Wales Online Review

Tom Jones is back in the spotlight with the release of his latest album, which includes a track to his wife Linda. HE may have enjoyed a long and successful career thanks to his incredible voice, but Tom Jones is not renowned for singing about issues close to his heart. Until now. On Monday, the 68-year-old superstar will release his latest album – 24 Hours – and the songs will offer a real glimpse at his innermost thoughts. And while Linda, his wife of more than 50 years, may prefer to stay in the shadows, Jones acknowledges his love for her in the track The Road. “It’s all very well just singing songs, but for this record I really wanted to get properly personal,” says Pontypridd-born Jones.

“I’ve been getting reflective recently, looking over my journey through life, and I wanted to get that down on song.

“This time I wanted to make something that was all about me, my stories, my life. In other words, you listen to this album and you get the real me.”

24 Hours was recorded in Los Angeles throughout last year, and was produced in the main by Future Cut, the drum ‘n’ bass outfit who have previously worked with Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascal, Estelle and Kate Nash.

Jones says of the album: “I’m just opening up shop again. Let’s see who comes in through the door.”

1 I’m Alive

We didn’t really need any proof that Jones is still alive and kicking and keen to take on musicians young enough to be his grandsons, but as he screams the album’s opening two words “I’m alive...” in that distinctive Jones voice, it’s certainly proof that he’s back. This energy-packed cover of the Tommy James and the Shondells classic, I’m Alive, is the perfect album opener and will have you jigging along.

2 If He Should Ever Leave You

The pace slows a little for this soul-tinged number on which Jones sings how a man would be such a fool to leave his loved one. This is the first single taken from the album. A catchy tune with great background harmonies.

3 We Got Love

With a similar beat – and another little ode to love – this track easily flows on from the last one.

4 Feels Like Music

The heat – and the beat – is turned up as Jones gets back to the kind of rock numbers we love him for: catchy chorus, drum beats and plenty of high notes – and a few groans.

5 Give A Little Love

This is a great little pop number which will have you dancing around the living room. The female backing singers are a nice addition.

6 The Road

The track we have all been waiting for in which he pays tribute to his dedicated wife Linda. The impassioned ballad is about a man’s true love. And with his voice cracking as he sings, “The road always returns to you, my love it still belongs to you” you can feel his emotion behind it.

7 In Style And Rhythm

You can imagine sitting in a cool LA bar sipping cocktails as this track plays. There’s some great piano and sax playing on this laid back number, which lives up to its title due to its cool Latin beats.

8 Sugar Daddy

While the last track is one of my favourites, I’m not a fan of this number. In fact, Jones sounds rather sleazy as he sings: “Daddy always gives you what is good for you.” No thanks.

9 Seasons

This is more like it. Another ballad in which Jones confronts his past with an unflinching eye. “There’s a reason for passing time,” he sings. “These are the seasons of my life.” More stripped down musically so that it really showcases his voice.

10 Never

This could be another ode to Linda as he sings: “You’ve been with me through it all. Never, never, never, never, gonna give you up running through my blood.”

11 The Hitter

This is Jones’ version of Bruce Springsteen’s The Hitter, the sad tale of a boxer on his way out. He really portrays the whole drama of the piece through his remarkable voice.

12 Seen That Face

Another ballad, with some great little musical interludes between Jones’ vocals.

13 24 Hours

The title track is another slow number but with a great drum beat running throughout. It’s about a man reflecting back on his life – the perfect choice to close this album.

24 Hours is released on Monday Karen Price listens to 24 Hours track by track Wales Online

UK: 24 HOURS - New album released 17 Nov

Parlophone / S-Curve are proud to announce the return of legendary singer Tom Jones with perhaps the defining album of his career; ‘24 Hours’. Intimate, personal, moving and full of fire this is the first time Tom has had a major hand in the songwriting - and the result is a work of revelation from one of the biggest-selling artists of all time. Brand new album: ‘24 Hours’ (17th Nov) Single: ‘If He Should Ever Leave You’ (10th Nov)

"It's all very well just singing songs," says Tom, "but for this record I really wanted to get properly personal. I've been getting reflective recently, looking over my journey through life, and I wanted to get that down on song. This time I wanted to make something that was all about me, my stories, my life. In other words, you listen to this album and you get the real me."

‘24 Hours’ was recorded in Los Angeles throughout last year, and was produced in the main by Future Cut, the drum ‘n’ bass outfit who have previously worked with Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascal, Estelle and Kate Nash. While the production references the impassioned cinematic classics of his early career mixed with a current cross-genre template, the performances deliver the unique power and iconic sound of Jones’ voice as he sings the tale of a mature man who has lived it large and full. The collection includes the sophisticated soul of first single ‘If He Should Ever Leave You’, the shirt button-popping cover of the Tommy James and the Shondells classic ‘I'm Alive’, the cool Latin beats of ‘Style and Rhythm’, the raw, contemporary statement that is ‘Feels Like Music’ and the pop genius of ‘Give A Little Love’.

However ‘24 Hours’ is much deeper than the upbeat pop blasts described above. One song that perfectly encapsulates the intimate tone of so much of this record is ‘The Road’, a wonderfully impassioned ballad about man’s one true love, Tom’s voice filling every note until it comes close to cracking. Meanwhile Tom’s version of Bruce Springsteen's ‘The Hitter’ is remarkable, the sad tale of a boxer on his last legs, Tom conveying the man's broken resolve with a sense of drama redolent of Richard Burton at his Shakespearean best.

This air of reflection continues with perhaps the album's pivotal moment, a song called ‘Seasons’ in which he confronts his past with an unflinching eye. "There's a reason for passing time," he sings. "These are the seasons of my life." And the sense that this is an historic Tom Jones album, one that brings the true substance, grit, strength and age of the man is best exemplified by the title track itself; a spine-tingling gaze into the abyss, delivered with sublime gravitas.

Click on this link to see a very special one-take performance from Tom of the track ’24 Hours’, and to hear excerpts of four further songs.

http://www.parlophone.co.uk/tomjones/

Tom Jones’ influence is all around us today in the likes of Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson, Duffy and more, and his voice is one of the great soul instruments. At the age of 68, and a recently anointed knight of the realm, Sir Tom Jones is still firing on all cylinders, still a huge music fan, still a genuinely great artist. ‘24 Hours’ is about to send him back up to the top of the charts, and bears witness to the incredible creative rebirth that comes as an artist looks back over their life and discovers through the ageing process what it means to be alive.

Or, in his own more humble words, "I'm just opening up shop again. Let's see who comes in through the door. "

If He Should Ever Leave You – single released 10th November 24 Hours – album released 17th November

24 Hours – tracklisting produced by Future Cut except where noted

1. I'm Alive (produced by S*A*M and Sluggo) 2. If He Should Ever Leave You 3. We Got Love 4. Feels Like Music 5. Give A Little Love 6. The Road 7. In Style and Rhythm (produced by Pumali Panthers) 8. Sugar Daddy 9. Seasons 10. Never 11. The Hitter (produced by Betty Wright, Mike Mangini and Steve Greenberg) 12. Seen That Face 13. 24 Hours

USA: 24 HOURS - New album released 25 Nov

SINGER TOM JONES RELEASES ALL-NEW ALBUM ’24 HOURS’ ON NOVEMBER 25TH ON S-CURVE RECORDS. JONES CO-WRITES ON FIRST U.S. RELEASE IN 15 YEARS. BRITISH DUO FUTURE CUT GET MAJORITY OF PRODUCTION CREDITS; U2'S BONO AND THE EDGE WRITE AND PLAY ON NEW SONG PENNED JUST FOR JONES Legendary singer Tom Jones will release his first new US studio album in 15 years on November 25th on S-Curve Records. Entitled ’24 Hours’, most of the 13 songs are co-written by Jones and produced by British duo Future Cut, who have recently helmed tracks for Lily Allen, Kate Nash, Estelle, and others.

Jones co-wrote over half of the songs on ’24 Hours,’ a first for him. “It’s all very well just singing songs, but for this record I really wanted to get properly personal. I’ve been getting reflective recently, looking over my journey through life, and I wanted to make something that was all about me, my stories, to get that down in song. In other words, you listen to this album and you get the real me.” While the production references the impassioned cinematic classics of his early career mixed with a current cross-genre template, the performances deliver the unique power and iconic sound of Jones’ voice, given over to expressing the range and emotion of a mature man who has lived a large and full life.

In addition to Jones' co-written songs, Bono and the Edge of U2 contribute and play guitar on a brand new song "Sugar Daddy,” written specifically for Jones and inspired by a meeting of the friends in a pub in Dublin. Elsewhere, Jones soars on the Tommy James and the Shondells classic "I'm Alive," produced by the team of S*A*M and SLUGGO (Gym Class Heroes, Metro Station), delivers a devastating take on Bruce Springsteen’s "The Hitter,” produced Steve Greenberg, Michael Mangini and Betty Wright (the team behind Joss Stone’s first two albums), swings a classic cool latin beat on the Pumali Panthers’ “Style and Rhythm,” and performs a previously unrecorded composition by Stax legend Carla Thomas, "More Than Memories."

According to S-Curve CEO Steve Greenberg, "Tom Jones is one of the most versatile and emotionally powerful singers in contemporary music. He has made an album that fully showcases his range as a performer. On top of that, his emergence as co-writer of much of this album conveys a lifetime of experiences that is both reflective and uplifting."

Knighted by Her Majesty the Queen of England in 2006, Sir Tom has sold over one hundred million records worldwide, and had eighteen Top 40 singles and ten RIAA-certified Gold albums in the United States. His last album, 2000’s ‘Reload’ (released ex-US), was the most successful of his career to date, selling over five million copies. Jones was awarded a Grammy in 1965 as "Best New Artist,” a 2000 Brit Award as "Best Male Vocalist,” and an Outstanding Contribution to Music was awarded by the BPI in 2003. A 3-DVD retrospective of his 1970's television series ‘This Is Tom Jones’ was released in 2007 to critical acclaim. Jones continues to play over 200 live shows per year and plans to promote and tour extensively in support of ’24 Hours.’

A hipster from way back, with a wink and a thrust

Back when I first saw the little Welsh Napoleon of Love in person, 30 years ago at the Arena, the word was plural: hips. That show was as much about his skintight black slacks — including tasteless jokes about his backside — as it was about his sturdy pop hits. Even though he was backed by a crack 28-piece orchestra and Elvis Presley's legendary backup singers, the Blossoms, music took a back seat, as it were. Ladies threw lingerie onto the stage. He smelled some of the panties and kissed some of the bras, keeping the lascivious level high. The sex stuff got more audience reaction than the music.

