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."
I'm Walking
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me (yes)
I'm lonely as I can be, I'm waitin' for your company
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me
What 'ya gonna do when the well runs dry?
You're gonna run away and hide
I'm gonna run right by your side, for you pretty baby I'll even die
I'm walkin', yes indeed, I'm talkin' 'bout you and me
I'm walkin', yes indeed, and I'm talkin' 'bout you and me
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me (yes)
I'm lonely as I can be, I'm waitin' for your company
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me
What 'ya gonna do when the well runs dry?
You're gonna sit right down and cry
What 'ya gonna do when I say "bye-bye"?
All you're gonna do is dry your eye
I'm walkin', yes indeed, I'm talkin' 'bout you and me
The song "I'm Walking" by Tom Jones was released in 1964 as a single, and it became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom. The lyrics talk about a person who is walking and hoping for the return of his lover.
In the first verse, the singer is lonely and waiting for his lover to come back. He is expressing his love and desire for the other person, hoping that they will be reunited soon. The second verse brings up the idea of the well running dry, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the relationship running out of love or passion. However, the singer is willing to sacrifice everything for their lover, even his life.
The chorus repeats the same lines as the first verse, emphasizing the yearning and desire for the other person's presence.
One possible interpretation of the song could be that the singer is trying to reconcile with his lover after a fight or a breakup. He is making a plea for forgiveness and promising to do anything to make things right.
Overall, "I'm Walking" is a heartfelt ballad that showcases Tom Jones's strong vocal skills and his ability to convey emotion through his music.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm walkin', yes indeed, and I'm talkin' 'bout you and me
I'm moving forward and I'm conversing about us
I'm hopin' that you'll come back to me (yes)
I have a desire for you to return to me
I'm lonely as I can be, I'm waitin' for your company
I feel isolated and I'm yearning for your presence
What 'ya gonna do when the well runs dry?
What will you do when there's nothing left?
You're gonna run away and hide
You will flee and conceal yourself
I'm gonna run right by your side, for you pretty baby I'll even die
I'll stay by your side, even if it means sacrificing myself for you
I'm walkin', yes indeed, I'm talkin' 'bout you and me
I'm still persisting and discussing about us
What 'ya gonna do when I say 'bye-bye'?
What will you do when I leave?
All you're gonna do is dry your eye
All you'll do is wipe away your tears
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTOINE DOMINO, DAVE BARTHOLOMEW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Olive
It's always good to hear Sir Tom Jones sing as he always makes is own lyrics up. But he did drop the ball on this one, you can tell this was not planned, as it catches Sally Barker by surprise and misses her cue. Take a look for yourself, I have included the lyrics for the beginning of the song. Still, you can all see it was an emotional song for them both to sing. The gorgeous Sally, singing her late husband's favourite song, with the great Sir Tom Jones.
Put on my blue suede shoes and
I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues
In the middle of the pouring rain
W.C. Handy
Won't you look down over me
Yeah, I got a first class ticket
But I'm as blue as a boy can be
Then I'm walking in Memphis
I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale
Walking in Memphis
But do I really feel the way I feel?
Loretta Brail
This woman should have won every single contest! What a pro! Best voice ever. Been wanting her CDs.
sir Tom Jones
Hello amazing fan.
It has come to my notice that some of my fans thinks I was the person who died. Late jones was The one who conceived the twist on Romeo and Juliet with composer John Donald Robb.
He died 11th August, of cancer in his home in Sharon.
I’m still alive and much healthy.
Thanks dear fan...❤❤
Antares8491
Sheer ecstasy !
Thank you Sir Jones, for seeing Sally to the top.
And thank you Sally Barker, for allowing the world to experience your "magic".
To both of you...... a hearty Godspeed !
Cliff Riley
Tom and Sally fit so well together. Old souls sharing their love of music......
sir Tom Jones
Hello amazing fan.
It has come to my notice that some of my fans thinks I was the person who died. Late jones was The one who conceived the twist on Romeo and Juliet with composer John Donald Robb.
He died 11th August, of cancer in his home in Sharon.
I’m still alive and much healthy.
Thanks dear fan...❤
Sammy Jo
Sally is on a level only singers today can dream of reaching.
Viola Xhema
Very true
Dani Zaramoon
I think Sally Barker was my favourite of this whole show. Her voice is just heavenly. It’s effortless. I could listen for hours.
sir Tom Jones
Hello amazing fan.
It has come to my notice that some of my fans thinks I was the person who died. Late jones was The one who conceived the twist on Romeo and Juliet with composer John Donald Robb.
He died 11th August, of cancer in his home in Sharon.
I’m still alive and much healthy.
Thanks dear fan...❤
Billy Parker
How emotional that must have been for the gorgeous Sally, singing her late husband's favorite song, with the great Sir Tom. I loved it.