* see also Lord Of The Lungbusters, The Prince Of Wails, The Sultan of BoomeiI remember seeing someone (can't remember who) that had once duetted with Tom saying how they'd been blown away by the pure blockbusting bellow of his voice and although it projects well on TV ( and it does), not in any way can it capture the raw ear-quaking experience of having 'the Jones' belting out his full pelt decibel yell just a few feet away. Which is possibly why in duets like these with CSNY and with EMF - Tom seems to be sharing a stage with giddy gurners and grinners as he lets rip.
So, ladies and gentleman 'This Is Tom Jones....'
Treat Her Right - with some spectacular frugging and a'flailing
Show Me
See Saw
And some early seventies shakedowns including the tricky to track down 'Sugar Sugar'
'Venus'
'Sugar Sugar'
Proud Mary
There's two more Tom Team Ups here with Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin if your ears can take it.
My mum is from just around the corner from where Tom's from. There's a family 'legend' about how at a family wedding back in about 1965 he was due to sing but had to cancel because he was on Top Of The Pops. He was also supposed to be at school with one of her cousins. I suspect most of the families down that way have similar stories though....
ReplyDeleteThat'll be Pontypridd then, some of my lot come from there too - but before Tom's time though. I went back and saw 'the old home town' 'bout 3 years ago.
ReplyDeleteFunny old part of the world....
ReplyDeleteWow! What an awesome post. I'm such a huge Tom Jones fan. I grew up listening to him in my mom's record collection. The man has a very powerful voice even to this day. He can definitely really belt out a tune. There's nobody out there quite like him. He has so many songs that I love, including one of my favorite Bond theme songs.
ReplyDeleteSimon - definitely,I'd been tracing my family tree and it led back to Ponty - where we ended up having a bacon sandwich in the bus depot, not quite the romantic coda I'd been hoping for.
ReplyDeleteKeith - He's still got the lung power, have you heard Tom's take on 'Fly Me To The Moon'?
Tom Jones is very charismatic and certainly got some great moves (No match to Elvis tho!)
ReplyDeletesome great stuff from the boy tommo. I wish he'd f**k off now tho, coz what he's been doing the last few years is nothing short of embarasin'. Sort of takes the shine off of genius like this stuff. He looks pretty odd these days too eh??
ReplyDeleteTop 'puns' too PM, you could have a career writing for The Sun or maybe even The Star!!
P
See Saw is a great old song! Haven't heard this version before. Have you heard Don Covay's version? It's great.
ReplyDeleteLil - Got something for you full speedo ahead.
ReplyDeleteThanks P and J got a tip off about a great Tom obscurity last night (from Eddie Pillar - bumped into him in a pub)
Yeah the Don Covay takes great - clink on the link at the bottom of the post - and you can see Tom and Aretha swishing it up with a duet on See Saw - might stuff.
Oh My!!!! That's put me off my breakfast - Isn't he hairy???
ReplyDeletehehehe...
No, I haven't heard his version of "Fly Me To The Moon." Man, I bet that's awesome.
ReplyDeleteI found some clips of it on YouTube. I'm listening to one now. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteDude, I friggin' LOVE Tom Jones! Cool post. Thanks so much!!!
ReplyDeletePeace and SOUL,
Dave...
bloody norah but he could shake it
ReplyDeletex
HSB Dave - check your facebook mail, I've sent you a link to a top Tom tune.
ReplyDeleteAlly - doesn't he just, and in those trousers too.
Great post, Planet Mondo. I have som affection for Tom's caterwauling.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, I was reading an old Viz annual when I came across this Top Tip (I just spent the past 20 minutes tracking it down, so I hope it was worth it):
"MRS TOM JONES,
Prevent your husband
from bursting on a hot
day by pricking him
several times with a fork
- E. Hoover, Leeds"
Well. It made me crack a smile.
And this letter:
ReplyDelete"I was born in Wales in
1957 and moved to Glasgow
when I was 2. At school I
was beaten and made to
"wiggle your hips and give
us a song, Tom" many times
a day. Can any of your
female readers thinking of
throwing their knickers at
Tom Jones, please put half
a brick in them to pay the
name-changing twat back for
a lifetime of misery.
Tom Jones,
Southampton"
I'd forgotten how good those Viz tips were - I'm going to have to scout Ebay looking for a collected volume of them.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. His Tom Jones thing is just so old and yet it never quite feels that way. The music retains that same venerable quality while still being kitschy and cool. And me with no panties at all to toss at my Macintosh. Thanks for these lil' lovelies. Has he ever covered Black Sabbath?
ReplyDelete