Back then, I didn't get the joke. Now, I think it's a hoot — although the size of the undergarments seems to have grown larger. "I think I know this one," Jones quipped as he caught and sniffed a pair of pink panties the last time I saw him, in 2004 at McCaw Hall.

That performance showed that the lovable old goat continues to be what he has always been: hip.

That became clear when he sang "Tom Jones International," a celebration of his fabulous career, written by one of the many hip young musicians who adore him, Wyclef Jean. He did several other songs he wrote and/or recorded with the former Fugees legend, including the lively "Whatever It Takes."

Jones' collaboration with Jean was in keeping with his longtime practice of aligning himself with younger musicians, either by recording their songs (like Prince's "Kiss" in 1987 and EMF's "Unbelievable" in 1992, both hits for him), or recording with young bands, like Art of Noise, New Model Army, Stereophonics and the Cardigans.

He sang his familiar hits at the McCaw show — "What's New Pussycat?," "Delilah," "She's A Lady" "It's Not Unusual" (the song that made him a star in 1965) — and a variety of covers, including Talking Heads' "Burning Down the House," Bob Seger's "We've Got Tonight" and Randy Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (which he sang on "The Full Monty" soundtrack).

His instantly recognizable, soaring voice was as powerful as ever. And there were plenty of pelvic thrusts, suggestive winks and thrown kisses. He seemed much younger than his years. Hopefully, he still does (Jones turns 68 next week).

"I won't stop 'til I retire," goes a lyric in one of his most bombastic songs, "Sex Bomb." And why should he quit? He's still hip. Just ask Wyclef Jean.

By Patrick MacDonald Seattle Times music critic Our word for today: hip. Our subject: Tom Jones.

New York Times: A Hip Shaker in His Prime, Among Hip Friends

PART Anthony Newley but even more Otis Redding, the Welsh singer Tom Jones was a musical shape-shifter long before “American Idol” turned versatility into karaoke posturing. With a voice as husky as it was pretty, Mr. Jones at the peak of his popularity in the late 1960s could slide from soulful rasp to pop croon with a credibility today’s would-be Idols could barely imagine. Stevie Wonder with Tom Jones on an episode of the 1969-71 variety show “This Is Tom Jones.” If there’s another singer who could credibly share a stage with the likes of Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash, Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder — and come through with dignity intact, as Mr. Jones did more often than not in his 1969-71 television variety show — please contact Simon Cowell ASAP.

With episodes (actually partial episodes, even better) now available in several DVD sets, “This Is Tom Jones” unearths some vintage pop nuggets that, if not as history-making as Elvis on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” at least recall a time when popular music was an infinitely more unruly contest than it’s become in the 21st century. Proof? Take a look at Joe Cocker, in his snarling, disturbing, full-on spastic mode, then watch June Carter Cash, looking and sounding so authentically country that she makes a joke of Reese Witherspoon’s perky portrayal in “Walk the Line.”

Divided into two three-disc volumes, “Rock ’n’ Roll Legends” and the more mainstream “Legendary Performers” (a single-disc Christmas-theme volume is hardly worth mentioning), the episodes have their share of dated production numbers and kitschy mod fashions. (Check out the skin-tight sky-blue spacesuit Mr. Jones wears while singing “Fly Me to the Moon.”) But music, straight up, is the draw here.

In the solo miniconcerts that end each episode, Mr. Jones, whose popularity among the casino crowd holds strong today, occasionally reduces his mostly female, mostly old-enough-to-know-better audiences to near Beatles-at-Shea hysterics. His sexed-up, hip-shaking performances of his hits (“It’s Not Unusual,” “Delilah,” “What’s New, Pussycat?”) remain vital, Watusi moves notwithstanding.

But it’s the duets that steal the shows, whether comfortable (Mr. Jones with the ever-relaxed Mr. Bennett), compatible (an enraptured Mr. Jones with his idol Jerry Lee Lewis) or downright odd (that would be the sublimely weird Mr. Cocker, sharing “Delta Lady” with the host). Ms. Joplin gives the most joyous televised performance of her short career (she would be dead within a year), shouting and strutting with Mr. Jones on the soul classic “Raise Your Hand.”

Each guest also performs without the host, with the brash rockers generally outdoing the more traditional popsters of the “Legendary Performers” set. The Who, even in a black-and-white kinescope (the only available version of the episode, a shame given the fine color prints of the others), are all adolescent vigor and vinegar slamming through “Pinball Wizard,” while a radiant Aretha Franklin, soaring on “I Say a Little Prayer,” and Stevie Wonder, on the threshold of his most innovative work, can break your heart with the depth of their young genius. By comparison a hippiefied Bobby Darin, tame Diahann Carroll and pre-”Cabaret” Liza Minnelli, all on the “Legendary Performers” set, come up short.

Speaking of short, the running time on these discs is too often inexcusably skimpy, particularly on “Legendary Performers.” The original hourlong (including commercials) episodes are whittled down to an average of 30 minutes or so. Fine, since few will miss Minnie Pearl’s routine from the Cash episode, and fewer still would clamor for more comedy from the Ace Trucking Company (a baby-faced Fred Willard and Bill Saluga, that guy who did the “You can call me Ray” bit notwithstanding). But some of these discs contain barely an hour’s worth of material, and extras are few and far between.

