Tom Jones - Mess of Blues (Tom playing the guitar)

I watched this on TV a couple of nights ago, and my first thought was an article I read some 20 odd
years ago in which Tom said he jammed with Elvis in Hawaii, he said he knew more Chords than Elvis did, watching this shows he was talking crap !

A home recording of Tom and Elvis jamming together in the late 60s would be amazing.

I'd bet they sung all those old R&B numbers.

Now You Are Talkn My Friend Charlie -Elvis And Tom Jamming - They Did Have A Vacation In Hawaii - In Late 60's - Many Pics are around About This .

This Will Surely Roc Our World -

For members in the U.K there's a Tom Jones night on BBC4 now

Truly a great clip....very well done by mr. Jones.......

Allowing for the Tom Jones love in, How is this a great version of A Mess of Blues?
True Tom has retained his voice and that is one hell of an achievement.
However Tom sang everthing the same, this included.
Subtlety ,texture, phrasing and tenderness were and are not part of Tom's repertoire.

I must say that I agree with you. He has a strong voice and great range, but like you wrote..phrasing and tenderness not something he does very well.

Allowing for the Tom Jones love in, How is this a great version of A Mess of Blues?
True Tom has retained his voice and that is one hell of an achievement.
However Tom sang everthing the same, this included.
Subtlety ,texture, phrasing and tenderness were and are not part of Tom's repertoire.

I must say that I agree with you. He has a strong voice and great range, but like you wrote..phrasing and tenderness not something he does very well.

Have you heard his 3 last albums at all?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOd9pdtn1ik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TubV1vKClk

Those albums all got great reviews by critics. I don't think that's oversinging. And that's just example. And saying that Tom is not good in phrasing that's just a joke, a big joke!

Let me quote Big Jim Sullivan who played as a session musician in (one thousand charting singles over his career.)


"I got on well with Tom That's why I'm throwing him over the Niagara Falls. Don't worry Tom Fans it was all put on for the photograph. Still the memories from those days are with me until I die. I think I had more experience of life in the 5 years working with Tom than I did All the rest of my life put together. The problem was none of it was to do with music. I will put it all down in a book one day but I think one of us or even both of us should be dead. Neither of us would like to sue the other but it could end up like that. Tom is a great guy and lives for the road. He has such a disciplined lifestyle and keeps himself very fit. I don't think he has many intellectual pursuance's but he leads a very full life. (Chuckle) I do think that Tom would have been one of the greatest operatic singers that ever lived if he had classical training. I have never heard such a powerful and tuneful voice in my life as a musician. When we rehearsed you could here his voice over the top of the full orchestra. His pitch was total on every note and his feel for time and phrasing was impeccable. I know musicians from all styles had great respect for Tom. I have heard him sing the blues with a voice like Howling Wolf and BB King put together. The man is a total natural and very few people have this kind of talent. I only left Tom because my own way in life was not compatible with the life on the road."

If you heard just the hits by Tom its easy to judge but there is lot more and i would go as far and say his best singing and songs are buried there somewhere in the shadows of his hits.

I Saw this on Tv few nights back - esp whn Tom Plays guitar - I nevr knew he could - it was a nice surprise ta see this - Okay - ty for sharing this -

Allowing for the Tom Jones love in, How is this a great version of A Mess of Blues?
True Tom has retained his voice and that is one hell of an achievement.
However Tom sang everthing the same, this included.
Subtlety ,texture, phrasing and tenderness were and are not part of Tom's repertoire.

I must say that I agree with you. He has a strong voice and great range, but like you wrote..phrasing and tenderness not something he does very well.

Have you heard his 3 last albums at all?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOd9pdtn1ik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TubV1vKClk

Those albums all got great reviews by critics. I don't think that's oversinging. And that's just example. And saying that Tom is not good in phrasing that's just a joke, a big joke!

Let me quote Big Jim Sullivan who played as a session musician in (one thousand charting singles over his career.)


"I got on well with Tom That's why I'm throwing him over the Niagara Falls. Don't worry Tom Fans it was all put on for the photograph. Still the memories from those days are with me until I die. I think I had more experience of life in the 5 years working with Tom than I did All the rest of my life put together. The problem was none of it was to do with music. I will put it all down in a book one day but I think one of us or even both of us should be dead. Neither of us would like to sue the other but it could end up like that. Tom is a great guy and lives for the road. He has such a disciplined lifestyle and keeps himself very fit. I don't think he has many intellectual pursuance's but he leads a very full life. (Chuckle) I do think that Tom would have been one of the greatest operatic singers that ever lived if he had classical training. I have never heard such a powerful and tuneful voice in my life as a musician. When we rehearsed you could here his voice over the top of the full orchestra. His pitch was total on every note and his feel for time and phrasing was impeccable. I know musicians from all styles had great respect for Tom. I have heard him sing the blues with a voice like Howling Wolf and BB King put together. The man is a total natural and very few people have this kind of talent. I only left Tom because my own way in life was not compatible with the life on the road."

If you heard just the hits by Tom its easy to judge but there is lot more and i would go as far and say his best singing and songs are buried there somewhere in the shadows of his hits.

Let me express in another way what I am trying to say.
Quotes are available in all directions. Trust your ears.

I am not going to say that Elvis was in great voice through out , he wasn't, but whan Elvis sang he had this ability with a song that you don't find elsewhere.

When he sang the blues - he sounded like a real blues singer.
When he sang country - he sounded like a real country singer
When he sang rock - he sounded like a real rock singer.
When he sang gospel - he sounded like a real gospel singer.
When he sang balads - he sounded like a real balad singer - just be way of example listen to "Anything thats part of you" - there is nothing remotely like that in TJ's repertoire, nor has he the capability of emulating that.
I could go on and on and on.
My point, Tom could sing all of that but he still sounded like Tom Jones.
It reminds me of when a friend came rushing to me with a new Bob Dylan album a few years ago -"great album all blues orientated" and it was. But who would claim that Bob Dylan was a great blues singer? It was just Bob Dylan singing the blues.
And the quotes of experts do not suppot you on the Jones voice, powerful and muscular it was. But Tender and Beautiful, Variable and Emotive?, you're having a laugh!

toms a legend,i like hes older stuff because hes voice is more grainy/raspy ,.....i played 3 songs to my mums ashes urn few months ago after she passed away. just me, tom and mum in a room. ...few tears wasnt spared...thing is me mum loved tom and dad loved elvis...bet there still arguin in heaven...