For more than four decades the man and myth, Tom Jones, has been on the scene with such consistency we might think of him as a fixed cultural object. In fact, though, there are at least two distinct Tom Jones personae, as the stocky Welshman demonstrated at a return engagement to Chumash Casino Resort on Friday night. On the surface, there is the kitsch-dispensing Vegas veteran and unsolicited lingerie collector with a flirtatious eye. He's a cartoon sex machine whose minute movements add up to innuendos, even when he doesn't seem to mean it.
But the other and more captivating side of Mr. Jones, now 66, is a surprisingly strong singer who seems to assert his musical prowess over his kitschy gravy train. It's not unusual to find Mr. Jones backed by an unerring band, such as this 11-piece group, or to find him singing with great accuracy and controlled intensity.
In addition to the usual suspects in his songset -- the evergreen charmers "It's Not Unusual" and "She's a Lady" -- he hopped on the standards bandwagon, tackling Sinatra favorites, "Here's that Rainy Day," "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Old Black Magic." He's no Jones-come-lately to the Great American Songbook, as he's had those songs under his belt for decades and lends a beefy, vibrato-spiced sense of style to them.
Mr. Jones is uniquely suited to sing certain songs, especially where blues, double-entendres and tongue-in-cheekiness is involved. On Friday, Howlin' Wolf's "200 Pounds of a Natural Man" sprang to life in Mr. Jones' version. Later, he removed his purple jacket and pumped just the right energy and inflection into Randy Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On," a masterpiece of comical salaciousness.
And he can funk it up on dance-happy tunes "Sex Bomb" and Prince's "Kiss," the energized show-closer at the casino. But then Mr. Jones can turn around and summon genuine emotion on a sweet number such as his '60s hit "Green, Green Grass of Home." He also rose to the dignified occasion of Van Morrison's "Cry for Home," recorded as a duet between the presumably mystical Irishman and the presumably libidinous Welshman.
There was a key moment during Friday's short set when the two Toms converged. It came during one of his classic '60s era tunes, "What's New, Pussycat?" (actually a fabulous and witty Burt Bacharach tune, sounding like a vaudevillian, brothel-ready waltz).
As Mr. Jones belted it out with his bold-toned bravado, the natives rushed to him and began the ritual of tossing panties up onstage. Mr. Jones maintained his knowing smirk but also gazed at the undergarments with a touch of rue, maybe because he has become a jaded critic of lingerie or maybe because he's growing a bit weary of the Vegas monkey on his artistic back.
Tom Jones, we thought we knew ye. But the man sure can sing. IN CONCERT: A TALE OF TWO TOMS: Jones' strong, soulful vocals cry for a look beyond the shtick JOSEF WOODARD, NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT October 1, 2007 10:27 AM
There's evidence now on DVD shelves that, before the strong-voiced Jones was a swoon-inducing showroom star, this Welsh coal miner's son could kick out the jams with the best of them. Make that the best of the best. Aretha Franklin. Janis Joplin. Joe Cocker. Stevie Wonder. "This Is Tom Jones: Rock 'n' Roll Legends" spotlights some of the hottest moments of the tight-pants sensation's 1969-71 ABC variety series, which is probably better remembered for the fainting femmes in the studio audience, screaming with sexual bliss at Tom's every whoa-baby hip thrust. But memory doesn't tell the whole truth.
Yes, those smitten kittens are also there on these new discs. So is Jones' physically potent sex appeal. ("Whoa, baby" is right!) What is most impressive is this soul man's rockin' fury. People today tend to recall Jones' singing from his frothier light-pop ("It's Not Unusual") and ballads ("Green Green Grass of Home"). They forget he was brought to international TV - his show aired in both the States and Britain - as the great rock-and-soul hope, intended to lure a new audience to a lagging genre exemplified by such yawners-to-the-younger-generation as Perry Como and Andy Williams.