At least Mr. Jones, tanned and fit nearly 40 years on, provides new introductions to the “Rock ’n’ Roll Legends” episodes. (Who doesn’t have time for another “Keith Moon nearly fell off the stage” story?) But he’s absent from the “Legendary Performances” discs. If Johnny, June and Jerry Lee don’t merit some backstage gossip, who does? By GREG EVANS Published: April 13, 2008

Crooner turns on wayback machine

Sometimes a concert isn't just a show. It's a time machine, transporting you back to when life was less complicated, adulthood and its concerns were a distant spot on the horizon, and you could feel so happy it seemed like the sensation would never end. For about 90 minutes Thursday night, Tom Jones took the crowd at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall expertly by the hand. He flirted. He teased. And he reminded them how it felt the first time they saw the Welsh sex bomb swivel his hips and lustily belt out "It's Not Unusual."

There were a few men in the audience, but it was mainly a sea of women -- some young, most older, with their own reasons for turning out to see the veteran showman, who turns 68 on June 7.

Gayla Johnson, 61, has been a fan since the late '60s. "This is my fifth concert of his," the Vancouver resident said. "But I haven't been to one of his shows for 30 years."

As Johnson was talking, another woman leaned forward to say that her late mother liked Jones so much she carried a picture of the singer in her wallet: "She was a quiet, devout woman, mother of eight -- but she loved Tom Jones."

A silver-haired woman, overhearing the conversation, volunteered that she wasn't planning on tossing her underwear toward the stage. "I don't want to hurt him," she said, laughing. "He's older, and I'm bigger."

Then the lights went down, rumbling noises came up, and it was time to give a warm welcome to the one and only Sir! Tom! Jones!

Lights came up, and Jones appeared, tanned, brown hair completely free of gray, Van Dyke-style beard neatly trimmed, sporting a tomato-red blazer over black shirt and black pants. At the shirt's open collar, he wore a silvery, sparkly bit of bling. Wasting no time, Sir Tom burst into song, asking the crowd to "Raise Your Hand."

Women waved arms in the air. Some rushed to the front of the stage to dance. Jones smiled and sang in a voice as strong as his heyday, while behind him, his tight band played and three back-up singers chimed in.

As he proved weekly on his 1969-71 variety show, "This Is Tom Jones," he may not be the most subtle singer in the world, but Jones can perform any kind of music with utter conviction. He started a party with "Help Yourself"; drew squeals with the melodramatic "Delilah"; and painted a yearning picture of the old home town and cherry-lipped Mary in the "Green, Green Grass of Home."

Jones clearly knows his audience, people who are likely less patient with standard time-wasting concert folderol than a younger crowd would be. The show started on time, there was no tedious opening act, no intermission -- just Jones singing everything from the George Jones classic "He Stopped Loving Her Today" to blues to standards to his playful cover of Prince's "Kiss" as an encore.

With a minimum of Vegas-style glitz and just enough banter -- when Jones slipped into his low tones, feline growl and description of himself as "two-hundred pounds of heavenly joy" -- he sent tingles down the backs of the faithful. He raised pulses with a swaggering version of "You Can Leave Your Hat On," purring, "You can take off your dress," as the crowd at the foot of the stage threw red, black and white underwear aloft.

After one encore, Jones -- black shirt glistening with sweat -- took his leave. Rows of women stood, applauding. For a moment, the realities of marriage, divorce, deaths of parents, raising of children and everyday stress fell away. In the dimness, just before the lights came on, their faces looked as full of youthful life as when they were girls, sitting in front of the TV, watching their favorite star, dreaming of the future to come.

KRISTI TURNQUIST The Oregonian Staff - Arlene Schnitzer Review

ReviewJournal.com - Las Vegas Milestone

Forty years ago, the women of Las Vegas were captured by a hot new name on the Strip. Well, almost new. In one of the more bizarre coincidences of Las Vegas show business history, the Desert Inn lounge already hosted a topless spoof of the "Tom Jones" movie with Albert Finney that still was popular in 1968. "The movie was so big that (people) thought I was going to act in a play," the Tom Jones more familiar to Las Vegas once recalled. And Flamingo Las Vegas executives hedged their bet for his March 21 debut by co-billing the Welsh singer with "America's Favorite Mother-in-Law," Kaye Ballard.

But that was before his TV show hit big in the United States. "They thought I was a pop singer, trying to be a nightclub entertainer," Jones noted.

He has done a pretty good job of both along the way. If Jones opens an MGM Grand stint as scheduled today, it will mark 40 consecutive years on the Strip, to the best recollection of local experts who run an unofficial fan Web site, Tom Jones International.

Don't be surprised to see the occasion marked at today's show, though the Web site managers wanted to retain the element of surprise in terms of specifics.

Over the years, the 67-year-old Jones recorded two live albums on the Strip, inspired Elvis Presley to reinvent himself as a showroom act and defended the city from flying saucers in "Mars Attacks!" MIKE WEATHERFORD: Tom Jones to mark milestone

Tom Jones shows off his not unusual style

The North Charleston Performing Arts Center was transformed into a Las Vegas ballroom Friday night as legendary vocalist Tom Jones worked his unique brand of musical magic on a crowd of about 1,400. It had been more than two years since the Welsh-born singer last stood on a Lowcountry stage, but if the squeals of delight from the women in the crowd were any indication, Jones' popularity has not diminished a bit.

Wearing a black suit and sporting a goatee, Jones appeared to be in exceptional physical shape for a man who will turn 68 in June. Not surprising, Jones' voice was as strong as ever.

