1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,360 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: from my Heart Radio. He always runs while of those walls, 3 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: she as while just talk us at this world. Al 4 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: sudo so he strikes Black and the boat. He always 5 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: runs while there's walk Yes, those walls. This is such 6 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: an anthem. This song is one of the most wonderful 7 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: and preposterous anthems to masculinity and chauvinism I've ever heard 8 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:19,639 Speaker 1: in my life. My favorite is he knows the meaning 9 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: of success, meaning his needs are more, so he gives less. 10 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: He gives less exactly he don't. Black wrote the lyrics. 11 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,559 Speaker 1: Oh my god, he said the song doesn't make any sense, 12 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,880 Speaker 1: but it ripens, you know. He said, it's about a 13 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: guy who's a big fan of himself. All I know 14 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: is we got to get a guy that can sing 15 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: the ship song to make everybody forget that it's not 16 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 1: about anything, you know what I mean. Well, the thing was, 17 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: in those days with the James Bond, all those songs 18 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:04,720 Speaker 1: were big songs, so they wanted a big singer that 19 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:09,800 Speaker 1: could say that had a big voice, you will breathe 20 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:26,360 Speaker 1: and a heart without regrets. Days are asking are all gone. 21 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: Just fight he goes on and on and on, but 22 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 1: he thinks for that the fight is re so he strikes. 23 00:02:50,520 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: Let them my guest today is perhaps the only singer 24 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: who could have made that song work, Tom Jones. Legend 25 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: has it, Jones nearly passed out holding that final note 26 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: in this song. Thunderball, the theme song from the fourth 27 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: James Bond film. Tom jones booming baritone has led him 28 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 1: to sell over one d million records in his nearly 29 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,799 Speaker 1: six decade career. Thunderball was just one of a burst 30 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: of hits for Jones when he started out in the 31 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: mid nineteen sixties, including It's Not Unusual, What's New, Pussycat, 32 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: She's a Lady, Green Green Grass of Home, I'll Never 33 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: Fall in Love Again, and Delilah. After topping the UK 34 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 1: charts in xt Jones quickly crossed over to the US. 35 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: He won the Best New Artist Grammy Award in and 36 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: appeared regularly on The Ed Sullivan Show. He even hosted 37 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: his own the variety show This Is Tom Jones. Along 38 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: the way, Tom Jones perfected the Sexiest Man Alive look 39 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: and devoted himself to playing live shows. He headlined in 40 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: Las Vegas at least one week a year between nineteen 41 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:20,800 Speaker 1: and two thousand eleven. Growing up in South Wales, Jones 42 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,239 Speaker 1: assumed he'd work in the coal mines like his father, 43 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: but at age twelve, he contracted tuberculosis. He spent the 44 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: next two years convalescing, listening to American R and B music, 45 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: and dreaming of a very different life. I was always 46 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 1: interested in music. Music was always there since I was 47 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: a very young child. I was always listening to the 48 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: to the radio. And there's a lot of singers in 49 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,560 Speaker 1: my family, you see. My uncle was really good. So 50 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: I would be listening to these singers growing up. And 51 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: then when I had t B they said just go 52 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: to bed and stay there. That's all it was in 53 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,480 Speaker 1: those days, was rest, and they were going to send 54 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: me away. First of all, they said, you either got 55 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: to go to Switzerland or Scotland, you know, somewhere where 56 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: the air is is pure. But when they checked out 57 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: my house, we lived on a hill in South Wales, 58 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: not not near a coal mine, and so they said 59 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: we'll find if you're can have your own room, you 60 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,120 Speaker 1: can stay home, which I was thrilled about because I 61 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: didn't want to really go anywhere at that age. Describe 62 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 1: when you decide you've got what it takes to get 63 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: up on stage and just start to perform. What your 64 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 1: early career is. Where where are you performing? Yeah, well 65 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: in school first of all, and then Chapel, Presbyterian Chapel. 66 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: I never I never liked being in a quiet though. 