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."
Move Closer
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You go your way
And I'll go mine
But in the meantime
Move closer
When we're together
Touching each otherAnd our bodies
Do what we feel
When we're dancing
Smooching and swaying
Tender love song
Softly playing
Move closer (move closer)
Move your body' real close until we
Feel like we're making love
Get closer
So when I say sugar
And I whisper I love you (I love you)
Well I know you're gonna answer
In the sweetest voice yeah my sexy baby
I love you too
There's much room for passion, oh no, no
There no room for fears
When the love flows smoothly between us
My dear
Oh move closer baby
Come here girl
You feel so good to me woman
(Move closer) Let's get closer
(Let's get closer) Gonna make sweet love to you
Honey get beside me
And let me love you
My baby, baby, baby
I love you
So baby won't you
Move closer (move closer)
Why don't you move your body real close
Until we feel like we're really' making sweet, sweet
Sweet, sweet, sweet love
Move closer (move closer)
So why don't you take me to heaven
Oh baby, to heaven, yeah
Let's take our time and do it right
Be going all night, yeah
It's gonna be a long night
The song “Move Closer” by Tom Jones is a seductive love song that evokes passion and physical intimacy. The lyrics speak of a couple who are going their own way but finds comfort and love when they come together. The chorus beckons for the two to move closer to each other, “When we're together, touching each other, and our bodies do what we feel.” The overall message is that when they are together, everything else fades away except the electric energy and emotions that they feel for each other.
The lyrics of the song have a very sensual vibe to them, with lines such as “Let's get closer, gonna make sweet love to you.” The words create an environment of intimacy and seduction, and the melody follows suit with slow and sultry notes. The suggestion to “move closer” is a metaphor for not just physical proximity but emotional and intimate closeness as well. The song speaks to the universal desire for love, intimacy, and human connection.
Overall, the song “Move Closer” is a beautiful and emotional ballad that speaks to the deep human need for love and intimacy. It creates a sensual and seductive environment that is enjoyable to listen to and evokes emotion in the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey' baby
Addressing the person lovingly
You go your way
We have our separate lives to lead
And I'll go mine
I'll continue living the life that I have
But in the meantime
In the meantime, let's cherish this moment that we have
Move closer
Come closer to me
When we're together
When we're together, let's enjoy each other's company
Touching each other
Let's touch each other lovingly
And our bodies
Our bodies will express what we feel
Do what we feel
Our bodies will guide us as we express our love for each other
When we're dancing
As we dance together, let's enjoy the music and each other's presence
Smooching and swaying
As we kiss and sway to the music
Tender love song
Let's listen to this soft and sweet love song
Softly playing
Playing in the background softly
Move closer (move closer)
Come even closer to me
Move your body' real close until we
Let our bodies be really close together
Feel like we're making love
Let our closeness feel like we're already making love
Get closer
Get even closer to me
So when I say sugar
When I call you sugar
And I whisper I love you (I love you)
And when I whisper that I love you
Well I know you're gonna answer
I know you'll respond to me
In the sweetest voice yeah my sexy baby
In your sweetest voice
I love you too
You'll also tell me you love me
There's much room for passion, oh no, no
We have so much room for passion
There no room for fears
No need to have any fears when we're together
When the love flows smoothly between us
Our love will flow smoothly between us
My dear
My love
Oh move closer baby
Come closer to me, my love
Come here girl
Addressing the person lovingly
Let me hold you
Let me embrace you in my arms
You feel so good to me woman
I feel good being with you, my love
(Move closer) Let's get closer
Let's get even closer to each other
(Let's get closer) Gonna make sweet love to you
We'll make sweet love to each other
Honey get beside me
Come and sit beside me, honey
And let me love you
Let me express my love for you
My baby, baby, baby
Addressing the person lovingly
I love you
Expressing love for the person
So baby won't you
So won't you, my love
Move closer (move closer)
Come even closer to me
Why don't you move your body real close
Let's get really close to each other
Until we feel like we're really' making sweet, sweet
Let's get so close that it feels like we're already making sweet love
Sweet, sweet, sweet love
Expressing love for each other
Move closer (move closer)
Come even closer to me
So why don't you take me to heaven
Take me to paradise with you, my love
Oh baby, to heaven, yeah
Expressing the desire to be in paradise with the person
Let's take our time and do it right
Let's take our time and make sweet love to each other
Be going all night, yeah
Our lovemaking will continue all night long
It's gonna be a long night
We'll spend the whole night together, enjoying each other's company
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: SONIA MARINA CLARKE, ROBIN BARTER, RICHARD EDWARD SALMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind