Lobbing Lingerie & Getting Funky
Tom Jones to Set Budapest on Fire

Brace yourselves, ladies and gentlemen, because on September 22, there may be a sudden downpour of underwear over the Kisstadion in Budapest. The force behind this unusual form of precipitation is, of course, that Welsh pop icon, Tom Jones.

Now, you may think that at the age of 61, and after 38 years in the music industry, the flow of silky undergarments onto the stage when he performs would have, by now, slowed to a trickle. But if you go to the Kisstadion on the night in question, I think you may just be surprised. The reason? Tom Jones has still got it.

The “it” in question goes by many names: sex appeal, charisma, talent, or what Austin Powers likes to call "mojo." The point is, they can all be applied to Mr. Jones, even at this advanced stage in his career. www.tomjonesbiography.com

Besides enduring charisma, survival at the top in the cut-throat world of pop is often reliant on an astute manager, and there is evidence that this too has played a part in Tom Jones’ long-lasting success. Throughout his career, he has been something of a chameleon, constantly repositioning himself within the music market.

He first made it to the big time way back in 1965, with his second single, "It’s Not Unusual." Back then, the image was all about tight trousers and that unmistakably masculine voice. Then the figure-hugging gear was pushed aside, and in came the smart tuxedo phase, along with more mature songs like "Green, Green Grass of Home" and "Delilah." He entered the next stage of his career at the end of the 60s, when he got his own TV show, "This is Tom Jones," which saw the Welshman duetting with a dazzling and often unusual mixture of stars.

The late 60s and 70s saw Jones spending most of his time in America, earning a tidy sum as a Las Vegas lounge lizard. The 80s were a quiet time for Jones. He didn’t have any big hits, and his public popularity began to seriously wane. His comeback single, the autobiographical-sounding "The Boy From Nowhere," reached number 2 in the UK singles charts in 1987.

A re-release of "It’s Not Unusual" in the same year ensured that his popularity was again established with his UK audience. The year 1988 saw a major change of direction, with a collaboration with the dance act The Art of Noise on a very bombastic and slightly tongue-in-cheek cover version of the Prince song "Kiss."

The early 90s saw Jones consolidating his appeal with a new breed of younger and hipper fans with an album of dance-floor oriented songs, and an appearance at the Glastonbury music festival. Amazingly, after so many years in the music business, the high point of his career was yet to come. This was the 1999 album, "Re-Load," which reached number 1 on the UK charts and spawned several hit singles as well.

Two years later, Tom Jones is still riding high on the crest of a wave of huge public popularity that shows no signs of subsiding for a long time to come. www.gutrecords.com/tomjones

Yes, all things considered, Tom Jones has still got it. You don’t survive for 38 years in the music business, or any time at all in Las Vegas, if you can’t put on a great show. And then, of course, there’s THE VOICE. Now that Elvis and Frank Sinatra have both sadly left us, there isn’t such a sexy, powerful or memorable voice to be found anywhere else in showbiz. http://www.tjthevoice.com

So, whether you go to lob your lingerie, sing along to the old classics, get down to the funky new stuff, or just look on knowingly, I’m sure a great time will be had by all.

13.09
Hannah Cawthorne