Lily Allen kicked off the celebration, Prince Harry kicked off the Concert for Diana with the iconic words "Hello Wembley!" He and Prince William organised the event to celebrate the life of their mother, Princess Diana, on what would have been her 46th birthday. Weeks of wet weather cleared on cue over the new stadium, allowing the sunshine to set the perfect scene for a party. Introducing Lily Allen, Hollywood veteran Dennis Hopper summed up the early spirit: "This is a party. This is a celebration, and you're going to love it." And love it they did. The strength of the new stadium was tested as 63,000 people jumped to their feet for Allen's cheery rendition of LDN. Rod Stewart performed a number of his best known hits. Some danced, all cheered, and somewhere near the stage two giant inflatable daffodils bobbed in time to the music. Allen was one of many younger performers who were still at school when Princess Diana died in a car crash in 1997. 'Screaming fans'
While acts like Rod Stewart, Duran Duran and Roger Hodgson of Supertramp were some of the Princess's personal favourites, Allen was among her son's choices.
Maybe it's that deep, beautiful baritone that can shake a concert venue to the core. Or the way he wears those oh-so-tight pants -- well into his 60s. Or the way he curls his lip just so when he belts out the chorus of "She's a Lady." "Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh," indeed.
There is no maybe when it comes to Tom Jones because Jones, or should I say Sir Thomas Jones Woodward, knighted just last year, is a sure thing when it comes to entertainment. The Grammy-winning artist cut his chops more than 40 years ago and he's never looked back. Until now.
Editor’s Note: The Crosby, Stills and Nash footage was pulled from the commercial version of this DVD due to licensing issues.
It’s no accident Tom Jones used to look and sound so much like Elvis Presley. Growing up, the Welsh singer modeled himself after the boy from Tupelo. Presley admired Jones, as well. The King patterned his Las Vegas comeback in the ‘60s after Jones’ successful act at the strip’s Flamingo Hotel. Jones imitated Presley’s singing and hip gyrations only to have his virile style of performance copied by Elvis.
DAYTONA BEACH -- Two types of women's panties flew at singer Tom Jones during his sold-out concert Tuesday night at Peabody Auditorium: sexy, sheer thongs the width of spaghetti, and a few granny panties the size of Nebraska. Which ones did the 1960s-spawned pop crooner deserve? For most of the night -- those thongs, though a few songs earned him those un-sexy bloomers. Back when the Beatles were changing the face of music and Elvis was shape-shifting into a dough-boyish crooner, Jones carved himself a niche as a sex symbol with a voice that was the crooner version of heavy metal -- a voice that could melt Barbie dolls at 50 paces. Amazingly, Jones' voice can still melt Barbies at 20 paces. But that's not always a good thing. Just like in his '60s heyday, the switch on Jones' power croon has two positions: off and 8,756 degrees. As it happens, Jones' flame-thrower voice was -- and is -- the perfect, magnificent tool for all those goofy, ridiculous, fun, bombastic, vaguely cabaret-like hits he wheeled out Tuesday: "What's New Pussycat?," "Delilah," "She's a Lady," "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and his signature theme, "It's Not Unusual."
Clad in a purple suit with a gaudy silver cross on a necklace that out-blinged the rappers, Jones also scored when he turned on the thrusters on a rap version of "Resurrection Shuffle" and a surprisingly funky version of Prince's "Kiss."
Before I begin this review, I have to post a disclaimer: I write reviews and criticism for a living and at all times try to be objective. That is true here, too. But I have to let you know that I am a Tom Jones fan. Jones began playing here almost 40 years ago and his is a remarkable record, in that he is by no means an oldies act like so many others who came up in the 60s. He hit a dry patch in his career but came back strong about 20 years ago with his take on the Prince hit, “Kiss.” He began to record with the UK’s best and brightest — Van Morrison, Robbie Williams, among them — and continues to succeed, changing musical genres, always experimenting.
OK, now that we’re caught up on the career, how about the show?
