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."
Reunited
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
WRITERS DINO FEKARIS, FREDDIE PERREN
I was a fool to ever leave your side Me minus you is such a lonely ride The breakup we had has made me lonesome and sad I realize I love you 'cause I want you bad, hey, hey I spent the ev'ning with the radio Regret the moment that I let you go Our quarrel was such a way of learnin' so much I know now that I love you 'cause I need your touch, hey, hey Reunited and it feels so good Reunited 'cause we understood There's one perfect fit And, sugar, this one is it We both are so excited 'cause we're reunited, hey, hey I sat here starin' at the same old wall Came back to life just when I got your call I wished I could climb right through the telephone line And give you what you want so you will still be mine, hey, hey I can't go cheatin', honey, I can't play I found it very hard to stay away As we reminisce on precious moments like this I'm glad we're back together 'cause I missed your kiss, hey, hey Reunited and it feels so good Reunited 'cause we understood There's one perfect fit And, sugar, this one is it We both are so excited 'cause we're reunited, hey, hey Yeah, yeah, yeah Ba-a-a-by Lover, lover, this is solid love And you're exactly what I'm dreamin' of All through the day And all through the nightI'll give you all the love I have with all my might, hey, hey Reunited and it feels so good Reunited 'cause we understood.......FADE
The lyrics to Tom Jones and Audrey Landers’ song Reunited tell the story of a person who has realized that they made a mistake by leaving their partner, and now desperately wants to be together with them again. The regret and sadness caused by the breakup is highlighted in the opening lines, as the singer sings about feeling lonely without their lover. The tone of the song then shifts, as the singer reflects on the lessons learned from their separation, and realizes that they need their partner in their life once again. The chorus is a celebration of their reunion, with the repeated phrase “Reunited and it feels so good” expressing the joy and relief that the singer feels about their renewed relationship.
There is a clear sense of devotion and commitment in the lyrics, with the singer promising to give their all to make the relationship work this time around. The final verse emphasizes the strength of their love, with the singer proclaiming that their partner is everything they’ve ever dreamed of. The lyrics are relatively straightforward, but they are delivered with emotional intensity that adds depth and sincerity to the song’s message.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a fool to ever leave your side
Leaving you was a foolish decision I made
Me minus you is such a lonely ride
Living without you is a lonely and sad experience
The breakup we had has made me lonesome and sad
The separation caused me to feel unhappy and lonely
I realize I love you 'cause I want you bad, hey, hey
I now understand that I love you because I miss you intensely
I spent the ev'ning with the radio
I spent the evening with music to distract me from my loneliness
Regret the moment that I let you go
I feel remorse for the decision to end our relationship
Our quarrel was such a way of learnin' so much
Our argument taught me valuable lessons
I know now that I love you 'cause I need your touch, hey, hey
I understand now that I love you because I long for your physical embrace
Reunited and it feels so good
Being back together with you feels amazing
Reunited 'cause we understood
We are reunited because we both finally understand what we truly want
There's one perfect fit
We are meant to be together
And, sugar, this one is it
You are the perfect fit for me, my sweet love
We both are so excited 'cause we're reunited, hey, hey
We are both thrilled to be together again
I sat here starin' at the same old wall
Without you, my life was boring and uneventful
Came back to life just when I got your call
Your call breathed new life into me
I wished I could climb right through the telephone line
I longed to be with you immediately upon hearing your voice
And give you what you want so you will still be mine, hey, hey
I want to do everything in my power to make you happy and keep you as mine
I can't go cheatin', honey, I can't play
I cannot cheat on you, my dear, I am committed to you
I found it very hard to stay away
It was difficult for me to stay away from you
As we reminisce on precious moments like this
As we look back on our happy memories together
I'm glad we're back together 'cause I missed your kiss, hey, hey
I am grateful that we are reunited because I missed your tender kiss
Ba-a-a-by
My love, my darling
Lover, lover, this is solid love
My love for you is strong and unwavering
And you're exactly what I'm dreamin' of
You are the one I have been dreaming of
All through the day
Throughout the entire day
And all through the night
And all through the night
I'll give you all the love I have with all my might, hey, hey
I am ready and willing to give you all of my love with all of my strength
Reunited and it feels so good
Being back together with you feels amazing
Reunited 'cause we understood...FADE
We are reunited because we both finally understand what we truly want
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALAN SILVESTRI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind