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."
Give A Little Love
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By an obsession
It's on
Another dimension
Don't need a whole
At protection
Cause it give me
All I've been getting
Dreams, golds, you know
[Chorus]
You've got to give
A little a love,
Give a little a love
Go on just do it,
You can't confuse it
Give a little a love give
A little a love
Go on and do it, Go!
Leaving in a world
When is plenty
So how
I come running and empty
When we been touch
By so many
And still
There's more without many
Without any life, hope,
Dreams, golds, you know
[Chorus]
You know you got to do
What you can
You know you got
To try to understand
[Chorus]
In Tom Jones's song "Give A Little Love," he sings about his personal experience with an obsession that takes him to another dimension. He admits that he doesn't need any protection from it because it gives him everything he has been searching for in life, such as hope, dreams, and even gold. The lyrics in this part of the song are meant to signify the positives of being passionate about something and how it can bring meaning to someone's life.
The chorus of "Give A Little Love" focuses on the importance of loving and caring for one another. Jones implores his listeners to give a little love, emphasizing that it's not something that can be confused or taken for granted. He emphasizes this by repeating the phrase "go on and do it" in the chorus, essentially urging people to act on their instincts to show love to those around them. The second verse then tackles the idea of seeing the world as a place full of opportunities rather than emptiness. Despite the fact that people have been touched by love many times, Jones is quick to remind the listeners that there is always more love to be shared.
Overall, "Give A Little Love" is a song about the importance of love, hope, and dreams in people's lives. It encourages people to give love freely and generously. By doing so, it suggests that people can improve their lives and the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
I got myself
I am the source of my own actions and emotions
By an obsession
Driven by an intense desire or interest in something
It's on
The obsession has taken hold and is present in my life
Another dimension
It exists on a level beyond the physical world
Don't need a whole
I don't require a complete set or excessive amount of something
At protection
As a form of defense
Cause it give me
Because it provides me with
All I've been getting
Everything that I have received so far
It give me life, hope,
It gives me a sense of vitality and optimism
Dreams, golds, you know
It allows me to dream and pursue my goals
[Chorus]
Refrain - repetition of the main message
You've got to give
You must be willing to provide
A little a love,
A small amount of affection or care
Go on just do it,
Don't hesitate, take action
You can't confuse it
There's no mistaking what it means
Give a little a love give
Offer a gesture of kindness
A little a love
A small amount of appreciation
Go on and do it, Go!
Take the initiative and follow through
Leaving in a world
Living in a society
When is plenty
With an abundance of resources and opportunities
So how
Then why
I come running and empty
Do I feel unfulfilled despite this abundance?
When we been touch
We have been influenced
By so many
By numerous people and experiences
And still
Yet
There's more without any life, hope,
There is still a lack of vitality and optimism
Dreams, golds, you know
And a scarcity of aspirations and goals
[Chorus]
Refrain - repetition of the main message
You know you got to do
You are aware that you must
What you can
Do whatever is within your capability
You know you got
You understand that you possess
To try to understand
To make an effort to comprehend
[Chorus]
Refrain - repetition of the main message
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: NATHANIEL JONES, ROY JR. DAVIS, JENNIFER MICKEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pedrocesarcamargo
Awesome!! Amazing voice always! Congratulations Tom!!
@naomiwendy2234
Enjoyed the animation, and your ability to not take yourself too seriously after such a longstanding career.
Well done Sir!β€
@monicacurzi4453
Fabuloso!!!! Bravo Tom Jones, que alegrΓa escucharte, saludos de Argentina!!!!β₯
@jebeins1
Whenever I listen to TJ, I find myself smiling, happier, than I was before. This cartoon is perfect. The one constant is TJ spreading good feeling wherever he performs. Love it!
@lulietas6063
Tom Jones ... wonderful voice!!!!
@friendsempl7686
Brilliant, Delightful, Retro but Fun, Positive and So Current! We all need to spread a "Little Love" β₯οΈ
@jimshelley8831
Yes while he and others avoid paying tax but hey they give to charity π±
@donaldlegate6377
Love this. Great song.
@jorjajones1260
Now this is fantastic, I can get down with this. π it , π it bravo Sir Tomππ€πΆπ΅πΆπ€π
@marykarolewski876
This is exactly what we need today. π God bless you Sir Tom.