When it comes to sex appeal in the AARP demographic, Tom Jones is no Mick Jagger. He's better. Of course, such judgments are subjective, but based on the sheer number of women's undergarments tossed on stage at Friday's sold-out show at Hard Rock Live, the 66-year-old sex symbol is way hotter than that kid in the Rolling Stones. There was much chatter about lingerie among the early arrivers in the audience and it didn't take long for the first volley of unmentionables. "It's great to be here at the Hard Rock in Orlando," Jones was telling the crowd as the first lace projectile landed at his feet. He didn't miss a beat, going on about how the show would include "some new songs, some old songs and some in between."
The guy's a pro. Jones indulged in a newer song early in his 90-minute performance, delivering a big, Vegas-worthy rendition of Hoobastank's "The Reason." It was well received, but the evening's high notes were all drenched in nostalgia. "Help Yourself," "Delilah," "She's a Lady" and "What's New Pussycat?" were among the songs that inspired audience members to rise from the comfort of their reserved seats, wave their arms and, of course, throw more underpants. This would all be a joke, except that Jones still does a remarkable job of being Tom Jones after all these years.
HE is known as simply "The Voice" and last night legendary sex-bomb Sir Tom Jones showed exactly why. The crowd at Glasgow's packed Clyde Auditorium was on its feet from start to finish as the Welsh singing sensation took to the stage for the first of a two-night stint in the city. Taking his audience on a trip through the years, Sir Tom blended some of his biggest hits with the new recordings which makes him appeal to every generation. Bouncing with energy, he soon had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand - though now instead of his audience throwing women's underwear on stage, they hurled red roses. The star broke with tradition with a series of favourites, including Fly Me To The Moon and That Old Black Magic but upped the tempo with She's A Lady and If I Only Knew before thrilling the crowd with What's New Pussycat?, You Can Leave Your Hat On, Sex Bomb and It's Not Unusual. He was never going to be allowed to leave without an encore and the Prince song he made his own, Kiss, rounded off the night. The Evening Times
TO loud screams and thunderous applause, Tom Jones performed in his beloved Wales last night for the first time as a knight. Dressed in his signature dark suit, Jones - or Sir Tom - entertained fans in his homeland with a string of hits. It may have been just another date on his current UK tour, but for the superstar, being back in Wales once more was clearly a special occasion. "I would like to say it's great to be home once again," he said, to massive cheers. The build-up to the opening of the show was huge as a giant globe was beamed on to the screens either side of the stage. Three words flashed up, "Locating: The Voice". That voice was soon located and Sir Tom walked out onto the stage to entertain us.
The sell-out show - the first of three at the Cardiff International Arena this weekend - was also the first time Sir Tom has sung here since his famous 65th birthday gig in Pontypridd in May 2005. At the time, about 20,000 fans packed into Ynysangharad Park to wish the town's most famous son many happy returns. While this concert may not have been on such a large - or emotional - scale, his fans were far from disappointed. Before the event, Sir Tom promised a real mixture of songs to keep even the most die-hard concert-goer happy. And he said that as well as all the old favourites which are guaranteed to get people up on their feet - Green Green Grass Of Home, What's New Pussycat and It's Not Unusual - he would be performing some new stuff as well as older material which he doesn't usually sing live.
Thousands of desperate housewives converged on Manchester to witness Tom Jones kick off his latest UK tour. So did their daughters, husbands, boyfriends and grandchildren. At 66, the newly knighted singer remains a formidable force of nature, with an appeal that spans as many generations as his undimmed vocal prowess. A commanding stage presence in bespoke blue suit and bright orange face, Pontypridd’s answer to Pavarotti did not disappoint. Half bullfighter and half bulldozer, Jones may represent the preposterous pinnacle of ultra-butch heterosexual camp, but he is a million miles away from kitsch. However overblown, camp is always sincere. And Jones the Voice invariably means it. Even the sheen of postmodern mockery that he acquired in the 1980s has eroded. His chest-thumping version of Prince’s Kiss, once tinged with irony, now sits comfortably alongside his raunchy manhandling of Otis Redding’s Trick or Treat.
