'Sex Bomb' [Peppermint Radio Extended Remix]
Good Lord. No words.
"The Voice" Mentor Sir Tom Jones Says He'd Also Like to Judge on "The X Factor"
The buzz is still strong on the fact that the legendary Sir Tom Jones has been confirmed as a mentor on the UK’s new version of “The Voice” that will air on BBC later this year. Fans are now holding out hope from even more from Jones. He has now announced that he would like to judge “The X Factor.”
The 71-year-old singing superstar told The Daily Star that he would like to be a judge on “The X Factor” for sure. He didn’t clarify whether he would like to be a judge on both shows simultaneously or whether he’d prefer “The X Factor” over “The Voice.”
From all indications, though, Sir Tom Jones is likely quite happy with his current position, and there has been already a great deal of enthusiasm expressed over the legend’s willingness to mentor young performers on “The Voice.”
His only reservations regarding the talent shows are when young kids are thrown in to the mix before they are ready. In the USA version of “The X Factor,” for example, some kids made it into the finals, and two of them had dramatic departures. When contestant Rachel Crow was ousted from the competition, she literally fell down in sorrow. Tom is not alone in thinking that young kids should be protected from too much pressure in the business too soon.
During his recent interview, Tom also revealed such fascinating personal details as the fact that he was almost cast in the beloved role of James Bond, but that just didn’t pan out. Also, he confessed that the highlight of his career was being knighted, which is an honor and experience that the velvet-voiced singer still fully appreciates.
Tom Jones Name a Judge for "The Voice UK"
Fans of Tom Jones have another reason to celebrate this new year. Tom has been named as one of the judges for the The Voice UK, a spin-off in the country of the hit US show, The Voice. Other performers that will be sitting in the judges’ seats with Tom include Will.i.am, Jessie J, and Danny O’Donoghue. Reggie Yates and Holly Willoughby will be co-hosting the show each week.
This reality show is a musical competition show that is one of the many that has sprung up since the massive success of American Idol. It’s quite unique in its own right, though. Whereas many other competition shows that pit performers against one another for an ultimate prize focus on many aspects of a singer, including his or her appearance, this show is only interested in one thing: the singer’s voice. In fact, the judges do not even know what the singer looks like at first.
So what role will Tom Jones have in the whole thing? Judges on this show do more than give the snarky comments that Simon Cowell have made so famous. In fact, the “judges” on this show are actually mentors who help the singers after they’ve chosen performers through a blind audition process, where they do not actually see the singer. The judge has the entire performance to decide if he wants the singer on his team. If two judges want the same singer on their teams, the singer gets to decide which star to be mentored by. There’s also a battle phase and then live shows.
The Voice UK was created by John de Mol, and it’s being produced by Shea Media. The series was commissioned after the success of the American version of the show. It’s slated to air on Saturday nights on BBC One later in 2012.
Why the Tom Jones Christmas DVD is a Must Each Season
Tom Jones may have recorded his iconic Christmas shows back in 1969 and 1970, but they are still relevant. The over forty years since then have not tarnished the sound or special feel that these shows possess thanks to the power of Tom as an entertainer and his carefully chosen guests. Play it each year during the holiday season to really appreciate this one-of-a-kind singer and what he brings to help you get in the Christmas spirit.
The Welsh singer hosted a variety show in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as his long-time fans will well remember, and this collection from his Christmas shows really does showcase what was great about his television classic. Amazon describes the shows included on the DVD as “brassy and classy.” That they are! It’s also fun to see the fashions and the styles of the day, and how people talked has even changed more than we realize when we watch genuine shows from that time period.
So, aside from being treated to the power of Tom’s incredible vocals on some famous (and infamous) Christmas tunes, viewers are also treated to the vocal stylings of Judy Collins, one of the most memorable folk singers of all time. Ella Fitzgerald makes an appearance. There’s a performance of classical ballet with “The Nutcracker Suite.”
Many other seasonal classics are included as well as a concert from Tom Jones himself, of course. One of the more memorable parts of the DVD is a bit unexpected. Tom’s very moving, commanding reading of “A Child's Christmas in Wales” is very touching and one that you want to grab hot chocolate and sit by the fire to watch.