67 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: I wanted to shine. You know. I was a show 68 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: off as a kid. I think a lot of entertainers 69 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: are like that, you know, showing off. You you'll find 70 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,960 Speaker 1: something that you're good at and you give it your 71 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: full attention. So that's that's what I was doing. So 72 00:05:52,920 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: I was it was more of listening to black gospel 73 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: music on the radio and then if I was going 74 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,360 Speaker 1: saying the old Rugged Cross, you know, a hymn in Chapel. 75 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 1: I heard my Helia Jackson sing it on on the 76 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: radio and I thought, ship, you know, I mean I 77 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: want to sing it like that. They were playing black 78 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: gospel music on the radio in the South of Wales. Yeah. 79 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: The BBC would play a variety of things and that 80 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: was part of it. Sometimes you'd hear blues song, you know, 81 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:29,359 Speaker 1: a black voice, you know, a gospel voice especially, I thought, wow, 82 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: what is you know, what is that? Why does that 83 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,360 Speaker 1: woman sound different? To the way they were singing it 84 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: in the chapel. It was a difference in it, you know, 85 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,159 Speaker 1: And that caught me. Many of the great singers that 86 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 1: we've had on the show, and we've had quite a few, 87 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: Roger Daltrey, we had all these guys on here, and 88 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: they all talked about the same thing, choir choruses, church 89 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: related singing when they were very young. But when do 90 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 1: you decide you're going to go professional? When do you 91 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: decide you're gonna get out there and will make a 92 00:06:57,480 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: stab at then? And what's your first pro gigs? Where 93 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: were you? Okay? First one was in a workingman's club locally. 94 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,360 Speaker 1: It was on a Saturday night. I was seventeen, and 95 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: I shouldn't have been in there, You've got to be 96 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: it should have been eighteen. But I was in there, 97 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: of course with my father and his brothers, coal miners, 98 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: you know. So I couldn't wait to get in there, 99 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:20,880 Speaker 1: you know, I couldn't wait to be a man. I 100 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 1: wanted to drink pints of beer with these fellas. So 101 00:07:23,960 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: I was there on a Saturday night and they booked 102 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: some concert party they used to call him, and and 103 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: they didn't show up. So the fellow that was running 104 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: it said, you know you've got a guitar, right, I 105 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: said yeah, yeah, And he said, do you want to 106 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: run home and get it and sing as a few songs? 107 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: I said sure. So I ran up the road, you know, 108 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: it wasn't that far away, grabbed my guitar, an acoustic guitar, 109 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: ran back there, and rock and roller just kicked in. Then. 110 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: You see, it was in the fifties, this is seven. 111 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: So there I was doing like Elvis Presley songs, you know, 112 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: stuff like that. So that was it, and they gave 113 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: me a pound. They gave you a beer, one pound, 114 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,600 Speaker 1: one beer. Whether those days you could have a night 115 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: out on a pound, so I could have like five 116 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: or six points of beer and that was it. So 117 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: so I thought, wow, this is great. So then I 118 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: started going playing other pubs and clubs and stuff like that. 119 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: When does someone find you right, Well, I was. I 120 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: was in one of these workermen's clubs. I got a 121 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 1: band together. By this time, there was a local rock 122 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: band cover bands they call him. Now, how many guys 123 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: were in the band. Three? There were three guitars. That 124 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: was lead guitar, bass guitar, and rhythm guitar. And a druma. 