Opening with "Raise Your Hand," Jones vamped his way from one side of the stage to the other, flashing his famous million-dollar smile and flirting with the first few rows. After a high-energy rendition of "Help Yourself," a song prominently featured in a recent diet soda TV ad, Jones surprised many by belting out a decent version of George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today" before diving back into the more familiar hit "Delilah."

Covers of Howlin' Wolf's "200 Pounds of Joy," Jerry Lee Lewis' "End of the Road" and Van Morrison's "Cry for Home" were crowd-pleasers, as were songs made famous by Jones, such as "She's a Lady," "Green, Green Grass of Home" and "What's New Pussycat?"

Jones' band, which featured an incredible four-piece horn section, helped the singer keep the energy level high throughout the performance.

The show wasn't half over before women's undergarments began flying toward the stage. No one really knows how the tradition of throwing underwear at the singer was started, but apparently a Tom Jones show without a stage littered with panties is like a Jimmy Buffett concert with no nautical references. At one point between songs, Jones even held up a particularly large pair of knickers, asking who had tossed them on the stage.

After ending his set with the one-two punch of "Sex Bomb" and "It's Not Unusual," Jones, who by then had shed his jacket to show off a sweat-drenched sequined shirt and a large gold chain, returned for an encore that included "I Like the Way You Move" and his famous cover of Prince's "Kiss."

Jones, who by one BBC report is worth more than $300 million, certainly doesn't need to tour to keep food on the table; yet he still keeps an impressive touring schedule each year. The guy obviously loves the spotlight, and on Friday night the Lowcountry showed Jones a little love in return. By Devin Grant Special to The Post and Courier Saturday, March 8, 2008

Meyerson Review

Did you notice that cloud of steam rising from downtown Monday evening? That would have been the heat wave stirred up by Tom Jones, who proved once and for all at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center that "bringing sexy back" is for the youngsters: He never lost it, thanks very much. The pants might not be quite as tight as they were during his '60s and '70s heyday – Mr. Jones spent most of the evening demurely clad in a simple black suit, with just a hint of a sparkly shirt and silver chains peeking out. And a mere two pairs of ladies' ... erm, undergarments ... were tossed onto the stage.

But Mr. Jones' blistering Welsh baritone is still strong, and when he brought the suggestive moves late in the concert, the sold-out audience of nearly 2,100 came to its feet and matched him hip-swivel for hip-swivel.

His ultrasultry version of "You Can Leave Your Hat On" – yeah, I know it's hard to do that song and not sound sexy, but trust me, he took it to a new level – which he recorded for the movie The Full Monty, brought wails and sighs from the women in the audience.

There's a line in Chicago that pretty much sums up the feeling Monday, when Roxy says, "I love the audience, and they love me, and I love them for lovin' me, and we all looooove each other." Love was definitely in the Meyerson house.

Humor, too: At 67, Mr. Jones is smart enough to take himself lightly, and it showed in every impish grin and gesture. When he sang "What's New Pussycat?" his expressions let on that he knows quite well how silly the song is, but he had fun with it anyway, and hence, so did we.

Fun was the order of the night, really, starting with the psychedelic light show during the opening "Raise Your Hand," and continuing with the dare-you-not-to-chair-dance "Help Yourself." A little later, during "Delilah," daisy lights moved up and down the Meyerson walls, giving it a groovy hippie vibe that was a bit like the set from Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.

Mr. Jones turned serious, and a little bit country, for a mournful, wrenching rendition of George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," and his slow, bluesy take on Frank Sinatra's "Here's That Rainy Day" actually showed off his voice better than the upbeat pop numbers for which he's best known.

He didn't disappoint with those, either: "Grandma's Hands," "The Green, Green Grass of Home" and, of course, "She's a Lady" and "It's Not Unusual" all got their due.

When he whipped off his jacket at the beginning of "You Can Leave Your Hat On," the women screamed; finally, some clothes were coming off. But, this being the Meyerson and all, that was the extent of Mr. Jones' immodesty (except for one extremely brief flash of tummy).

It's not about the clothes, after all; it's about the attitude. Tom Jones brings that in abundance. MUSIC REVIEW: Tom Jones jokes, gyrates his way into hearts at the Meyerson 12:00 AM CST on Tuesday, February 19, 2008

By JOY TIPPING / The Dallas Morning News

El Paso review

Booming baritone Tom Jones cuts loose at PlazaBy Diana Washington Valdez / El Paso Times

Tom Jones swaggered with the best of them Tuesday night at the Plaza Theatre, moving provocatively at times on the stage, and finally letting loose when he peeled off his jacket.

"Help Yourself," the second song he performed, was familiar. Then, as he promised, he went on to sing newer and older favorites.

His audience included people of all ages, and especially adoring women who cheered at his every mischievous gesture.

And yes, besides the requisite gifts of flowers, at least one woman managed to toss a pair of underwear onto the stage.

Jones, filling the place with the rich, booming baritone voice he's famous for, belted out hit after hit from his vast repertoire of music. He was supported by an 11-member band of musicians and backup singers. The audience yelled with appreciation when he sang "She's a Lady," "Delilah," "Black Magic," "Fly Me to the Moon," "SexBomb" and "What's New Pussycat?" "The show was spectacular," said Penny Andersen, a lawyer and longtime Jones fan.

"This was my first time seeing him in person. I think my favorite song of his is 'She's a Lady.' "

The Jones concert had sold out when Andersen tried to buy a ticket, but because of the heavy demand, the Plaza was able to make more seats available.

Besides his raw and passionate delivery, Jones is noted for his ability to sing with soul.

Evidence of that are songs such as "Green, Green Grass of Home," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and "I Like the Way You Move,"

Joy Riley, 87, kept an earlier vow to get to the concert. She saw Jones the first and only other time he performed in El Paso, decades ago.

"I really enjoyed the show. He was wonderful," said Riley, a former secretary to four University of Texas at El Paso presidents.

During Tuesday night's show, Riley wore a silver-colored jacket and approached the stage as near the entertainer as the ushers would allow.

She was pleased when he came onstage for an encore after closing with his first hit, "It's Not Unusual."

How best to describe the Tom Jones concert? Mix Frank Sinatra, James Brown and Julio Iglesias together, then add a bolt of lightning, and you have it.

This is Tom Jones Vol 2

This is Tom Jones Volume 2: Legendary Performers is to be released February 12th in USA. The follow up to This is Tom Jones Volume One will be released by Timelife on February 12th 2008 and will feature Sammy Davis Jnr, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Lee Lewis and Tony Bennett among others. This will be a three-disc box set. The one disc Christmas box set is also available now! Unfortunately neither titles currently have a UK or European release date. For US fans, both can be ordered via Amazon.com

DVD Review

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 show must be commended. Besides all the great music, the shows are filled with comedy legends Richard Pryor, Bob Hope, Peter Sellers, Pat Paulson and comedy troops The Ace Trucking Company (with Fred Willard) and The Committee (with Howard Hesseman). But for me, it was the musical guests who took the show to a whole new level. The Who and the Moody Blues shine with solid performances. Tom’s duets with Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Stevie Wonder, Little Richard and Joe Cocker are stellar. He not only displays great musical taste, he has the chops to back them up. I swear John Belushi swiped his Joe Cocker bit from Joe’s performance on the show. I loved how Tom always ended his show rocking out in front of a crowd of screaming women. I’m sure those same women will be screaming in ecstasy at the sight of the DVD, reliving their memories of Tom shaking his hips on the telly some 30 years prior. | RDWThis Is Tom Jones Time Life (DVD)

By Willy Wilson Dec 4, 2007, 09:31

http://www.realdetroitweekly.com/article_3549.shtml

Tom Jones to sing national anthem at Hatton v Mayweather

Tom Jones is to sing the British national anthem at the Hatton vs. Mayweather fight on Sat Dec 8 from the MGM in Las Vegas. Team Hatton made the request and Sir Tom is happy to comply and help make a small contribution to what is sure to be one of the great sporting events of the year. As a huge fan of boxing, Sir Tom is looking forward to hearing the voices of all the UK fans who've made a big effort to support their home-grown hero and hopes they will all sing along! When will the match be shown?

For UK viewers, broadcasting begins at 11:00 PM on Saturday the 8th of December – Hatton v Mayweather fight is not due to start until 2:00 AM on the morning of Sunday the 9th of December. The match will then be repeated at 9:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 6:30 PM throughout the day. Repeat viewings will last two-and-a-half hours.

The event will be available to Sky digital customers on Sky Box Office channel 755 and Sky Box Office HD channel 756.

How much does Undefeated cost?

The event is priced at £14.95 for UK customers and €21.95 for customers in the Republic of Ireland.

To order the event viewers can call: 0870 024 0795 (There is an additional £1 charge for telephone bookings).

Tom Jones Christmas

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 warmly nostalgic. It’s a great time for all. Jazz diva Ella Fitzgerald cooks with the Count Basie chestnut Good Morning Blues before she and Tom share the stage. Viewers will experience a lovely Chelsea Morning courtesy of Judy Collins, and ballet at its finest when the legendary Rudolf Nureyev and Merle Park perform the Pas de Deux from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite. In his poignant reading of A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, Tom goes home for the holidays as the Treorchy Male Choir provides a backdrop of seasonal favorites.

And after grabbing the microphone for his mini concert, Tom quickly moves from warm and fuzzy to hot and sexy.

Onsale October 30, 2007 Online: http://www.wea.com Running Time: 82 minutes

Pechanga concert review

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 Welshman - now 67 - was in robust vocal form and played up his sex appeal at every turn. This decade has seen a career resurgence for Jones, particularly abroad. "Reload," a 1999 CD of duets with Van Morrison, The Pretenders, Robbie Williams, Barenaked Ladies, Stereophonics and others, went No. 1 in England and moved 4 million copies worldwide by the following year.

In 2002, the singer teamed up with Wyclef Jean for the funky studio album "Mr. Jones." He returned to the U.K. charts in '06 when "Stoned in Love," a collaboration with electronica act Chicane, reached the top 10 in Britain. Recently, "This is Tom Jones" (a compilation of clips from the entertainer's 1969-1971 variety series on ABC ), came out Stateside.

Clad in a sleek purple suit, Jones opened the 75-minute set with a vigorous "Raise Your Hand," a 1967 Stax hit for Eddie Floyd (popularized by Janis Joplin and later, Bruce Springsteen on "Live 1975-85"). His own Latin-tinged top 40 single from "Help Yourself," followed. More than a few ladies surely wanted to take Jones' lyrics - "help yourself to my lips, to my arms/just say the word and they are yours" as gospel. The dramatic ballad "With These Hands" went over well. Jones did some suggestive gestures during the pleading vocal in "Delilah" as his guitarist modernized the sound with a few metal licks and a woman held up a Welsh flag.

