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."
Lady Madonna
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
Who finds the money when you pay the rent?
Did you think that money was heaven sent?
Friday night arrives without a suitcase
Sunday morning creeping like a nun
Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlegs
Lady Madonna, baby at your breast
Wonders how you manage to feed the rest
Pa pa pa pa
See how they run
Lady Madonna lying on the bed
Listen to the music playing in your head
Tuesday afternoon is never-ending
Wednesday morning papers didn't come
Thursday night your stocking needed mending
See how they run
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
The song "Lady Madonna" by Tom Jones is about a working-class mother who is struggling to make ends meet while raising her children. The song portrays the mother as a strong and resilient figure who is dedicated to her children, but who also faces many challenges in her daily life.
In the first verse, Jones describes the mother as having "children at her feet" and wonders how she manages to pay her rent. He questions whether the mother believes that money was "heaven sent," suggesting that perhaps she relies on divine providence to help her make ends meet.
The second verse depicts the mother as being very busy during the week, with Friday night arriving "without a suitcase" and Sunday morning "creeping like a nun." Despite her busy schedule, the mother manages to teach her child to tie his bootlegs, which is portrayed as a sign of her resourcefulness.
The third verse describes the mother as breastfeeding her baby and trying to feed the rest of her children. The chorus repeats the image of the children running around her feet and wondering how she manages to support them.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady Madonna, children at your feet
The singer is addressing a hardworking mother who seems to have everything under control
Wonder how you manage to make ends meet
People are amazed at how this mother manages to provide for her family on a limited budget
Who finds the money when you pay the rent?
Despite paying rent, it is unclear where the money comes from to do so for this mother
Did you think that money was heaven sent?
The artist is being sarcastic and suggesting the mother can only afford rent due to luck rather than hard work
Friday night arrives without a suitcase
The artist suggests that the mother doesn't go out on Fridays due to her duties as a parent and their lack of money to afford fun outings
Sunday morning creeping like a nun
As Sundays are the last day before another week starts, it is a quiet day of rest for the mother who is always busy during the week
Monday's child has learned to tie his bootlegs
The mother's child is becoming more independent and is slowly learning new skills
See how they run
The artist observes this child's progress and is impressed
Lady Madonna, baby at your breast
The mother is breastfeeding her baby while doing other tasks
Wonders how you manage to feed the rest
Others are amazed at how the mother can feed her entire family, including a baby, on a limited budget
Pa pa pa pa
These sounds could be interpreted as the baby nursing or the mother singing a lullaby
See how they run
The mother is multitasking while nursing her baby and taking care of the rest of the family
Lady Madonna lying on the bed
The mother is laying down, exhausted from her daily tasks
Listen to the music playing in your head
The mother is disconnected from reality and taking a mental break by listening to music in her mind
Tuesday afternoon is never-ending
The singer suggests that the monotony of the mother's daily routine makes days seem endless
Wednesday morning papers didn't come
The mother is stressed and perhaps even angry that her daily routine has been interrupted
Thursday night your stocking needed mending
The mother is still busy at night multitasking and doing chores that have been neglected due to other duties during the day
See how they run
The children are running around the house, full of energy
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind