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."
Shake
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll tell you what we're gonna do
There's a new thing
That's goin' around
And I'll tell you
what they're puttin' it down
Just move your body round and round
And just shake
Aw mama shake
That's the way to do it
Shake!
Aw you're lookin'
Good now, shake!
Shake it like a bowl of soup
Make your body loop the loop
Put your hands on your hips
Kind a let your backbone slip
Move your body like a whip
And just shake
Um that's done it
Shake!
Yeah, you're lookin' good now
Shake!
Shake!
Ding-a-ling
Honey, shkin' is the latest thing
And if you want to
Swing just loosen up your shoulders
If you want to really roll
You got to do the thing with soul
Shake the shake with all your might
And if you do it, do it right
Just make your body
Loose and light
And just shake!
Aw honey shake!
Oh, shake!
Aw that's the way to do it
Shake!
The above lyrics are from Tom Jones's song Shake, a classic dance track that talks about the new dance craze that is taking over the town. The lyrics encourage the listeners to move their body round and round and shake it to the beat of the music. The song is an expression of joy, energy, and celebration, and it encourages everyone to join in on the fun and let loose.
The lyrics of the song are rich in figurative language and metaphors. For example, the line "Shake it like a bowl of soup" is a simile that compares the movement of the body to that of a bowl of soup. The line "Put your hands on your hips, Kinda let your backbone slip" is an example of personification, as the backbone is given human qualities of slipping.
The song's message is clear: dance, let loose, and shake your body to the beat of the music. The lyrics suggest that shaking your body is the latest thing, and if you want to swing, you need to loosen up your shoulders, do the thing with soul, and shake with all your might.
Overall, Shake is a fun, upbeat song that celebrates dance and the joy of movement. The song encourages listeners to let go of their inhibitions and join in on the fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen while I talk to you
Pay attention to what I'm about to say
I'll tell you what we're gonna do
I will inform you of our plan of action
There's a new thing
A new trend/pattern has emerged
That's goin' around
That is currently popular
And I'll tell you
I will explain
what they're puttin' it down
What people are enjoying
Just move your body round and round
Perform circular movements with your body
And just shake
Shake your body accordingly
Aw mama shake
Encouragement to shake
That's the way to do it
That's the correct way to proceed
Aw you're lookin'
You seem to appear
Good now, shake!
Now shake your body accordingly since you look good
Shake it like a bowl of soup
Shake your body plentifully
Make your body loop the loop
Perform movements that create loops and curves with your body
Put your hands on your hips
Put your hands on your waistline
Kind a let your backbone slip
Relax your back muscles
Move your body like a whip
Move your body vigorously
Um that's done it
That is suitable
Shake!
Shake your body accordingly
Yeah, you're lookin' good now
You now look good
Ding-a-ling
Used to attract attention
Honey, shkin' is the latest thing
Shaking is the latest trend
And if you want to
In case you want to
Swing just loosen up your shoulders
If you want to swing, relax your shoulder muscles
If you want to really roll
If you want to move with enthusiasm
You got to do the thing with soul
You must perform with passion
Shake the shake with all your might
Perform the shake vigorously
And if you do it, do it right
If you are going to perform it, perform it correctly
Just make your body
Allow your body to
Loose and light
Be relaxed and free
Aw honey shake!
Encouragement to shake
Oh, shake!
Encouragement to shake
Aw that's the way to do it
That's the correct way to proceed
Contributed by Alice Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
INBEWITCH
Great voice!!!!
Shukhrat Abdulazov
Это просто супер! Музыканты тоже 👍
Morf Morfeas
Tom's voice is so GOOD
Mark Thomas
Epic!