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."
Touch My Heart
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then tell me again what love can do for me
If you lived in my world awhile
You'd soon forget how to smile
In my world there's a million ways to cry
If you had my eyes you could see
How woman changed my destiny
See these hands of mine and how they shake
All because I can't break
The habit of remembering yesterday
Another love couldn't help this ache
I know I'd make the same mistakes
Her memory's always standing in my way
Touch my heart; feel the hurt--it's destroying me
I've tried, but can't seem to shake her memory
Touch my heart; feel the hurt, the pain, and misery
Then tell me again what love can do for me
The opening line of Tom Jones's song “Touch My Heart” sets the tone for the entire song. The lyrics convey a sense of deep despair, heartbreak and pain. The song speaks of a man who is so shattered by love that he can't seem to move on from the past. He begs the listener to touch his heart so that they can feel the hurt, the pain, and the misery he's feeling. He wants someone to understand his anguish and share in his sorrow.
The lyrics go on to paint a picture of a veritable hell, where there's no happiness, just a million ways to cry, and where everything is tinged with sorrow. The lines "In my world there's a million ways to cry/ If you had my eyes you could see/ How woman changed my destiny/ I'm a man who can't live and yet can't die" speak to the sense of helplessness and despair that the singer is feeling. He feels trapped, unable to escape the emotional turmoil that he's currently experiencing.
The song's chorus is particularly poignant, as it speaks to the hope that love may offer, despite the despair that the singer is feeling. He asks the listener to tell him again what love can do for him, as though he's lost all faith in the concept. Ultimately, however, the song never comes to a firm conclusion, leaving the listener with a sense of uncertainty about whether the singer will truly be able to move on and find love again.
Line by Line Meaning
Touch my heart; feel the hurt, the pain, and misery
Please understand the depth of my emotional pain and suffering.
Then tell me again what love can do for me
After seeing my struggles, please explain how love can bring me happiness and healing.
If you lived in my world awhile
If you experienced the difficulties and hardships I face on a daily basis,
You'd soon forget how to smile
You would realize how challenging it is to find joy and positivity in my situation.
In my world there's a million ways to cry
My struggles and pain are so extensive that there are countless reasons for me to feel sad and upset.
If you had my eyes you could see
If you could perceive the world through my perspective,
How woman changed my destiny
You would understand how the actions of a woman have led to my current life circumstances and future prospects.
I'm a man who can't live and yet can't die
In my current state of emotional turmoil, I feel like my life lacks real meaning or purpose, yet I am unable to end it.
See these hands of mine and how they shake
Observe my physical reaction to my emotional pain, as my hands visibly tremble.
All because I can't break
This is due to my inability to move on from my past hurt and disappointment.
The habit of remembering yesterday
I am constantly dwelling on my past and not able to focus on the present or future.
Another love couldn't help this ache
Even if I were to find another romantic partner, they wouldn't be able to alleviate my emotional pain from my past relationship.
I know I'd make the same mistakes
I am aware that I would repeat the same errors and repeat history if given the chance to start anew.
Her memory's always standing in my way
The thought of my past lover is constantly hindering my ability to move on and find new happiness in love.
Touch my heart; feel the hurt--it's destroying me
I am being emotionally ravaged by my pain and could use some understanding and empathy.
I've tried, but can't seem to shake her memory
I have attempted to move on and let go of my past relationship, but have been unsuccessful so far.
Touch my heart; feel the hurt, the pain, and misery
I implore you to fully grasp the weight of my emotional distress and agony.
Then tell me again what love can do for me
After seeing my struggles, please help me believe in the transformative power of love once again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: VINCENT VINX DE JON PARRETTE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind