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 Thank You
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you did, but you did and I thank you
You didn't have to love me like you did
But you did, but you did and I thank you
Then you took your love to someone else
I wouldn't know what it meant to be loved to death
You made me feel like I've never felt
You didn't have to squeeze me but you did
But you did, but you did and I thank you
You didn't have to hold it but you did
But you did, but you did and I thank you
Every day was something new
You pull out your bag and you're fine to-do
You got me trying new things too
Just so I can keep up with you
You didn't have to shake it but you did
But you did, but you did and I thank you
You didn't have to make it like you did
But you did, but you did and I thank you
All my life I've been shortchanged
Without your love baby, it's a crying shame
And now I know what the fellas are talking about
When they say that they been turned out
I want to thank you, I want to thank you
I want to thank you, yes, I want to thank you
The Tom Jones song "I Thank You" is a tribute to someone who loved the singer in a way he had never experienced before. The repetitive chorus of "You didn't have to love me like you did, but you did, but you did and I thank you", is a clear expression of gratitude, acknowledging that he did not expect this level of love or care from someone, but appreciates it immensely. The song speaks to the transformative power of love and how it can change one's life entirely.
As the lyrics continue, Tom Jones reminisces about the moments that he shared with this person, how they made him feel loved and alive, and how the experience changed him. He mentions how this person pushed him to try new things and live more fully. The lines "All my life I've been shortchanged, without your love baby, it's a crying shame" is a testament to how much this person means to him, and how much they have transformed his life.
Overall, the song is a heartfelt tribute to a person who has loved someone well, expressing gratitude and appreciation for the transformative power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
You didn't have to love me like you did
You had no obligation to love me the way you did
But you did, but you did and I thank you
Despite not having any obligation, you showed me love anyway and I am grateful
Then you took your love to someone else
You ended our relationship and gave your love to someone else
I wouldn't know what it meant to be loved to death
I wouldn't have known what it feels like to be loved intensely
You made me feel like I've never felt
You made me feel things that I have never felt before
Kisses so good I had to holler for help
Your kisses were so good that I couldn't help but scream
You didn't have to squeeze me but you did
You didn't have to hug me tightly, but you did
You didn't have to hold it but you did
You didn't have to keep your love to yourself, but you did
Every day was something new
Every day with you was something different and exciting
You pull out your bag and you're fine to-do
You always came up with something interesting to do
You got me trying new things too
You motivated me to try new things as well
Just so I can keep up with you
I did it just to match your enthusiasm
You didn't have to shake it but you did
You didn't have to dance like that, but you did
You didn't have to make it like you did
You didn't have to make me feel so good, but you did
All my life I've been shortchanged
I have never received what I deserved all my life
Without your love baby, it's a crying shame
Without your love, my life is incomplete and miserable
And now I know what the fellas are talking about
I now understand what other men have been saying
When they say that they been turned out
When they say they have been captivated by someone
I want to thank you, I want to thank you
I want to express my gratitude to you
Yes, I want to thank you
I am truly grateful for all that you have done for me
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Porter, Isaac Hayes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind