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."
To Make A Big Man Cry
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To make a big man cry
She only has to take his heart
Break his heart, telling him goodbye
To make a big man cry
It's easy to do
To make a big man cry
Just tell him you're through
She's got the power to sink him
In the winking of an eye
She only has to shake it off
And break it off, for no reason why
To make a big man cry
It's easy to do
To make a big man cry
Just tell him you're through
And then, watch him cry
(Yes, boy, it's easy to do)
Watch him cry
(Yes, boy, it can happen to you)
Watch him cry
(You know what he's saying is true)
Because it happened to me
(Because it happened to me)
Just take a look, you'll see
(Just take a look and you'll see)
I'm only part of the man
Only half of the man, I used to be
I know...
It only takes a little girl
To make a big man cry
She only has to lead him on
And when she's gone, he'll just wanna die
To make a big man cry
It's easy to do
To make a big man cry
Just tell him you're through
And then, watch him cry
(Watch the big man cry)
Watch the big man cry
(Watch the big man cry)
Just watch me cry
(Watch the big man cry)
Watch him cry
(Watch the big man cry)
The lyrics of Tom Jones's song To Make A Big Man Cry speak to the power dynamic that can exist between women and men in romantic relationships. The song suggests that men in relationships with women are particularly vulnerable to emotional pain, and that women can easily wield this power by simply walking away. The opening verse sets the tone for the song with the provocative line "It only takes a little girl to make a big man cry." The use of the word "little" suggests that the woman in question is not physically imposing, and yet she has the ability to reduce this "big man" to tears.
The song goes on to describe the process by which a woman can make a man cry. She only has to "take his heart" and then "break his heart" by telling him goodbye. The repetition of the phrase "to make a big man cry" emphasizes the ease with which this can be done. In the second verse, the song suggests that a woman need not even go so far as to say goodbye. She can simply "lead him on" and then "when she's gone, he'll just wanna die." The implication is that the man's emotions are entirely dependent on the woman's actions.
Overall, the song paints a picture of men as inherently vulnerable in romantic relationships, and of women as possessing great power to manipulate and hurt their partners. While this view of gender roles may be outdated in the 21st century, the song remains an interesting artifact of its time.
Line by Line Meaning
It only takes a little girl
A girl who may seem insignificant can make a big and strong man cry.
To make a big man cry
It's possible to bring down a proud and strong man to tears.
She only has to take his heart
A girl can cause pain to a man by taking his heart, which means breaking up and leaving him.
Break his heart, telling him goodbye
Breaking a man's heart by ending the relationship with him.
To make a big man cry
Men can be vulnerable to emotional pain and can cry as a result of it.
It's easy to do
It doesn't take much effort or strategy to make a man cry; it's a natural consequence of a broken heart.
Just tell him you're through
Ending a relationship with a man can result in him shedding tears.
And then, watch him cry
Observing the tears of a man can be the result of breaking up with him.
She's got the power to sink him
A woman can have great power to make a man feel down and defeated.
In the winking of an eye
It's possible for a girl to make a man feel defeated very quickly and suddenly.
She only has to shake it off
A woman can end a relationship abruptly without any reason or warning, causing a man to feel heartbroken.
And break it off, for no reason why
Breaking up with somebody for no apparent reason can cause the other person significant emotional pain.
Because it happened to me
The singer has experienced the pain of heartbreak and shedding tears as a result of a broken relationship.
I'm only part of the man
His heartache and sadness have made him feel less of a man, less confident and less worthy.
Only half of the man, I used to be
The emotional pain he has experienced has taken a significant toll on his life and sense of self-worth.
She only has to lead him on
Misleading a man with no intention of a lasting relationship can still cause him emotional pain.
And when she's gone, he'll just wanna die
Being left alone and heartbroken can make a man feel worthless and worthless to the point of wanting to die.
(Watch the big man cry)
A reminder that men can cry and be affected by emotional pain as much as women.
(Yes, boy, it's easy to do)
Men can be vulnerable to emotional pain and can cry as a result of a broken heart.
(You know what he's saying is true)
The singer is speaking from personal experience about the effects of heartbreak and emotional pain.
(Watch him cry)
A reminder that emotional pain and heartbreak can make any man cry, regardless of his size or strength.
(Yes, boy, it can happen to you)
The singer is warning young men that they too can experience the pain of heartbreak and shedding tears as a result.
(Just take a look, you'll see)
The singer is pointing out the prevalence of heartbreak and its effects on men, even those who may initially seem strong and confident.
(Watch the big man cry)
A final reminder that men can cry and be vulnerable to emotional pain.
Contributed by Andrew V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.