As the audience leapt to their feet for the flame-grilled melodrama of Delilah, just four songs into the set, the first pair of knickers sailed across the auditorium. But Jones did not milk these rituals, wisely spacing his best-loved tunes throughout the show. Whether skipping across the stage to the demented fairground psychedelia of What’s New Pussycat? or tossing off a nimble It’s Not Unusual, he wore his greatest hits lightly.
THE atmosphere at a Tom Jones’ gig has to be seen to be believed. His audience may be wide in age range, but the one thing they have in common is they worship the man. Some like the swiveling hips and others love the cheesiness of his lavish shows. The one thing that I realised though is that for all the flack this man gets, he has the best voice in the business and can sing absolutely anything, as he proved on Friday night during his brilliant show. As the tanned one steps onto the stage oozing confidence the feel of the gig is Las Vegas; big, brash, full of atmosphere and the audience are just as wild. The backing singers are superb at complimenting this big voice and the band is as slick as you would expect. “Love is like candy on a shelf…..” sings Mr Jones and the fans, recognising the opening line from 'Help Yourself' begin to dance, singing every line. More hits from the 1960's follow such as 'Delilah', which has them eating out of his hands.
The audience are mainly here for the old stuff but for me and a few others, some of these hits like 'What’s New Pussycat' fail to test this man’s vocal range. But he knows he has to sing them in order to showcase more powerful tunes. Such as the soul classic 'Treat Her Right', which has the "hey hey hey hey" chorus hitting the rafters.
HE MAY be old enough to claim a free bus pass, but Sir Tom Jones doesn't show any signs of slowing down. All right, he doesn't do much in the way of bumping and grinding any more. Instead he prowls around the stage and does this thing with his hands, like a bad Tommy Cooper impersonation, or a mime of someone whose sleeves are too long. Sometimes he'll open his palms and stare heavenwards, eyes bulging, a la Al Jolson, although there was one high-ish kick that drew admiring gasps, plus a little skip during What's New Pussycat (the number, incidentally, when the audience, almost as one, swayed from side to side, looking from above like a giant table football game.)
A near-capacity crowd of 4,600 adoring fans packed the Bournemouth International Centre for the second date of the first nationwide tour in three years by the man they call simply "The Voice". And those famous tonsils were in fine fettle - at least, most of the time - although just occasionally, as in a distorted Stoned In Love, Jones did seem to lose his way. He's a master showman, though, and all those years on the chicken-in-the-basket variety club circuit, and later Las Vegas, have honed an act that's slicker than an oil tanker spill.
Even in an age when graying, wrinkly leading men romance starlets one-third their age, the idea of a 66-year-old sex symbol should be preposterous, but in his Hollywood Bowl debut Friday night, Tom Jones managed to pull it off. Yes, the panties that were tossed onto the stage were more likely to be from JCPenney than Agent Provocateur, but Jones (that's "Sir Tom" to you, as the introduction reminded the aud) retains enough of his swagger and winking, randy charm.
Since his hit 1987 cover of Prince's "Kiss" with the Art of Noise, Jones, who also played the Bowl on Saturday, has insisted on his relevance by collaborating with younger artists, including Stereophonics, Jools Holland and his current British single, "Stoned in Love," recorded with electronic dance producer Chicane.
He's still got it. After more than 40 years performing, Tom Jones has his vocals and his sex appeal intact. The 66-year-old international star whooped it up for an audience of 2,500 last night in the RBC Theatre of the John Labatt Centre -- strutting his stuff, shaking his hips and bellowing out old and new hits. Dressed in black with a beaded shirt and a gold cross over his chest, Jones performed disco, funk, rock 'n' roll, pop and ballads and did it with style. Not surprising really, when he has survived the music fads of four decades-plus and collaborated with different generations of singers to stay current. Prince, Talking Heads, The Pretenders are just some of the artists with whom he's worked. Prince seemed to have some influence in Jones' lighting last night. He clearly likes purple. The crowd of mainly middle-agers and up -- you could tell it was an older group when the lighters came out -- got going as the first chords of Delilah, his smash hit single from 1968, were heard four songs in.
"Are we going to have a good time tonight?" he sang to the audience. "Is everything all right so far?"