Tom Jones International

A provocative article from a London tabloid, which will not be posted here because it is way too personal as it treads into Sir Tom’s private life and I, for one, know that’s not my business, did have a provocative point.

The shows at the MGM Grand the last six days have shown a sort of new Tom Jones, It must be said that this is the best show I’ve ever seen him do….and I’ve seen a lot of his shows. The stage looks terrific, most everyone there is talented and having fun. The set list (except for Too Many Lovers and that other song regular readers of this site know I would like to see disappear) is exceedingly well-received, especially he new old version of Green Green Grass that became part of the show in Europe last year.

What’s different is that there is little, if any, eye contact between Tom and the audience. Is this bad? No. It is just strange. Not one person at any of the six shows thus far has tossed one thing on stage. The first night Sir Tom took a birthday card early on from a fan and a gift bag from another as he left the stage. That’s been it for the entire week.

As noted here, on opening night, Tom seemed — after a couple of months of singing only songs from Praise and Blame — elated to be back to the pre-P&B set list. Now he’s added four songs from the album to the show and they are very well-received. In fact, the CD is not on sale with the other memorabilia outside the theater and I was asked twice by people looking for it when it “will be released.”

Sir Tom’s new image has yet to extend to the lobby photo (still dark-haired on the 24 Hours cover) or the video shown (still Live at Cardiff Castle). Surely there are newer, more attractive, photos and up-to-date video.

Anyway, this South African article quoted Robin Eggar, the third-worst Tom Jones biographer. (The second worst are those two women and the very worst is Gwen Russell. It was obvious that none of the last two books were written with any interviews of Sir Tom….Like Eggar’s (and he did speak to Tom during the writing) they’re just gossip and, to be honest, crap.) So, Eggar told the writer of this article that all of this is a “ploy,” part of a plan by his management to see that Tom Jones is recognized for his voice and nothing else. Since a “ploy” may be defined at “a cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one’s own advantage,” I think the word is wrong. It is not cunning. It is simply a career decision (like Kiss was a career decision).

I certainly believe we can all agree that Tom Jones should clearly be recognized for his voice……but that doesn’t negate his attractiveness and charisma. And it shouldn’t.

The problem is that one cannot undo 45 or so years of stored memories, impressions or good times with just like that. People have loved Tom Jones’ music, voice and persona for a long, long time and, because those years were pretty much all good, even while embracing the new, people will still be influenced by happy memories of the past.

Tom Jones is a gifted man who has, apparently, loved employing his gift to entertain audiences for more than 45 years. If he wants to change his image, it’s his right. But it is not a necessity.

There was a half-hour radio interview Tom did in London that was played in the UK last week. Click here to listen to the Tom Jones Interview July 27, 2010 by Marsha Shandur of XFM London

The photo above is of Tom singing Never, a song no longer in the show. It is posted here again because I think I heard un amie say she likes blue-toned photos. And, even if it wasn’t she who said it, I’d like to say, “Joyeux anniversaire, mon amie.”

In the next several days, depending upon time constraints, TJI will post a half-hour interview Tom did on BBC radio and video of Tom on two TV shows in the UK. In addition to my regular work, I am working on three special projects which you may hear about soon.

The Official UK Charts Company now has Praise and Blame at #5, down three from last week’s #2 debut. The album is also #5 on the Scottish charts. The promo work for the album in the UK was terrific. Looking for the same in North America.

Now, to the most important thing to everyone in the MGM Grand’s Hollywood Theatre: the show:Sir Tom Jones is a master. With a near-capacity crowd cheering everything he did, with the retention of the material from Praise and Blame added last night and with Mike Tyson in the audience, this was a night to remember.

First, the set list: Sugar Daddy, Give A Little Love, Thunderball, In Style and Rhythm, If He Should Ever Leave You, Delilah, Mama Told Me Not To Come, Hard To Handle, Too Many Lovers, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, What Good Am I?, Burning Hell, Don’t Knock, Didn’t It Rain, What’s New Pussycat?, She’s A Lady, You Can Leave Your Hat On, If I Only Knew, Sex Bomb, It’s Not Unusual and, for the encore, Kiss and Take Me Back To the Party.

