Reviews
I totally expected this DVD collection from Tom Jones’ TV variety series to be completely lame … boy, was I wrong! Yes, the collection has its hokey moments and it’s pretty hilarious to watch the little old ladies soiling themselves every time Tom gyrates, but the show is pure genius. Tom’s booking agent for the [...]
It’s a Hot Holiday. Christmas had special meaning for Tom Jones, 28-year-old Welsh superstar and host of his own weekly variety show This Is Tom Jones, and the 1969 and 1970 holiday programs compiled on this DVD reflect his love for this festive season. As usual, Tom throws a terrific party that’s brassy, classy and [...]
Back in 1968, when Tom Jones began a series of shows at the Copacabana in New York, crazed female fans started throwing their undergarments on stage. Nearly 40 years later, the embarrassing tradition continues, as evidenced throughout a packed gig at Pechanga on Friday night. Backed by a proficient 11-piece band (including horn section), the [...]
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 [...]
“This Is Tom Jones isn’t just some retro cheap thrill, though, or an exercise in nostalgia. It’s a true time trip, transporting us back to viscerally feel the beat of a landmark era.” – Newsday 6/26/07 “It’s not unusual to be wowed. Repeatedly.” – Newsday 6/26/07 “Hugely entertaining and some of the musical performances would [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
57 episodes of This Is Tom Jones were aired from February 1969 to January 1971. Originally broadcast on ITV and America’s ABC network, the variety show captured the singer in his prime, when he was one of the world’s greatest and most original performers.
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 [...]
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 [...]
