He rose to fame in the mid-1960s, with an exuberant live act which included wearing tight breeches and billowing shirts, in an Edwardian style popular amongst his peers at the time. He was known for his overt sexuality, before this was as common as it became in subsequent years.
In 1963 he became the frontman for Tommy Scott and the Senators, a local beat group. Clad all in black leather, Tom soon gained a reputation in the South Wales area. The Senators were still all unheard of in London.
In 1964 they laid down a few tracks with maverick Telstar producer Joe Meek, and took them to various labels in an attempt to get a record deal. The plan was to release a single, Lonely Joe / I Was A Fool, but the ever-flighty Meek refused to release the tapes. The group returned to South Wales and continued to play gigs at dance halls and working mens clubs. One night, at the Top Hat in Cwmtillery, Tom was spotted by Gordon Mills, a London-based manager originally from South Wales. Mills became Tom's manager, and took the young singer to London. He also renamed him Tom Jones. The Senators became the Playboys, and later still the Squires.
Jones was awarded the Grammy Award for Best New Artist for 1965. It's Not Unusual, after the song having first been offered to Sandie Shaw. Jones recorded what was intended to be a demo for Shaw, but when she heard it she was so impressed with Jones' delivery that she declined the song and recommended that Jones release it himself. The record was the second Decca single Jones released, reaching number one in the UK charts in 1965. It was also the first hit for Jones in the US, peaking at #10 in May of that year. The single was released in the US on the Parrot label and also reached #3 on Billboard's easy listening chart. Jones used this song as the theme for his late 1960s-early 1970s musical variety series This Is Tom Jones. It has since become Jones' signature song.
In 1965 Tom sang the theme tune to the James Bond film Thunderball.
Jones' recording career slumped on the pop charts during the 1970s and 80s, although he placed 16 singles on the Billboard Country Music charts between 1976 and 1985, the biggest of which was "Say You'll Stay Until Tomorrow" (# 1 Country, # 15 pop) in 1977, and his touring continued successfully. When his son Mark became his manager in 1987, his musical style was taken in a different direction. His recording career was revived with his first major hit single in over a decade, "A Boy From Nowhere", taken from the musical Matador. In 1988 he collaborated with The Art of Noise to record Prince's popular song "Kiss". Following this, he started to record in collaboration with a younger generation of musicians
His Reload album, released in 2000, became the biggest hit of his career. An album of cover versions recorded as duets with contemporary artists, using their record producers, and utilising their recording methods, it reached number one in the United Kingdom, and sold over 4 million copies worldwide.[1] In 2002, he released the album Mr. Jones, which was produced by Wyclef Jean and included the singles "Tom Jones International" and "Black Betty". In 2003, he was honored with a BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2004, his "Sex Bomb" single became a major club hit.
On New Year's Eve 2000 President Bill Clinton invited Tom to perform at the Millennium Celebrations in Washington. Throughout 2000, Tom garnered several honours for his work, including a Brit Award for Best Male. In 2001 Tom toured throughout the Middle East and Europe. In subsequent years Tom recorded albums in collaboration with such artists as Wyclef Jean and Jools Holland.
In celebration of his 65th birthday, on 28 May 2005 Tom returned to his homeland to perform a spectacular concert in Ynysangharad Park, Pontypridd. This was Tom's first performance in Ponty since 1964.
For his contribution to the recording industry, Tom Jones has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6608 Hollywood Blvd.
In 2005 the album Together In Concert, was recorded live with John Farnham and his band.
He has collaborated with Chicane for "Stoned in Love", a dance track that was released 24 April 2006. It entered at number eight in the UK charts the following Sunday.
In 2007, he signed to New York-based independent label S-Curve, owned by music executive Steve Greenberg.
The singer was awarded an OBE in 1999 and a Knight Bachelor in the 2006 New Years Honours list for his services to music and was subsequently knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, London on 29 March 2006.[7]
On 1 July 2007, Jones was one of the invited artists who performed at Wembley Stadium at the Concert for Diana, joined on stage by guitarist Joe Perry of Aerosmith and British soul singer Joss Stone. He sang the British National Anthem before Ricky Hatton's fight against Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on 8 December 2007. On 19 April 2008 he sang the Welsh National Anthem at the Calzaghe-Hopkins fight in Las Vegas.
Although his manager and public relations staff have attempted to change his sex-bomb image and neutralize the knicker-throwing fans, to the delight of his audiences Jones has never felt the need to tone down his behavior in the shows. Tom Jones has remained highly respected by other singers and continues to attract audiences of all ages. As of 2008, Jones continues to tour and record. A major portion of the year he regularly performs his show at the MGM Grand hotel, located on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, USA. His show at the MGM is performed in a cabaret-style theater. Other venues on his yearly schedule include numerous shows at Atlantic City, NJ and appearances in the USA, United Kingdom and Canada. In February 2007, Jones made a long-awaited South American tour.
On 17 September 2008, Jones announced the release of his retro-tinged album "24 Hours" on S-Curve Records, his first for 15 years in the US; notably, this is the first record in which he's had a direct song-writing input. It was produced largely by drum'n'bass stalwarts Future Cut.
"It's all very well just singing songs," says Jones, "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."
Don't Cry for Me Argentina
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I try to explain how I feel
That I still need your love after all I've done
You won't believe me
All you will see is a girl you once knew
Although she's dressed up to the nines
At sixes and sevens with you
I had to let it happen, I had to change
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
So I chose freedom
Running around trying everything new
But nothing impressed me at all
I never expected it to
Don't cry for me Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days my mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep your distance
And as for fortune, and as for fame
I never invited them in
Though it seemed to the world
They were all I desired
They are illusions
They're not the solutions they promised to be,
The answer was here all the time
I love you and hope you love me
Have I said too much?
There's nothing more
I can think of to say to you
But all you have to do is look at me
To know that every word is true
Don't cry for me Argentina
The truth is I never left you
All through my wild days my mad existence
I kept my promise
Don't keep my distance
In Tom Jones's song Don't Cry for Me Argentina, the singer tries to explain her feelings to someone who knows her. She tells them that despite everything she has done, she still needs their love. However, she realizes that the other person won't believe her and will only see her as the girl they once knew. She is dressed up in fancy clothing but feels lost and confused with this person. She explains that she had to let things happen and change, and that she couldn't stay in the same life forever. However, trying everything new didn't impress her, and she never expected it to. Despite her wild days and mad existence, she never left Argentina and kept her promise. She begs the other person not to keep their distance, as the answer was there all along - the love between them.
The song seems to be from the perspective of Eva Peron, the former First Lady of Argentina, who had a controversial life and reputation. The singer mentions that she had to let things happen and change, which may refer to Eva Peron's rise to power and the changes she made to the country during her time in office. The lyrics also mention fortune and fame, which may reflect the criticisms that were leveled against Peron during her lifetime, as she was accused of using her position for personal gain. In this interpretation, the song expresses a longing for true love and acceptance amidst the chaos and public scrutiny of Peron's life.
Line by Line Meaning
It won't be easy, you'll think it strange
Explaining my feelings to you won't be simple, and you might find it peculiar.
When I try to explain how I feel
When I attempt to articulate my emotions to you.
That I still need your love after all I've done
Despite my actions, I still require your love and affection.
You won't believe me
You won't have faith in what I say.
All you will see is a girl you once knew
All you will perceive is the girl I used to be.
Although she's dressed up to the nines
Despite my glamorous appearance.
At sixes and sevens with you
I am confused and disoriented when it comes to you.
I had to let it happen, I had to change
I had to allow myself to transform and adapt.
Couldn't stay all my life down at heel
I couldn't continue to live my life in poverty and despair.
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun
I was avoiding the hardships and obstacles of life.
So I chose freedom
As a result, I opted for liberty and independence.
Running around trying everything new
As a result, I experimented with new experiences and activities.
But nothing impressed me at all
Unfortunately, nothing left me satisfied or fulfilled.
I never expected it to
However, I didn't anticipate anything different.
Don't cry for me Argentina
Please don't shed tears on my behalf, Argentina.
The truth is I never left you
To be truthful, I never abandoned you, Argentina.
All through my wild days my mad existence
Despite my reckless behavior and decisions.
I kept my promise
I remained committed to my word and intentions.
Don't keep your distance
Please don't distance yourself from me, Argentina.
And as for fortune, and as for fame
Regarding my wealth and popularity.
I never invited them in
I never pursued them consciously.
Though it seemed to the world
Even though it appeared to society.
They were all I desired
That was all I aspired to attain.
They are illusions
However, they are mere fantasies.
They're not the solutions they promised to be,
They can't solve my problems like they claimed they would.
The answer was here all the time
The solution was always within reach.
I love you and hope you love me
I love you, and I hope you love me back.
Have I said too much?
Did I say too many things?
There's nothing more
There's nothing else.
I can think of to say to you
I can think of to express to you.
But all you have to do is look at me
However, all you have to do is glance at me.
To know that every word is true
To realize that all my words are genuine.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind