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."
Venus
Tom Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Burning like a silver flame
The summit of beauty and love
And Venus was her name
She's got it
Yeah, baby, she's got it
I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Her weapons were her crystal eyes
Making every man a man
Black as the dark night she was
Got what no-one else had
Wa!
She's got it
Yeah, baby, she's got it
I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Goddess on the mountain top
Burning like a silver flame
The summit of beauty and love
And Venus was her name
She's got it
Yeah, baby, she's got it
I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
Well, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
At your desire
The song "Venus" by Tom Jones is a tribute to the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The song describes the goddess on top of a mountain with crystal eyes, exuding beauty and love. The lyrics suggest that her beauty and charm were irresistible to men. The chorus repeats the words “I'm your Venus, I'm your fire, at your desire,” implying that the goddess Venus had the power to ignite passion and desire in men.
The song's lyrics are an allegory for a woman who has this same power over the singer. The lyrics suggest that this woman is beautiful, desirable, and powerful. Her beauty has a hypnotic power, which almost feels like a magical spell. She has every man at her feet and is confident in her ability to win the heart of the singer.
The lyrics of "Venus" describe a woman who is powerful, strong, and beautiful. On the one hand, they suggest that she has the power to control men with her charm and beauty. On the other hand, they also suggest that she is confident and self-assured, aware of her unique qualities and strengths. Overall, the song is a celebration of female beauty and power.
Line by Line Meaning
Goddess on the mountain top
Referring to a beautiful and powerful woman standing on a high point
Burning like a silver flame
Her beauty and passion were intense and captivating
The summit of beauty and love
She was the pinnacle of attractiveness and love
And Venus was her name
She was named after the Roman goddess of love and beauty
She's got it
She possesses something unique and desirable
Yeah, baby, she's got it
Expressing enthusiasm and admiration for her qualities
I'm your Venus, I'm your fire
The singer identifies with or sees himself as the woman's source of passion and desire
At your desire
Willing to fulfill her every desire, in terms of love or anything else
Her weapons were her crystal eyes
The woman's piercing gaze was a tool of attraction and enticement
Making every man a man
Her stare made even the weakest or uncertain men feel strong and confident
Black as the dark night she was
Her hair or skin was dark, adding to her exotic and mysterious appeal
Got what no-one else had
She possessed qualities that set her apart from others and made her unique
Wa!
An expression of excitement or surprise, perhaps due to the woman's sudden appearance or action
Lyrics © Nanada Music, THE MUSIC GOES ROUND, Broma 16
Written by: Robert Van Leeuwen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Márcia Lopes
Tom Jones é fantástico!!!
O tempo passou e sua voz não mudou nada. Cheio de energia. Continua ótimo!
Ruben Pacho
Venus un temazo,marco una época dorada...Tom Jones,la voz que nos emocionaba ..eterno Tom...
Gene Ward
One of the truly magnificent performers ever; still underrated as a musician and r& b greats.
Ernesto Zambrano
This is a real singer!!!! What a voice!!!
dogsarefun2
great band, way to go Tom... never another like you!!!!
ellen thayer
...tom, the band and singers are fantastic at this concert...what a crowd of all ages to hear their favorite welsh singer...tom you are unequalled ❤❤❤
fdl
What a guy! Legend. The voice
Lidia Torres
Q bella voz no me canso de escuchar soy feliz escuchandote .
Colin Dowd
While I've seen Sir Tom live a few times I reckon that he was on the top of his vocal performance around 60! And he's still mega! !
María Rosa Corrales
I saw twice in Argentina, with more than 60 and still has his voice!!!