The audience was thrilled with the performance and people danced — by themselves or with a partner. And that partner, like the fan who danced with Tyson, could be someone who just happened to be there. (Tyson, by the way, was there with a few adults and his son. Of course, they went backstage immediately after the show.)

For the rest of the review and a brief radio clip, please click here to (more…)

It was, as mentioned here yesterday, a sold out house. That was wonderful to see. Tom looked great, the stage looked great (the lighting is terrific!) and the band was in great form. But, you ask, what about the set list?

First, please understand that this will be a short post…..It’s after midnight here and I have to be up early to do an interview. More tomorrow and, perhaps, a photo or two.

The fans TJI has known for awhile were divided. Some wanted Praise and Blame and others said they’d be just as happy if it was left out — as long it the reason for any omission was not that fans in Las Vegas (who tonight came from many states and several nations) couldn’t appreciate the music. Of course, that’s nonsense.

So, what happened?

Sir Tom entered to a roar of approval. Dressed in black pants (er, trousers), a merlot-colored — later changed to blue shirt — and black leather jacket, he looked fabulous. From the first notes, those of who knew the the song, were sharply aware that we were about to hear Sugar Daddy, “holy Schmoly” and all.

There were, in short, no songs from Praise and Blame. Why?

Well, you moderator was told several days ago that, since his regular show band hasn’t been promoting the CD in the UK, they’d need time to rehearse the new material. It seemed eminently reasonable to me.

So, the set list was not new. (I’ll detail it tomorrow.)

No one has told me this — really — by I’d guess that, since the CD will at some point soon be promoted in the US, they might take a few days to rehearse and, maybe slowly over a few days, add some of the new material and, hopefully, some of it will be performed at the MGM Grand. We’ll have to wait and see and those of us who look forward to it, can continue to hope.

BUT! Gotta tell you that Sir Tom Jones looked as if he was having at least as much fun as the opening night audience that showered him with love. After all, for three months or so, all he’s been singing in concert, on TV and having played during interviews, are gospel and spirituals. He looked like it felt very gooooood to return to such as Sex Bomb, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Green Green Grass of Home and all those others. Perhaps because of his age (how old?? can’t remember) he changed one move in Kiss. No more shirt lift. Instead there was a very brief pantomime of an appropriate action for the line, “I know how to undress me.”

Opening night he just sang….and sang….and sang with only one brief interlude to chat with one person in the audience. And, for the record, not one article of any kind of clothing was tossed on stage.

Tom Jones’ intimate gig sparks crowd chaos on eve of Latitude Festival

Fans turned away from midnight gig in the woods

July 16, 2010 |NME

The 2010 Latitude Festival got off to a chaotic start last night (July 15) as Tom Jones’ intimate gig in the woods drew a crowd of thousands, causing the area to be closed and large numbers of fans to be turned away.

Jones was showcasing his new album of blues and gospel songs, ‘Praise And Blame’, though many fans were clearly expecting a hits set, singing It’s Not Unusual and What’s New Pussycat? while waiting for the singer to arrive.

Such was the demand to see the singer, who played on the eve of the main musical entertainment kicking off, hundreds were unable to get near the stage, with many stuck on the bridge that provided access to the woodland arenas.

Taking the stage half an hour late at 12.30am (BST), Jones performed his new album in sequence, dressed all in black and backed by a four-piece band, including producer Ethan Johns on guitar.

Jones had been nervous before the show, telling NME: “This is a new experience for me. I’m known as a showman, so when you play unfamiliar material, you’re never sure how the crowd will react.”

In the event the crowd responded well to the new songs, though there were repeated, bellowed requests for more familiar material, in particular Jones’ 1999 hit ‘Sex Bomb’.

At the end of the gig, when it became clear there would be no encore of hits, some low-level booing could be heard, though this turned to cheers when it was announced the singer would return to play the festival’s Obelisk Stage on Sunday (July 18).

Tom Jones played:
What Good Am I?, Lord Help, Did Trouble Me, Strange Things Burning Hell, If I Give My Soul, Don’t Knock,Nobody’s Fault But Mine, Didn’t It Rain, Aint’ No Grave, Run On, Praise And Blame

However, the earlier crowd problems cast a shadow over the performance. Fans who’d been turned away were angry with organisers. Fran Rose, 18, from Ipswich told NME: “This was a nightmare. We got caught in a human crush on the bridge and there was no crowd control. Young kids in the crowd were really scared, someone could have got hurt.”

Tom Martin, 21, from London, added: “What’s the point in putting an artist on a stage where no-one can see him? They must have known loads of people would want to see Tom Jones. It’s not rocket science.”

For the other three articles and another photo, click here to (more…)

Here are two more reviews published almost a week ago…sorry for the delay. It should be noted that one reason for the terrific reception — aside from the fact that the people in the region are fans — is that Tom was the first act in the new arena. It seats 6,00 people. There were 4,000 at the show.

Tom Jones charms Abu Dhabi audience

By Nathalie Farah, Staff Reporter/Published: 09:23 April 17, 2010/Gulf News/Photos by Abdul Rahman/Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: Legendary performer Sir Tom Jones proved that he still had it when he performed to a sold out crowd at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec) on Friday, April 16, 2010.

“This is the first concert here [Adnec], isn’t it? It’s exciting to be here and it’s amazing that we’re the first ones to be performing here,” Jones said, grinning.

Dressed in black jeans, navy blue shirt and accessorized with a large gold cross and his trademark tan, the Welsh singer inaugurated Adnec’s Abu Dhabi Hall in true Tom Jones style, accompanied by his 11 member band and two backup singers.

“This song [Seasons ] may sound like I’m singing about a woman, but I’m not…I’m not singing about a man either,” Tom said, with a cheeky grin. “The song is about my relationship with music over the years and how blessed I am to have this singing voice,” he added, drawing cheers from the audience.

Jones sang a medley of songs that included material from his latest album, 24 Hours, which was released in 2008, in addition to some classic favourites such as What’s New Pussycat?, Keep Your Hat On, Delilah, She’s A Lady and the song that, according to Tom, started it all – It’s Not Unusual.

The infectious rhythms and old favourites ensured that everyone was on their feet throughout the evening – which, for an entirely seated venue, speaks for itself.

“I’ll be 70 years old in June…on June 7, that’s my birthday…but you know what? I feel great!” Jones said. “This is the final performance in our three month tour [the 24 Hour Tour] and all I have to say is, what a way to end the tour!” he added before launching into the final encore of the highly energetic evening, Sex Bomb.

And even though the concert had ended, many audience members have been spotted dancing their way to their cars, proving that the evening was a great success on many levels.

For the other review and another photo, click here to (more…)

Please don’t forget the Question of the Month in the post below! And, of course, let’s all hope that Tom gets well very, very soon!

The Voice still rocks at 70!

The Hindi/April 1, 2010/ Lekha J. Shankar Legendary singer Tom Jones took Bangkok by storm recently.

It was difficult to believe that the swinging singer on stage was nearly 70! That his voice had not lost its power or texture in spite of five long decades in the business, that he could still get a packed auditorium of people, singing and dancing on their feet. One is talking about the concert of Sir Tom Jones, at the Impact Arena Auditorium in Bangkok, which shook the city.

The power and magic of his rhythms, and his wide repertoire of songs — rock, pop, soul, country and film tracks had the audience — young and old — mesmerised.

Here is a Welsh boy who started singing in small clubs, went on to bigger halls, and ended up singing at some of the top stages of the world. This is the singer who has jammed with the likes of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Van Morrison, the Rolling Stones, Prince and Robbie Williams. The famous singer has travelled and performed through the length and breadth of the world, from East and West Europe to the Middle East, Israel, Asia, S. Africa, and still continues to do so.

As Jones said recently, “I can’t see myself retiring. I hope I’ll always be able to go out and do shows for as long as I live!” Jones’ recent Asian tour covered Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines. One heard he developed laryngitis in Singapore, soon after his Bangkok-concert, and had to cut short his tour. But in Bangkok, the legendary singer was in his element. He opened the concert with ‘Sugar Daddy’ and followed it with Style and Rhythm. The James Bond number from Thunderball was dramatic, but of course it was Delilah that brought the crowd on its feet.

Mama told me resurrected his early days with his first Welsh band, and he sang it intimately with his three guitarists, followed by the soulful Hard to Handle. He got naughty again with Help Yourself.

To balance the volatility, Jones then sang reflective numbers from his new album 24 Hours, where the lyrics, written by him for the first time, were totally personal and revealed the ‘real me.’ As he said on stage, he wanted in particular “to thank God for giving me this voice.”

To read the notice from the venue about the cancellation and one online report about it (so many and they all tended to say the same thing) click here to (more…)

TJ fan Errol de Cruz went to see Tom in Kaula Lampur and he wrote about it for his local newspaper. There are a few factual errors (Say You’ll Stay Until Tomorrow was not a number one anywhere) and Gordon Mills was not Tom’s harmonica player. Also, it is highly doubtful that Tom Jones “helped put Las Vegas on the map” — any map. He did, however, write about what Tom said before Never that is nice and a bit different. No matter, he he likes Tom and give a nice view of the show — no talk of undergarments or older people acting silly. Not so in the review below this.

The enduring Tom Jones

2010/03/22/ERROL DE CRUZ/erroldecruz@gmail.com/New Straits Times

Die-hard Tom Jones fan ERROL DE CRUZ is elated that the silver-haired crooner is still as hot as ever

THE Tom Jones warm-up party last Friday had begun early, more than three hours before the 8.45pm concert at the ballroom of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Irish pub Malone’s, just a stone’s throw away at Suria KLCC, was bursting with chatter from die-hard fans of the Welshman. Why, one middle-aged Mat Salleh was even showing off the knickers she had brought along to throw at him! Didn’t she know that Jones was hitting 70, and that there would be no hip swivelling or sexy gyrating that night? The show began with a duet from two young local artistes who performed four songs competently but seemed out of place opening the night for Jones.

One would have expected a veteran act such as the Alleycats, Strollers, Falcons or Heavy Machine to open the night for such a huge star. The audience, however, was generous with its applause and the duo left smiling, knowing they had done a good job and added a powerful gig to their portfolios. The silver-haired Sir Tom, on the other hand, was a totally different deal, a dream come true.

Dressed in a bright blue suit and his signature silver cross, he was full of charm as he breezed through two hours of hits that began with It’s Not Unusual followed by Sex Bomb, Kiss and his latest, 24 Hours. The sound for the first few songs — Sugar Daddy, Give A Little Love and his James Bond hit, Thunderball — was muffled and muddy, but his powerful vocals blasted through the night and kept the almost-packed hall that way for the rest of the night. These were followed by equally mesmerising renditions of Too Hard To Handle, and a touching piece titled Never (from the 24 Hours album).

Click here for another review, another photo and to (more…)

Sean, a TJ fan who is regular visitor to TJI,com, saw Tom in Melbourne and shared this photo, the review below and the link to video of Tom’s opening number, Sugar Daddy. I’m sure you’ll all join me in thanking him.

Tom Jones Live at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Thursday, 11 March, 2010

Set list in order: Sugar Daddy, Give A Little Love, Thunderball, Style & Rhythm, If He Should Ever Leave You, Delilah, Mama Told Me Not To Come, Hard to Handle, Too Many Lovers, Help Yourself, Never, 24 Hours, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again, He’ll Have to Go, Green Green Grass of Home, Save the Last Dance For Me, One Night, What’s New Pussycat, She’s A Lady, You Can Leave Your Hat On, If I Only Knew, Stoned In Love, Sexbomb, It’s Not Unusual. Encore: Kiss, Take Me Back to the Party.

We arrived at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena at 7.00pm in time for the pre-show support act by David Campbell (son of Australian Rock Singer Jimmy Barnes) which started by 8pm.

Luckily we arrived early and took our seats because it didn’t take long for the arena to fill to its near full 15,000 capacity. The audience was mixed from early 20’s and 30’s to 60’s and beyond.

