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."
Lodi
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I set out on the road
Seekin' my fame and fortune
And looking for a pot of gold
Things got bad, and Things got worse
I Guess you know the tune
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again
I'll be walking out if I go
I was just passing through
Must be seven months or more
Ran out of time and money
Looks like they took my friends
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again
-BRIDGE-
The man from the magazine
Said I was on my way
Somewhere I lost connection
Ran out of songs to play
Came in to town on a one night stand
Looks like my plans fell through
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again
-Short BRIDGE-
If I only had a dollar
For every song I sung
And every-time I had to play
While people sat there drunk
You know I'd catch the next train
Back to where I live
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again
(Music fading to end)
The lyrics to Tom Jones's "Lodi" tell the story of a struggling musician who is trapped and unable to leave a small town. The singer reflects on his journey, leaving a year ago to find fame and fortune, but ends up stuck in Lodi, a small town in California. He arrived in Lodi via Greyhound bus and with no money, he was unable to leave. The man from the magazine, who previously praised him, no longer calls and the singer has run out of songs to play. The singer laments that if he had a dollar for every song he sang and every drunk person he played for, he would be able to leave Lodi and go back to where he lives.
Overall, the song speaks to the challenges of being a struggling musician, the difficulties of having dreams that may not come true, and the feeling of being stuck in a place where one does not want to be. The lyrics showcase the importance of persistence but also reflect the reality that success is not guaranteed.
Line by Line Meaning
Just about a year ago
Around a year ago, I began my journey.
I set out on the road
I started traveling towards my destination.
Seekin' my fame and fortune
I was hoping to become successful and prosperous.
And looking for a pot of gold
I was seeking wealth and riches.
Things got bad, and Things got worse
My situation started off poorly and continued to deteriorate.
I Guess you know the tune
You can probably relate to my struggle.
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again
Unfortunately, I am once again stuck in Lodi, stranded and unable to leave.
I rode in on a grey hound
I arrived in Lodi via a Greyhound bus.
I'll be walking out if I go
If I leave, I will likely have to walk.
I was just passing through
Initially, Lodi was just a stop on my journey to my ultimate destination.
Must be seven months or more
It feels like I have been here for at least seven months.
Ran out of time and money
Unfortunately, I have exhausted my financial resources and cannot stay any longer.
Looks like they took my friends
It seems like my close companions have abandoned me in my time of need.
The man from the magazine
A person who works for a publication or company relevant to my field.
Said I was on my way
He suggested that I was making significant progress towards success.
Somewhere I lost connection
Somehow I lost my way or lost touch with the people that could help me succeed.
Ran out of songs to play
I have run out of creative ideas or projects to showcase my talent.
Came in to town on a one night stand
I only intended to stay in Lodi for a short period of time, just one night.
Looks like my plans fell through
Unfortunately, it seems like my strategy for success has failed.
If I only had a dollar
If I had just one dollar for each performance, I would be rich.
For every song I sung
For each piece of music or art I have created.
And every-time I had to play
Every performance I had to do, even when the audience was not interested.
While people sat there drunk
As the audience drank alcohol and didn't pay attention to my performance.
You know I'd catch the next train
If I had the chance to leave, I would take it immediately.
Back to where I live
I would return to my hometown or place of residence.
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again
Nevertheless, I am still trapped and unable to leave Lodi.
Contributed by Mila K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.