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."
Green Green Grass Of Home
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I step down from the train
And there to meet me is my Mama and Papa
Down the road I look and there runs Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
Yes, they'll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly
The old house is still standing tho' the paint is cracked and dry
And there's that old oak tree that I used to play on
Down the lane I walk with my sweet Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home
Then I awake and look around me
At four grey walls that surround me
And I realize, yes, I was only dreaming
For there's a guard and there's a sad old padre
Arm in arm, we'll walk at daybreak
Again I touch the green, green grass of home
Yes, they'll all come to see me
In the shade of that old oak tree
As they lay me 'neath the green, green grass of home
The song Green Green Grass Of Home by Tom Jones tells the story of a man who returns to his hometown after a long time away. As he steps down from the train, he sees that everything looks the same, including his old family home. His mother and father are there to meet him, and he sees his childhood sweetheart Mary running down the road with hair of gold and lips like cherries. He revels in the sensation of feeling the green, green grass of home beneath his feet.
However, he soon realizes that it was all just a dream. He's actually in prison, and his sentence is about to be carried out. He'll take one final walk with the sad old padre before he's laid to rest under the green, green grass of home. The song has a bittersweet quality that speaks to the universal human longing for a return to simpler times and the permanence of a loving family and community.
Line by Line Meaning
The old home town looks the same
As I return to my hometown, everything appears so familiar, full of memories which make my heart feel heavy.
As I step down from the train
As I disembark from the train, the feeling of homecoming fills my heart and I get ready to embrace my loved ones.
And there to meet me is my Mama and Papa
My parents, who have missed me all this while, have come to greet me, and their warm embraces fill me with joy.
Down the road I look and there runs Mary
As I look around, I see my beloved Mary, my friend from childhood, who is still as lovely as ever.
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
Mary's hair is as radiant as shining gold, and her lips are as red and inviting as ripe cherries.
It’s good to touch the green, green grass of home
The feel of the soft, green grass beneath my feet takes me back to my childhood days and makes me realize how much I've missed it all.
Yes, they’ll all come to meet me, arms reaching, smiling sweetly
I am greeted by my loved ones who are all here to embrace me and make me feel welcome.
The old house is still standing tho’ the paint is cracked and dry
Despite the passage of time, my childhood house is still here but it's now in a state of disrepair.
And there’s that old oak tree that I used to play on
In the nearby vicinity, there's the old oak tree that I used to love and climb up and down during my childhood days.
Down the lane I walk with my sweet Mary
I take a stroll down the lane with Mary, enjoying every moment of being together with her.
Then I awake and look around me
Suddenly, I wake up and come back to reality.
At four grey walls that surround me
I realize that I'm locked up in some sort of cell, surrounded by gray walls which remind me of my imprisonment.
And I realize, yes, I was only dreaming
I realize that everything that happened till now was a mere dream, and I'm still confined to my cell.
For there’s a guard and there’s a sad old padre
I see the guard and the priest beside me, who were present in my dream too.
Arm in arm, we’ll walk at daybreak
The priest and I will walk arm in arm, towards salvation and eternal peace when the day dawns.
Again I touch the green, green grass of home
I long to feel the soft, green grass of home once again, but it's now a mere memory, a longing for the past.
Yes, they’ll all come to see me
My loved ones will come to see me one last time.
In the shade of that old oak tree
The old oak tree, which was present during my childhood, will provide a tranquil and peaceful ambiance for my last journey.
As they lay me ‘neath the green, green grass of home
As I breathe my last, I'll be laid to rest beneath the green, green grass of home, which I held so dear all my life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Curly Putman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lisas7046
My parents had this album…I was 4 years old at the time. That was the moment a little black girl from West Philadelphia, officially fell in love with Sir Tom Jones!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️
@valerieshepherd6823
We all fall in love with Tom Lisa xxx
@marycarr7038
Same here Lisa. As handsome as he was then, and that voice, he's even more so now as he's aged. Majestic.
@carolynjones6524
Born Treforest, Porthpridd,6 miles from where I was born.A WELSH LEGEND.LISA S,TAKE CARE.His Welsh accent is stronger then ever!!!!!
@mariateresaquesiti2515
We all fall in love with the great Tom Jones..❤️❤️👏👏👏
@peterfeltham5612
That's a lovely sentiment and memory to have.Tom turned out to be not just a wonderful singer,but also a truly nice man.
@padraig7744
My mother loved Tom, all my childhood I would hear his voice echo through the house. Next Tuesday we shall lay her to rest and this song will play. She'll touch the green, green grass of home at last. Till we meet again , mum. x
@JerseyGiz
❤ may she rest in peace. I buried my mom last year in September. 😢
@mihaelasofiamihai6449
Anyone 2024????????
@OriginalSirTomJones
Thanks for your kind words, and the love you might have showed in a way or another in the past as a fan i appreciate.. And i do love all my fans 💖 💞 ❣️ how long have you been my fan?