

And here’s what happened when it went on sale:

Sir Tom Jones’ new single Evil sells out in just half an hour in special Spillers Records event

Western Mail | March 5, 2010

FANS and record collectors from as far as Rome queued all night to get their hands on a rare edition of Tom Jones’ new double A-side single.

The dedicated group took to the cold streets of Cardiff to try to bag a copy of his new release, Evil, from Spillers Records in Morgan Arcade, Cardiff. Only 100 copies were available, so the most dedicated fans turned up early to avoid disappointment.

All 100 copies of the £15 limited edition single, which features tri-colour vinyl, were sold in 30 minutes. Graf Middleton, a customer services assistant for Spillers, said: “Every person who queued up early got a copy, so it worked out well. This was the only place in the world to get the copies outside of the record label’s own shop in Nashville.”

For those who weren’t patient enough to spend all night queuing on the street, a standard seven-inch version of the single will be available.

The release was put out by Third Man Records, a label set up by former White Stripers frontman, Jack White, which specialises in producing limited edition records. White also co-wrote the new single with Sir Tom.

But collaborating with contemporary artists is nothing new for Pontypridd-born Sir Tom, 71, who released an album in 1999 in which he recorded with Stereophonics, Robbie Williams and the Divine Comedy.

In recent years Tom has also worked a lot with Jools Holland, but has also spoken about his desire to work with controversial US rapper Eminem and Las Vegas rockers The Killers.

Now that Tom’s vinyl (and digital) recordings of Evil and Jezebel are being released this week, it’s time to consider what other songs you’d like Sir Tom to do.

Evil is an old Howlin’ Wolf tune and Jezebel was first done by Frankie Laine. Now what if Tom were to cover more songs soon?

The TJI.com Question of the Month is:
What one (1) other song, done before by someone else, would you like to hear Sir Tom do?

I’ll get things started by suggesting the Johnny Mercer classic — the perfect late-night song — done before by Mr. Sinatra — One For My Baby. Sinatra’s version is perfect and I believe only Tom could take it, put his indelible stamp on it and make it his own.

So, what is your single suggestion?

If he has recorded any of the songs, I’ll post them soon and let you know where you can get them. Watch for it.

Tom’s new 45 arrived in the mail today. I really like it. Jezebel is a great tribute to Frankie Laine and Evil is, as noted before terrific. The musicians on the record really shine. And, I gotta say, there was something that was just lovely about putting a 45 on the turntable, lifting the arm and putting the needle down on the record. It’s been a long, long time. (I have the vinyl of Praise and Blame but haven’t played it yet.) Tonight, Randy Travis in concert at the spectacular new Smith Center for The Arts here in Las Vegas. Question of the Month coming Sunday.

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Thursday was March 1 — St. David’s Day in Wales. It was also the 47th anniversary of the day It’s Not Unusual his #1 on the UK charts. So, a happy belated St. David’s Day to Shirl and all TJI’s other Welsh friends and congratulations, also, to Sir Tom! (The daffodil and the leek are the symbols of the used on St. David’s Day.)

Kat and Rosina went to the art exhibit opening discussed in the post below. Kat wrote:

“We had a great time. They made us very welcome. It’s such a shame that not any of the major celebs turned up. Bryn Terfel (and the dignitaries) were lovely to us and were very pleased and surprised that we made the long journey. lots of people came to talk to us about TOM and TJI.

“I think that we have done some good for Tom & TJI as there was no other big celeb represented there by their fans.

“We had a long drive it took about 3-and-a-half hours but had a lovely drive through the Rhondda Valleys just past Pontypridd. The castle is about 15 miles from where Tom was born. It’s very pretty. The Castle is a very impressive building and is set in a wonderful park.

“We arrived and went into the main entrance to be greeted by to be meet by the event organizer Christopher Parry the artist, Steven Samuel. The first minister made a speech and he cut a ribbon and declared the exhibition open and we were all allowed into the gallery. There were approximately 45 people waiting to go in.