When the band launched into a Jerry Lee Lewis boogie woogie number, Jones managed to sing to the quick rhythm without tiring out; an understated Van Morrison cover fit like a glove. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said of the now de rigeur standards segment featuring "Fly Me to the Moon" and "That Old Black Magic." They dragged the set down, but not for long.

Jones had fun with an energetic "She's a Lady," snarling like a tiger as '60s-era models appeared on the screens. "What's New Pussycat?" (where the singer danced and someone threw a wig onstage instead of undies) and "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (from "The Full Monty" film soundtrack) were equally soulful.

Signature songs "Green Green Grass of Home" and "It's Not Unusual" went down a storm.

The latter was driven by punchy horns as archival Jones B&W clips were projected. Dance fever ensued for "Sexbomb." The encore section found a bunch of women crowded against the stage. For the encores, they watched Jones strut his stuff (high stepping, teasing gestures) up close on the sizzling 1988 Art of Noise collaboration of Prince's "Kiss."

Where: Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_7573062

When: Friday

Chumash Casino Review

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

What The Critics Say

“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 ultimately become once-in-a-lifetime events.” – Chicago Sun-Times 9/29/07

“Back in 1969, ABC gave Welsh singer Jones a what's-new-pussycat music variety series that stressed hip acts, no pun intended. It helps if you're a Jones fan, but there's enough name artists here to please a wide spectrum.” – Newark Star Ledger 6/23/07

“One of the many pleasures of this three-disc compilation of material from his 1969–71 variety show is its confirmation that Jones’s talent was no joke.” Time Out NY

“The special guest musicians include some of the era’s best-known and loved artists… They give wonderful performances and are worth the price of the set in themselves.” - PopMatters.com

“At only 28, Jones showed that he was already The Voice.” - Virginian Pilot

“Tom Jones was it, man.” – DVD Talk

Review: A new DVD of Tom Jones' old TV show

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.

After watching the highlights of eight shows on the first "This Is Tom Jones" DVD set, to say that Jones delivered would be an understatement. The series itself was designed for a niche that couldn't be filled. Rock-raised kids circa 1970 didn't want to watch even cool variety shows. They just wanted to get out of the house, heading off to real rockfests and R-rated filmings like "Woodstock."

But, thank goodness Jones, tried. We're left with this raucous document from a raw era before rock got slick. And we have the star - now 67 and Sir Tom Jones, but still a performing powerhouse - vividly recalling it all in new DVD episode introductions and a 35-minute interview.

"This Is Tom Jones" was mostly produced in London, he reminds us, and you can tell, in the moody stylishness of the sets and choreography, all shadowy lighting and surreal jumpsuit costumes. The guest mix of Brits and Americans takes a few missteps (Bob "Mr. Hardly Hip" Hope?), but typically percolates with a funky sense of rhythm and a loose sense of humor.

The latter isn't only from semi-regular comedy troupe Ace Trucking Company and guests like Peter Sellers (doing a sketch by John Cleese and Graham Chapman!). Jones himself - just 28 when the show debuted - was relaxed and real. He shined in unusual segments like a backstage rehearsal with warbling songwriter Burt Bacharach, intercut with their glitzier studio taping.

Moments like that keep the show feeling contemporary, radiating the performers' spontaneous enjoyment and appreciation of each other. In blazing duets Jones impressively holds his own with Joplin's wails, Cocker's moans, even Franklin's soul signifying. It's too bad DVD buyers won't see perhaps the most get-down jam of all - Jones with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, burning down the house in "Long Time Gone," inspiring Stephen Stills to ever higher call-and-response vocals, while David Crosby beams approvingly at his host through what seems an emblematic drug haze. Though included in advance publicity discs, this episode had to be removed from the set due to music rights refusals.

Maybe we shouldn't complain when the replacement show has '50s rocker Little Richard in his comeback mode's full androgyny-trend-setting pompadour-and-makeup regalia.

"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.

It's not unusual to be wowed. Repeatedly.

THIS IS TOM JONES: ROCK 'N' ROLL LEGENDS. Three discs of killer performances from the 1970 show's host, The Who, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Stevie Wonder. Extras include a new Jones interview. Out today from Time-Life, list price $40. BY DIANE WERTS Newsday, Long Island, NY

Diana concert review

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.

She joined P Diddy, Pharrell Williams, Orson, James Morrison, Joss Stone, Kanye West, Nelly Furtado, Will Young and Natasha Bedingfield on an eclectic bill.

The result was a mix of music to suit all tastes - rappers, rockers and pop-lovers alike.

There were hands in the air for Rod Stewart's Sailing, the inevitable screams for Take That and dancing for rapper West.

Many of the day's stars dedicated songs to the late princess, including Duran Duran, Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie and P Diddy, who sang his 1998 hit Missing You in her memory.

A huge cheer went up for 24 actor Kiefer Sutherland, who was among many famous faces who introduced the artists.

"We get to celebrate Diana through the music she loved by the musicians she admired," he said.

P Diddy added an international flavour to the party Sutherland introduced The Feeling, who opened their lively set with Fill My Little World.

A glimpse of Prince Harry dancing along to I Love It When You Call had the crowd craning their necks away from the stage and up to the Royal seating area.

Status Quo brought echoes of their iconic Live Aid performance of 1985 to the new Wembley after the interval with Rockin' All Over The World.