David Campbell took to the stage with his band and started by warming the crowd with big band songs and old tunes. His performance was received well and he did his best to warm the crowd by asking everyone to sing along. After the first song David introduced himself as “some of you might now my father Jimmy” to which the crowd responded to with applause. He then declared that he has been asked to support Tom with his tour to which he said it was a hard act to support Tom as he is one of the world greatest entertainers! Everyone cheered and laughed in agreement. David then said “Hey, it could be worse, I could have been the support act for Whitney [Houston]”, which brought laughter to the entire arena. David’s performance ended after approximately 40 minutes to which there was an interval of approximately 30 minutes until Tom started at around 9.15pm.

To finish this review and to see the video, click here to (more…)

The Los Angeles Times is doing a rundown of the 2,400 stars on the Hollywood Star Walk. Tom’s star is at 6608 Hollywood Blvd. in front of Frederick’s of Hollywood, the famed purveyor of lingerie.

Tom was awarded his star on June 29, 1989. His star was totally paid for by his fans who also nominated him.

Tom Jones

Actor | Singer
Born Thomas Jones Woodward on June 7, 1940 in Pontypridd, Wales, United Kingdom

The hit 1965 single It’s Not Unusual put Welsh singer Tom Jones on the musical map, turning him into an international sensation known as much for his sexual charisma as for his vocalizing.

From the mid-1960s through the early-’70s, Jones enjoyed such other memorable chart busters as What’s New Pussycat?, Delilah, Daughter of Darkness and She’s a Lady. He also sang the title theme for the James Bond movie Thunderball.

During this era, Jones performed live in Las Vegas and in New York, where screaming women would routinely hurl their underwear and hotel room keys at the curly-haired sex symbol while he sang. He starred in several popular TV variety series and appeared on many TV specials around this time as well.

The singer has reinvented himself over the years, finding major success on the country music charts, all while continuing to tour, record and appear on TV and in the occasional acting gig.

In 1999, Jones released Reload, his biggest-selling album ever, mainly composed of cover duets sung with such eclectic talents as the Pretenders, Barenaked Ladies and Van Morrison.

The singer, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006, has been married to his wife, Melinda, since 1957 (they were both 16 at the time). They have one son, Mark.

— Gary Goldstein for the Los Angeles Times March 1, 2010

Click here to (more…)

These days Herman Matthews is busy playing around LA and, in fact, in many other places. He’s been traveling with Timothy B. Schmit, best known as a member of The Eagles. They’ve played across the US and, in a couple of weeks, head to the UK.

They’ll be at:
• Manchester Academy 2 on Friday, March 26
• Birmingham Glee Club, Sunday, March 28
• Cadogan Hall, London, Tuesday, March 30

For tickets, go to LiveNation’s website (and we’re familiar with that, aren’t we?)

It promises to be a terrific show and, if you can, go….and be sure to say hi to Herman. (Don’t forget to check out his website and, if you wish, try some of his peanut brittle.)

Tom did another Day On the Green show in Launceston, Australia Saturday. There was an almost-sold-out crowd of about 6,000 and, clearly, a good time was had by all. The review below, even if you’d never seen Tom do a show, is really a testament to the fun the audience and Tom have when he performs. And, if you’re a believer, you’ll say, “Of course the skies cleared when it was time for him to perform!”

He’s still got it

GABRIELLE HALL/10 Mar, 2010 10:06 AM/Northern Argus, AU

He might be nearly 70, but Sir Tom Jones proved he has still got ‘it’, wowing a large crowd at a day on the green at Annie’s Lane, Watervale, on Saturday night.

Just under 6000 people flocked to the event and not even cold, wet conditions could dampen the spirits of fans, many of whom donned ponchos, rain jackets and even plastic bags to keep dry.

Amongst intermittent rain showers, Melbourne’s Wolfgramm Sisters kicked off the entertainment, followed by David Campbell who was well-received by the audience and got them in just the right mood for the main event.

Tom Jones arrived by car and was greeted in Watervale and surrounding towns by numerous pairs of knickers strung along various locations — possibly larger in size than those that may have greeted him in his earlier years.

The ‘a day on the green’ signpost outside the Watervale Hotel featured three large white pairs of knickers with “Welcome Tom” lettered on them as a welcome.

Click here to (more…)