125 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: So that was you and four guys. Yeah. By the 126 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 1: time I got with these fellas, they were playing a 127 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:50,080 Speaker 1: y m c A on a Friday night, right, yeah, 128 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: So now a Friday was for me. I was like 129 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,559 Speaker 1: twenty or something like that, and a Friday night was 130 00:08:57,600 --> 00:09:00,080 Speaker 1: a drinking night. You say that was? That? Was it? 131 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: I was out with the fellas. I was working on 132 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: construction by this time, and I'm out drinking in this pub. 133 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: So I knew the bass player from this band and 134 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: he came in and he said, look, I was singing 135 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: asn't shown. Could you come into the y m c 136 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: A and sing some tunes with us? And I said, oh, 137 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 1: come on, Ernon. His name was Vernon. I said, Vernon 138 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,439 Speaker 1: is Friday. You know what I mean? This is? This 139 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: is drinking like come on, and I said, Saturday is 140 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: you know I do shows on Saturday. Well, he said 141 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: the singer didn't show. If you don't come, you know, 142 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:34,480 Speaker 1: we won't be able to do the show. So I said, well, 143 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: they don't have any booze in a YMC. So he said, 144 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 1: well what about if we get to create a beer 145 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,720 Speaker 1: and stick it behind the curtains there? Because they had 146 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,559 Speaker 1: a stage and everything for dancing. So I said sure. 147 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: So I went able to this friend of mine and 148 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: I said, look, you know, when in doubt great balls 149 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 1: of fire, I mean, that's you know exactly. So he said, 150 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: do you know create was a fire in c and 151 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: they said sure. I said, well then let's do it, 152 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:07,920 Speaker 1: so boom, you know. And then when I must say, 153 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: you've had on my brain exactly too much of Lords 154 00:10:12,520 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 1: out of a man saying you broke my way good exactly, 155 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: So so that was the standard you need to know 156 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: that song, yes exactly. So that was it. And then 157 00:10:27,679 --> 00:10:30,720 Speaker 1: I took this banton that we're already playing these y 158 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: m c a s you know, for kids, and I'd 159 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: already gone into these workingmen's clubs to sing to coal miners. 160 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: So I said, look, there's a whole world here in 161 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,439 Speaker 1: South Wales in these workingmen's clubs. They've never had rock 162 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,600 Speaker 1: and roll music in there before. So they said, well, 163 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 1: we don't know about I said, I've got a gig 164 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: right tomorrow night. I'll take you all in there. So 165 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: we get into this club as soon as we walk in. 166 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:02,199 Speaker 1: In those days, electric guitars, you know, and amplifiers and 167 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:04,599 Speaker 1: drums and all that ship. It was like, what the 168 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,679 Speaker 1: you know is this? And I said, wait a minute, 169 00:11:07,679 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 1: fellas to the audience, and they said, oh, yes, we 170 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,160 Speaker 1: know you taught me you were fine. But what about 171 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: all these other buss that you got with you. I said, 172 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:17,960 Speaker 1: just give us some give us you know these are 173 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: coal miners and their girlfriends and that. So I said 174 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,559 Speaker 1: to the boys, I said, look, keep the sound down right, 175 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: we'll do my mother's eyes will do. I believe, We'll 176 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: do some balance that they understand. And then when they're 177 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:37,839 Speaker 1: not looking quit pausifier, right they We're going to clip 178 00:11:37,880 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: them exactly. That's exactly what we did. And by the 179 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,600 Speaker 1: end of the night from pay them off, which we 180 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:48,079 Speaker 1: got first of all, which means pay them not to play, right, 181 00:11:48,679 --> 00:11:50,800 Speaker 1: that's what they were showing. To pay them off, I said, 182 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,200 Speaker 1: just a second, you know, give us a chance. By 183 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: the end of the night, the fellow that book the 184 00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: show said, if I called the police station and get 185 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:03,520 Speaker 1: an extension, could you play to midnight? You know, in 186 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:06,320 Speaker 1: one night now, so someone finds you at one of 187 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: these places that professional find you in South Wales exactly 188 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: Who was that person? His name was Gordon Mills, and 189 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: he was a songwriter and he was all also in 190 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,439 Speaker 1: a group then called the Viscounts, which were three fellas 191 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: doing three part harmonies. They had some hit records themselves. 192 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 1: They were covering American records. But I knew him. I'd 193 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: seen him on TV. He had come to visit his 194 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: mother in South Wales because he was He was Welsh 195 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: as well, so he came to see me in this 196 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 1: club and he said, you should be in London. I said, 197 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:42,760 Speaker 1: I know that, you know I've been there. You've gone 198 00:12:42,800 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: there for what. I went to get a record deal 199 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: because they heard a tape that I did, and so 200 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 1: I already had a record contract with Decca, but that 201 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:53,800 Speaker 1: was like three singles, you know, three strikes in here out, 202 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: That's what I had. So then as Gordon Mill shows 203 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,439 Speaker 1: up and said I can write songs. I write songs, 204 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 1: and he had written some hit songs for other people, 205 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 1: so I knew that he knew what he was talking about. 206 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: And what did he write for you? Then he wrote, 207 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 1: it's not unusual. He wrote, it's not unusual. He wrote it, Yeah, 208 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 1: my god. He had written it for a girl called 209 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: Sandy Shaw who had had some hit records. She had 210 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: number ones like two or three number ones, and he said, 211 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,840 Speaker 1: could you do the demo? So I said sure. So 212 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,440 Speaker 1: we go into Regions Sound in Denmark Street and I 213 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 1: did this demo demo, a demonstration record for Sandy Show. 214 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: So I said, you know good, this is the fucking 215 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: song that we've been looking for. It he said, he said, 216 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: he said, you know what that song? I said, yes, 217 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 1: I do. You know this is a hit song and 218 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,960 Speaker 1: he said yeah for Sandy Show. I said no. I said, look, 219 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,240 Speaker 1: if I don't get this song, I'm going back to Wales. 220 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 1: I said, fuck this you you Oh. I knew as 221 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: soon as I heard it, I thought this is a 222 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,760 Speaker 1: hit song. So then we went and recorded it properly, 223 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 1: you know, with the with the brass bomp, you know 224 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: like that, and then there we yeah, we're often running. 225 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:15,559 Speaker 1: So that was at the end of six. Did you 226 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: run into Sandy Shore years later and she was drunk 227 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:20,920 Speaker 1: at a club and said, you Boston, What happened to 228 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: Sandy Shore? No, she said, I met her and she 229 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: did my TV show later on right, I had a 230 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: TV show, so she came on there and she says, 231 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:32,640 Speaker 1: you could do and she said, when I heard you 232 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,160 Speaker 1: singing it, I said, whoever singing this song, that's his song. 233 00:14:36,520 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: I wouldn't be able to sing that like that now. 234 00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: So that song comes out and things change, I assume overnight, overnight, 235 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: it's unbelievable, so so much so he went so fast 236 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: up the charts. Right, I'm in a pub. I'm doing 237 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: a tour now with my band from Wales, Silla Black, 238 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: who was a singer. Then she's passed on since she 239 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: had a tour and I was on there. I took 240 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: I took the place of a man called p J Proby. 241 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: He was busting his pants all the time and they said, 242 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: you keep doing that and when you're out the fucking door. 243 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: So he busted his pants one store off and you 244 00:15:16,120 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: keep sending a piece of cheesecake over his table. Cheesecake. 245 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: It's really good, have it trying this exactly. So I 246 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: was doing all that. So so there I am on 247 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,920 Speaker 1: on this tour and it's not unusual starts going up 248 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: the chart and I didn't know. I didn't know it. 249 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: It was moving that fast. So I'm in a pub 250 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: in between shows with rock bands from a lot of 251 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: them from Liverpool at the time. Because the Beatles, you know, 252 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: like that, So I'm in this pub and all these 253 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: kids are screaming outside, and me like a schmuck. I 254 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:51,080 Speaker 1: walked straight out into the crowd, thinking that they were 255 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: there for somebody else, not knowing that it's not unusual 256 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: of going up the chat so fast, and I walked 257 00:15:56,760 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: straight into this thing. Well, they ripped the ship out 258 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: of my This had one raincoat to my name, and 259 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 1: the thing we're flying all over the place. So I thought, well, 260 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: this is it. You know, I'm been tearing you limb 261 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: from limb exactly overnight. You know, like a week before 262 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 1: you couldn't get a place of a drink, you know. 263 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: Superstar crooner Tom Jones. Another staggeringly accomplished artist who rose 264 00:16:24,280 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: to fame in the sixties was Herb Albert. In addition 265 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: to his virtuosic trumpet playing, he was also the A 266 00:16:31,200 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: in A and M Records, the world's largest independent record label. 