'Till'
A hit single for Jones in 1971, "Till" was originally written by Charles Danvers and Carl Sigman. It has appeared on the Billboard charts a total of five times.
Some Simple Things You May Not Know About Tom Jones
Tom Jones, whose full name is Sir Thomas John Woodward, may well be one of the most diverse singers beloved in pop culture. He has performed in many genres, from rock to country to show tunes to techno to dance to gospel to rhythm and blues. How well do you know the star?
Making It Big
Tom has sold over 100 million records! That’s no small task. Few have even come close to this level of success. Since winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1965, his star has been on the ride. Other awards and recognitions he’s received include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1989, MTV Music Video awards, and Brit Awards, among many others.
Humble Beginnings
Tom, the son of a coal miner, got his start in the music industry singing at weddings and family gatherings when he was still a kid. He also sang in his school choir.
Personal Life
Although they’ve had some really challenging times, Tom has been married to his high school girlfriend, Melinda, since 1957. He has had multiple, well-publicized affairs, including one that resulted in the birth of a son, but the two are still married to this day.
She's a Lady (live)
Can you think of a better Welsh export than this guy? Here he is on TV in 1974 (a simpler time, perhaps).
John Mulaney - "Best Meal I Ever Had/What's New Pussycat"
True fact: Tom Jones's music can be used to culture hack in real life. Remember jukeboxes in old school diners? Stand-up comic John Mulaney, in his years of troublemaking youth, once loaded up a restaurant jukebox with incessant replays of Tom Jones's "What's New Pussycat". What followed is best told by the man himself. But let it be known that any more than four straight plays of "What's New Pussycat" make people in the vicinity start to lose it. Video contains NSFW language.
Hilarious Depiction of Tom Jones in Flushed Away
Flushed Away is one of those adorable, often overlooked family films that most people don’t seem to know about. Featuring the voices of Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Bill Nye, and several other big names from Hollywood, it’s the story of a pet mouse (voiced by Jackman) who gets flushed away into the sewer—accidentally, by a sewer rat—and has to find his way home with the help of a spitfire ship captain, voiced by Winslet.
The movie is funny all the way through, and even has a satisfying conclusion (complete with song number and dancing, naturally). Plenty of jokes for both adults and kids are in it—none of them inappropriate, I think—and it’s not heavy in the violence department, though there is some violence.
The Tom Jones moment begins when the ship captain’s grandmother asks the main mouse, Rodney, if he is Tom Jones—or, rather, assumes he is, and demands that he sing her a song. So, of course, we have Hugh Jackman singing “She’s a Lady” to the obsessed old mouse woman and a whole bunch of mouse kids. A particularly funny moment occurs when the mouse throws her underwear at him and he catches them, singing, “And the lady wears big undies.” At one point in the film, she ends up swimming after him, asking him to marry her. Jones is featured on the soundtrack with other songs as well.
Marvelous Darlings: A Northern Pop
It’s kinda weird following a blog and its writers. When becoming entranced by the supposed knowledge of whoever it is on the other end of the computer, there’s still no way to fully account for those anomalous offerings. Marvelous Darlings wound up being just that.
For the most part, Teenage Lobotomy hasn’t steered me towards anything I regret hearing. That’s not any different after having heard Marvelous Darlings. At the same time, though, I might rather listen to my roommate have a go at dropping a deuce in the morning before heading out to work. The band, a Canadian one at that, deals in punk, but of the poppiest variety possible. There’s no Blink 182 nonsense here. Or Green Day. But the guy who fronts this group can actually sing, which in a lot of cases, this one specifically, changes the music’s dynamic. A guy with a voice always sounds like he’s got one, even if fronting a hardcore band. So, taking that pent up punk energy and running it across a spate of singles – there’re six over at TL – resulted in something of an inconsistent listen despite my dismay after hearing “I Don’t Want to Go to the Party.”
By the time listeners make it to 2009’s Sleeping Like A Dead Man and it’s second track, “Call it a Night,” and that acoustic guitar, not to mention the harmonica, it’s just about time to give up. There’re a few moments of success, but not enough to warrant a further investigation.