“Steven had said to me that he was very nervous about people’s reaction because its the first time he has done anything like this, as he’s is a cartoonist for the press.

“Well, he didn’t have to worry the crowd loved the paintings. He is a very talented man. The first painting that Rose and i saw of Tom is the one looking straight at you. It was done from a photo that Tom sent Steven and it took my breath away. Photographs do not do it justice .Both paintings are so vivid and alive, it’s as if Steven has captured Tom’s power and soul They are wonderful, The second one with Tom looking to the side ( i think is from a stage shot ) has captured Tom’s stage presence and shows him full of confidence. Any Tom Jones Fan would love to own one of these wonderful paintings.

“I do hope they do well as it is for a very good cause. Steven said they the art may be exhibited in Cardiff as well. They may be bid for or they may put a price tag on them i don’t think they know yet,

“So, Ellen, thank you very very much for a great experience.”

Moderator’s Note: You are most welcome, Kat. It’s been fun getting to know you. I met Rosina in Las Vegas a few years ago when she gave Tom a Welsh flag at a show. Turns out, he and I were always competing bidders on eBay but, since then, we’ve all become friends.

And Steven Samuel, the artist, seems a terrific guy. I hope to be able to use some of his work for another project I’m doing. He’s another person I’ve met through TJI that it’s been a pleasure to get to know.

If anyone does want a painting, email me and I’ll pass it on. Use the link below right.

(left) Artist Steven Samuel with Kat and (right) Rosina stands in front of a portrait of Sir Tom.

(Lots of art of lots of famous Welshmen and women. I see one over Rosina’s left shoulder of Sir Anthony Hopkins. I had the fortune to meet him at the Muhammad Ali event on February 18. He was so nice and took time to speak to anyone who asked a question.)

In August, TJI reported that artist Steven Samuel had done portraits of Sir Tom to be auctioned in support of a cancer charity.

Well, that charity is McMillan Cancer Spport and that event is tonight, February 29.

It will be held at Cyfarthfa Castle in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales. The 1824 Regency home sits on 160 acres and looks beautiful.

The portraits are approximately 2 feet x 3 feet and the colors are much more vivid than they appear in these low resolution photos.

Steve has these two portraits, among others, in the auction.

He was told that the minimum bid will be around £200.

Sir Tom gave his approval to being included and has been invited to the event. In attendance will be the First Minister, Bonnie Tyler and Max Boyce.

If you wish to place a bid — and I know I should have posted this sooner, so I apologize — you can email event organizer Christopher Parry.

Two friends of TJI.com are planning on attending and will be giving us a report.

The exhibit will be open free to visitors for the month of March.

If you haven’t seen them, check out the posts below. Lots about The Voice UK.

Don’t forget to check out the videos in the posts below. There’s good stuff there.

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New Festival gig in the UK announced for Tom in August.

Tom will play the V Festival, either the 18th or 19th of August (doubtful he’ll play both) at Hylands Park, Essex and Weston Park, Staffordshire. the exact date and time haven’t been announced. Tickets go on sale Friday, March 2 at 10am. Official outlets are detailed on the V Festival Website. Virgin Media customers can buy tickets from 10am today, Monday, February 27. Other talent includes Nicki Minaj, the Killers, David Guetta, Snow Patrol, James Morrison, the Human League and lots more. Here’s Tom’s part of a 10-second V Festival 2012

The article just below are clearly reflections of Tom speaking his mind, but are also part of what looks to be a PR stunt to start a feud between The Voice UK and X Factor It can get ugly and probably will unless Tom (wisely) decides to put a stop to it. And did he really say he had to do such a show to, in a sense, rescue the genre? Hard to believe. After all, he did appear last year on American Idol and said nice things about that show — a Simon Cowell show.

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Sir Tom Jones blasts Simon Cowell saying he doesn’t know what talent is
People UK | Feb 26 2012 by James Davies, The People

MUSIC legend Sir Tom Jones has launched a scathing attack on Simon Cowell’s X Factor.

He said the ITV1 show had failed miserably to discover enough stars.

And he predicted his new BBC talent hunt The Voice would put that right – and expose the shortcomings of Cowell and his team.

Tom, 71, said: “Some of their judges aren’t even singers and wouldn’t be able to sing a note, so what do they know?”

The Voice will try to find a star based purely on their vocals because the judges won’t be able to see the performers when it starts on March 24.

Tom said: “At times it feels The X Factor is more about sob-stories and finding someone who’ll sell a lot of records quickly and then disappear than their singing ability.

“To me that’s wrong and that’s why I like the idea of The Voice so much.

“They haven’t found as many stars with world-class voices as they should.”

The Welsh superstar – who has sold more than 100million records in a 50-year career – went on: “Every time I see one of these shows I think half the decisions are wrong and it really frustrates me.

“Some of the judges don’t have the experience to be on talent shows – if you’ve only been in the industry two minutes, how can you offer advice?

“I have the experience and I listen to all sorts of music, so the advice I give will be valuable.”

Chart-topper Jessie J, 23, The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue, 31, and Black Eyed Peas’ rapper will.i.am, 36, will help Tom judge contestants on The Voice.

Tom, whose worldwide hits include It’s Not Unusual, Delilah and Sex Bomb, said: “I got fed up with shows like X Factor and thought I better do one ­myself because the judging has been questionable.

“A singing contest should be about someone’s voice – not PR spin.” He added: “I’m genuinely excited about The Voice – it’s exciting, competitive and compelling television because it’s all about talent.

“I’ve been blessed over the years to have been able to share the stage with some of the worlds finest artists and I’m really enjoying being part of the team discovering a great new talent.

“I love to see new talent – I always have.

“It’s great to see young people singing so well and it’s nice to see singing is still alive and well.”

But despite his X Factor attack, Tom is a fan of talent shows – “as long as the kids on them are treated properly”.

Tom’s digs have left Cowell “incensed” according to friends.

Cowell’s shows X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent have discovered global stars such as Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle and boy band One Direction.

A pal of the millionaire record boss said: “You are basically talking about worldwide success for nearly all of the stars who’ve come through the ranks on Simon’s shows.

“So it’s a bit rich for someone appearing as a judge on a BBC show that hasn’t even started yet to criticise him.”

The friend added: “Simon’s always held Tom Jones in high regard but he’s being drawn into a PR stunt by the BBC when he should know better.”

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At the rugby game Saturday at Twickenham, Katherine Jenkins (Remember, she sang Happy Birthday to Tom in Pontypridd at his 65th birthday concert?) tweeted the photo here. I posted bits of articles that are accessible, even to dolts like me who don’t understand rugby (or any kind of football).

The Observer said:
WELSH ROYALTY REVIEW

It’s not unusual to see Tom Jones at Twickenham when Wales are in town. Katherine Jenkins posted a picture of herself with him on Twitter, but more of a surprise was the sight of a grinning Andrew Flintoff alongside the Welsh singing duo. Jenkins won £20 off him in a match bet. Hospitality must have been good.

Kevin Mitchell in The Guardian said:

For long stretches of this match, Tom Jones sat tanned and mute in the stands, with a grim-faced Welsh army for company scattered around enemy HQ. It was not a happy place to be. Favoured Wales – who only months ago were a kick away from making the World Cup final while England were quietly disgracing themselves – were striving for their third win here in 26 seasons and they were letting the English play like, well, Wales.

The principality’s sainted warbler could have been forgiven had he stood up and belted out a few lines of their unofficial anthem: “Forgive me, Delilah, I just couldn’t take any more.”

But, like all good drama, there was a twist. Scott Williams came on to criminally waste a try-scoring chance in the second half, with Leigh Halfpenny screaming at him, unmarked; then the big man from Carmarthen scored the only try of the match when he ripped the ball from Courtney Lawes’s grasp, kicked through, gathered and flew over the line with the sort of glee only a penitent man could imagine.

At the right is the 58-second promo video for The Voice UK that was posted by the BBC yesterday.

Tom was at the launch event for The Voice UK in London on Friday, February 24.Photos of the event are in the

The BBC has launched a website for The Voice UK. Here’s Tom’s page.

According to K.T., at the taping of The Voice UK Thursday, “Tom looked great — fit and well, and he’s really got his new role. He really seemed to enjoy it more. He has a very strong team to go through to the next round.”

In a memo mistakenly circulated by the BBC, it slipped that The Voice UK willT begin its run on Saturday, March 24 on BBC One. he word on the street is that the live rounds begin in April.

An article published Thursday purports to have inside, backstage info about Tom’s dealing with the show:

Can Judge Tom find his voice for new BBC talent series?

Daily Mail | By Dan Wootton | 23 February, 2012

When BBC bosses signed 71-year-old singer Sir Tom Jones to be the judge on their expensive new talent series The Voice, it was hailed as a coup.

But my sources on the show say the Welsh icon initially struggled to adjust to his role and put in some worrying performances at the early pre-recorded auditions.

They tell me he found it difficult to adapt to working alongside his much younger colleagues Jessie J, 23, Black Eyed Peas member Will.I.Am, 36, and The Script star Danny O’Donoghue, 31.

However, while those working on the show admit he looked like he felt out of place at the beginning, they are confident he’ll be ‘comfortable’ by the time the live shows begin soon.

An insider explains: ‘Tom has really had to work to adjust to the format in all honesty. He is a legend as a singer but is not used to this sort of role.

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An article out today says Tom will make his” acting debut” and notes he had a “brief cameo” as himself in Mars Attacks! That is not, however, strictly correct. He didn’t have a brief cameo. He had a major role and one would guess that he had to act as, in real life, he’s never been in the midst of an attack by Martians. But this looks like fun, doesn’t it? He was a Teddy Boy so he probably knows the role requirements.

Sir Tom Jones to make his acting debut

WalesOnline | Feb 23 2012

Veteran chart star Sir Tom Jones is to make his acting debut in a new TV drama.

The It’s Not Unusual singer will star alongside Alison Steadman and Brenda Blethyn in the film, King Of The Teds.

Sir Tom – soon to be seen as a coach on BBC1’s forthcoming talent search The Voice – will be seen in the Sky Arts drama in the spring.

The 71-year-old plays Ron, a former bottle factory worker who was once the top Teddy Boy in his area as a youth. He and his wife Tina find their lives turned upside down when they once again meet a friend from their early days.

The Welsh singing star previously took a brief cameo role in Tim Burton’s comedy Mars Attacks, playing himself.

The new film is part of a Sky Arts series called Playhouse Presents … which also features one-off dramas with star names. This Is Spinal Tap star Harry Shearer will play Richard Nixon in one film, while David Tennant will appear in another scripted by novelist Will Self.

And Paul O’Grady has written his first screenplay – in which he also stars, alongside Sheila Hancock – called Nellie And Melba.

Geraldine James, Richard E Grant and Trevor Eve star in a further film in the series called The Other Woman.

James Hunt, director of Sky Arts, said: “We are thrilled to have this phenomenal calibre of talent involved in such interesting and original films on the channel.

“We’re hugely ambitious about bringing the very best comedy and drama Sky Arts to our customers, and we have no doubt that these stars, in the hands of these award-winning production companies, will do just that.”

Finally, Tom is set to play the Belsonic Festival in Belfast, on Friday August 24, 2012. Tickets on sale this Monday, February 27 at the Belsonic Festival website

TJI has heard unofficially that Tom will be back in the USA this autumn. But, of course, nothing official yet.