267 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: In our conversation, Albert talked about passing on a song 268 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: that became a hit for the Carpenters. As I'm marking 269 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: out of Hall's door, I said, how is there a 270 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: song that do you think I might be able to handle? 271 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:50,320 Speaker 1: Or song that you have talked away in the Jordan 272 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 1: same yarn I gave bird. Two days later, he sent 273 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: me close to You, which was going to be the 274 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: follow up to this Guy's in Love with You. I 275 00:16:59,640 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: recorded it in the studio. I'm listening to the playback 276 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: and my engineer friend Larry Levine rested. So look to me, 277 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,880 Speaker 1: says man, you sound terrible singing this. I don't forget it. 278 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:11,399 Speaker 1: I lost my confidence. I put that thing in the 279 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: drawer when I signed the Carpenters in so a year later, 280 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: I gave him close to You. Here the rest of 281 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: my conversation with herb Albert at Here's the Thing dot org. 282 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: After the break, Tom Jones talks about how he developed 283 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: his on stage sex appeal. I'm Alec Baldwin and this 284 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,440 Speaker 1: is Here's the thing. Tom Jones had a breakout hit 285 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:54,520 Speaker 1: with It's Not Unusual in and he was eager to 286 00:17:54,560 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 1: get to the top of the charts again. But he 287 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: couldn't have been more surprised by the song that took 288 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 1: him there. And all of a sudden, my manager says, 289 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: look you know Bert Packer acas I said, of course, 290 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: I do you know how David was in houses exactly? 291 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:15,240 Speaker 1: So they have written a song for a Woody Allen film. Right, 292 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:19,439 Speaker 1: oh okay, and they want you to do the title 293 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 1: song and it's called What's New pussy Cat? I said, 294 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,199 Speaker 1: oh great, okay, let me hear it. So we go 295 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: to this flat in London. Bert Back, like I said, 296 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 1: he was with Angie Dickinson then, who I was in 297 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: love with. And I'm just a you know, twenty four 298 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: year old fellow and I'm sitting there. I said, okay, 299 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 1: can I hear the song? And he said sure. So. 300 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,440 Speaker 1: Now Bert Packer Rack can't sing, you know, I mean, 301 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,680 Speaker 1: he admits to it himself. He can't. He's a great songwriter, 302 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: but he's not a singer. So he's at the piano 303 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 1: and he starts. Now I'm being listening to rhythm blues 304 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: records like that rock and roll, fifties rock and roll. 305 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: All of my sudden, Burt Back rocks on this piano, 306 00:19:02,040 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 1: going damn day damn Dana Bam Bam damn Danda bam 307 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 1: bah d that like Kurt Vile, and I'm thinking, what 308 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: the fund has this? So he finishes it right, and 309 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:19,080 Speaker 1: I said, you're pulling my leg right, and he said, 310 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:21,879 Speaker 1: what I said, You're trying to catch me out don't you. 311 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 1: I said, you're I am, you know, twenty four years 312 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: old from Wales, don't know anything. You're playing this piece 313 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: of ship and you're trying to say what do you think? 314 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: And I'm gonna go it's a it's a test. So 315 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 1: and then then you're gonna say, well, that's not the song. 316 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: This is And he said that's the song and I said, 317 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,120 Speaker 1: so my managers there now you know this is Bert 318 00:19:45,119 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: back Iraq. You know it's behind Burt background looking at 319 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:51,680 Speaker 1: going to stop stop. Yeah, I said, look, I said 320 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:55,440 Speaker 1: I can't. I can't say this. And he said, what 321 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 1: of course you can't. I said, no, I can't. I said, 322 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: it doesn't make any sense to me, you know. So 323 00:20:01,720 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: fair play for Birt, you know. He said, I'll demo it. 324 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: I'll make a demonstration record of it so you can 325 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 1: live with it for at least a week and see 326 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 1: what do you think. So my manager is like, you know, 327 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,680 Speaker 1: Golden Mills, he's gone white and the music publishers there, 328 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: you know, and he's like, oh ship, you know, Birt 329 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: back around? Wouldy Allen film? You know what I mean? 330 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:24,640 Speaker 1: And they're schmuck from Wales. They say they can't do it. 331 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: So anyway, so I lived with the song, and until 332 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: I did it, I wasn't sure of it, you know, 333 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: I mean, when did you get it? Like when I 334 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: sang it. As soon as I got in the studio, 335 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: he was there, which was strange. He had four four 336 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,399 Speaker 1: upright pianos in a square and he's banging away on 337 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:45,959 Speaker 1: him right. He's got this full August for there, and 338 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,160 Speaker 1: he goes, okay, you need to think of this as 339 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,800 Speaker 1: like the Midnight Hour. Right you're Wilson Pickett. You do 340 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 1: a midnight Hour, sing the ship out of it. And 341 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: I said, all right, so what you hear is we 342 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:08,560 Speaker 1: see pussy can't. You're delicious and if come true, yeah, 343 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:15,359 Speaker 1: I'll soon be kiss kissing you act inside the song. 344 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: There's a performance inside the song. Super masculine. I mean, 345 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: like I told you, you look like you're the captain 346 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: of the rugby team. You look like you chopped down 347 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: the whole forest with an ax when you're a little boy. 348 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: You're so super masculine in your performance persona. And it 349 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 1: was so delightful to have you played through these playful words. 350 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:35,400 Speaker 1: You know, a lot of these songs are very playful, 351 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: not just like like Green Green, Grass of Home is 352 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,879 Speaker 1: a straight ahead, just killer ballad. I mean, there's one 353 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,200 Speaker 1: of the great ballads of all time, and you sing 354 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,480 Speaker 1: the ship out of it. But it's a very straight ahead, sentimental, 355 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 1: old school kind of ballad, whereas some of these other 356 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 1: songs you sang like Pussycats the best example and Thunderball, 357 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 1: it's very playful. There's a kind of a there's a 358 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: performance you have to give. Yes, yes, you've got to 359 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: treat it like you mean it. And even though it's 360 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: like a novelty song, really you know, you've got to 361 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: try and make this novel take it seriously, take it seriously, 362 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: and and I honestly, I mean you hit the name 363 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: right on the head when you say acting. You know, 364 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 1: I think singers actors. It's just that we put it 365 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:19,680 Speaker 1: into into into song, but it's still acting. That's the 366 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: way I feel. You've got to get in the song 367 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 1: and live it. You make it your own or you 368 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: put your own self in that character. And that's what 369 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 1: I always what I always say about. You know, they say, oh, 370 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,639 Speaker 1: you covered this record. No, No, I didn't cover it. 371 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:37,120 Speaker 1: I gave you my interpretation of it, just like an 372 00:22:37,119 --> 00:22:40,160 Speaker 1: actor does with when he or she does a rule, 373 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,400 Speaker 1: it's gonna be different, different than what somebody else would 374 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:47,080 Speaker 1: do it now, when you know, during the sixties and 375 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: the seventies and beyond, everything just seems much more deliberate 376 00:22:51,640 --> 00:22:55,159 Speaker 1: in terms of packaging a star. You know, their albums, 377 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: and they're remember album artwork on the album covers and 378 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,959 Speaker 1: the liner no oats, and it was such a presentation 379 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,479 Speaker 1: of things that were so much deeper and richer than 380 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:06,480 Speaker 1: they seemed to be now. And and one thing is, 381 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 1: of course, is uh costuming. I mean, you're a guy 382 00:23:09,560 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: who comes out there and you've got the jump suits 383 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: and everything. You're obviously very fit guy. Whose idea was 384 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:17,880 Speaker 1: it to make you into the sex symbol in terms 385 00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 1: of your styling? You're an unrepentant sex symbol in your styling. 