And Joe Perry of Aerosmith joined a sky-blue suited and booted Sir Tom Jones on stage for a rendition of Kiss.

The Welsh legend proved to be one of the day's highlights, and drove the two inflatable daffodils crazy by belting out Ain't That a Lot of Love and the Artic Monkeys' I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor.

Energetic

As the sky over Wembley began to darken, Rod Stewart lit up the concert with some of his best-known hits - Maggie May, Baby Jane and Sailing.

In honour of Diana's love of dance and musical theatre, there was a performance of an act from Swan Lake by the English National Ballet, and songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

TV presenter Cat Deeley introduced a medley of songs from some of Lord Lloyd-Webber's hit musicals.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? winner Connie Fisher sang Memory from Cats, while Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman also took to the stage.

The audience provided the "ah-ahs" as Donny Osmond, then Jason Donovan, and finally Lee Mead, dressed in his Technicolor Dreamcoat, performed Any Dream Will Do.

Osmond and Donovan have famously played Joseph on stage, and Mead is to do so in the West End in a few weeks, having won BBC One talent show Any Dream Will Do.

Take That, one of Princess Diana's favourite bands, opened their eagerly anticipated set with an energetic version of Shine, followed by Patience and a crowd sing-a-long to Back for Good.

Lee Mead belted out Any Dream Will Do from the Joseph musical It was left to Sir Elton John to bring the music to an end with hits like Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting and Tiny Dancer.

But, after a video tribute by Nelson Mandela, it was Diana herself who brought the evening to a poignant close.

Never-seen-before home movie footage of her as a child was shown on the giant screens that flanked the main stage.

The audience, many in tears, watched images of Diana's christening and her first birthday party, to a soundtrack of Freddie Mercury singing Those Were the Days (Of Our Lives).

It was a memorable end to a memorable day for an unforgettable icon.

Old and new stars celebrate Diana By Caroline Briggs Entertainment reporter, BBC News at Wembley Stadium, London

Interview with Paul Brownstein

TV ON DVD: Too much Tom Jones is a good thing Interview with Paul Brownstein, American TV historian and expert archivist/ producer of this series for Time Life.

"There was just too much great stuff". That’s what ace DVD producer Paul Brownstein found when he started mining the archives of the vintage 2-inch videotapes of “This Is Tom Jones” -- 63 variety hours produced 1969-71 for ABC and featuring some of the 20th century’s top performers alongside the Welsh sex-and-soul symbol.

“Ray Charles got moved to a later set to make room for more music in the initial three-disc release", says Brownstein, who did find ways to include segments from eight shows spotlighting the likes of Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin [pictured below] and Joe Cocker. Subtitled Rock ‘n’ Roll Legends, the first “This Is Tom Jones” set hits store shelves Tuesday from Time Life, with a followup release (possibly later this year) planned to showcase “legendary performers” like Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Bobby Darin, Tony Bennett and Johnny Cash.

Brownstein is used to big names like that. His TV DVD credits include acclaimed sets for Sonny & Cher’s 1970s showcase, “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and the “definitive edition” of “The Twilight Zone,” for which this self-proclaimed “raider of the lost archives” scrounged up more extras than anyone knew existed -- not just new commentary tracks by cast and crew members, but also old audio recordings of lectures by creator Rod Serling, radio versions of episodes, isolated music scores, vintage commercials, etc.

Souping up the “Tom Jones” set was easier because Jones owns the rights to his shows and has a vested interest in preserving them. (Studios don’t always show the same care for their myriad properties.) Lucky Jones fans, they get to compare two stagings of his 1969 show with Stevie Wonder and political comic Pat Paulsen: one taped for Britain on the PAL video system, the second for the States in NTSC. Pushing the “angle” button on the DVD remote switches back and forth between the two tapings done on two consecutive days. Tom and Stevie duet slightly differently, and Paulsen’s comedy routine is somewhat “cleaned up” for American viewers. Other special features include vintage promos and interviews, along with Jones’ informative new intros and recollections by Sir Tom, still a hot charmer at 67.

What’s not on the set, sadly, is the episode with classic performances by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. “Neil Young denied the publishing. Himself. And he didn’t even write the song in question,” fumes Brownstein, who often sees wonderful footage thwarted by music rights permissions and payments. Young “just blanket does not allow his songs to be licensed,” so far as Brownstein knows. (The producer hopes to get that episode onto public TV somehow, “because on PBS we won’t have to clear the music, and America can see Tom Jones sing with CSNY.”) Brownstein says he also had “incredible footage of Tom and [Broadway star/songwriter] Anthony Newley. But do I get to put that in, or do I get to put in The Who? At the end of the day, it was how many songs could we afford to put out.”

At least The Who appear, though it’s in a black-and-white kinescope, filmed long ago off a TV monitor airing the original color broadcast. “The color tape is missing,” Brownstein laments. “I think the color footage was probably given to them when they did [The Who film] ‘The Kids Are Alright’ in the ’70s and it just never came back. We scoured all the vaults and different archives.”

Brownstein is doing the same thing now for the Smothers Brothers, whose legendarily controversial variety series “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” -- yanked by CBS in 1969 in the wake of censored songs and sketches opposing the Vietnam War -- is set to come out on DVD later this year. He’s got a head start this time, too: Brownstein already produced episode-specific interviews with Tom and Dick Smothers in 1992 for the show’s repeat run on E! cable. Those fresher-at-the-time recollections will find their way onto disc, creating their own valuable archive for future historians to raid decades down the line.