386 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: Whose idea was that? Mine? Yours? Literally? Literally literally it 387 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: came from necessity. Really, I would start off in a suit, yes, right, 388 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:36,639 Speaker 1: because I was told to you know what, I had 389 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:38,800 Speaker 1: my TV show. They said, you gotta put a suit on, 390 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 1: you gotta put a tuxedo on, you know, you gotta 391 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:43,080 Speaker 1: put a boat tie on. I said, this is not 392 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,399 Speaker 1: natural for me. You know, I don't like that, you know, 393 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: so anyway, I would get rid of it as soon 394 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: as possible. So to tell you would come off, the 395 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 1: jacket would come off, the shoot would be open, you 396 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: know what I mean. Because I was sweating my bullocks 397 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: on an actual fact, you know what I mean. So 398 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: I had to strip down. I mean I did a 399 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:04,560 Speaker 1: rehearsal once at a club in London and the same 400 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:07,680 Speaker 1: thing happened. In rehearsal. I said, funk the court. You know, 401 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: I gotta get to get rid of his jacket, you know. 402 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,240 Speaker 1: And I'm here and my shirt was open, and Gordon 403 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: Mills said to me, that's the look. I said, what 404 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,439 Speaker 1: he said, as you are now without the jacket, with 405 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: the shirt open, you know, you look like you're gonna 406 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 1: you know, you're gonna conquer the bucket world. And I said, well, 407 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:29,840 Speaker 1: that's on the ass. You're gonna take a bite out 408 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: of everything exactly. But anyway, so that's what it was. 409 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 1: It was from necessity. So I mean, when when when 410 00:24:35,040 --> 00:24:38,640 Speaker 1: you're finding your look, when you're finding your thing to perform, 411 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: it's all you. You're calling the shots, yeah, more or less, 412 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: you know, I mean I had to tone it down 413 00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: on Network TV. Yeah, Well, the first time I came 414 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:50,439 Speaker 1: up against it was when I came to doing that 415 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:54,959 Speaker 1: Sullivan Show in sixty five. But it's not unusual. And 416 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 1: they said, we've got to see you do it, you know, 417 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: let's watch you in in the rehearsal room. And I said, well, 418 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,320 Speaker 1: play the record, you know you you know, we need 419 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 1: to hear you say it. You're going to do exactly. 420 00:25:08,680 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 1: So I started doing my thing, you know, and they said, whoa, whoa. 421 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: You know, they said, you can do that. You can't 422 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,760 Speaker 1: do that on television on Sunday night, you know what 423 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: I mean? And I said why They said, because you can't. 424 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 1: And I thought shit, I thought America was like, you know, 425 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:31,080 Speaker 1: wide open British television. I was doing it, and I thought, 426 00:25:31,080 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: what ship? If I could do it in England, how 427 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: come you know, in New York on the at Sullivan. God. 428 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: But they were telling me the same thing as they 429 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: told Elvis Presley in fifty six when he went on 430 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 1: there nine years before me. They were giving me the 431 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: same bullshit. They said, if you do that, we'll cut 432 00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 1: the close ups. Did you tone it down or you didn't? Yeah, 433 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 1: a bit. I had to because my manager said, you know, 434 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: and the people around me and said, if you don't, 435 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:00,760 Speaker 1: they won't let you on there. You know, they'll cut 436 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: you out of the show. So I thought, well, that's 437 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: no good. You know, I gotta I want to get 438 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: on the Ad Sullivan Show because Elvis Presley, you know, 439 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 1: that was his big break really at the beginning of 440 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: his career, and the same thing for the Beatles. As 441 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:14,920 Speaker 1: far as America was concerned, that was it. So I thought, well, 442 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: you know, behave yourself to a certain extent and hopefully 443 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 1: get invited back. Yes, and he and thank god, he 444 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 1: liked me so much. I did like five ads all 445 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:28,640 Speaker 1: of the shows, you know, within that year. It was tremendous. Yeah. Yeah, 446 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: Now describe for me if you would. I remember back 447 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: in I was going to do a film that had 448 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 1: a kind of a Vegas theme to it. So a 449 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: group of us in the cast went to Vegas for 450 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: a long weekend. And I wasn't much of a Vegas person, 451 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:44,399 Speaker 1: but we go and he gets tickets for us to 452 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,080 Speaker 1: go see Sinatra at Valleys and Sinatra comes out and 453 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,640 Speaker 1: I'm I'm not exaggery. It was beyond belief how fantastic 454 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 1: he was. You couldn't even describe. And his one of 455 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 1: his assistance comes out. We looked at it and said, 456 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: oh my god, it's just we can believe. She said, yeah. 457 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: He laid off the booze, he laid off the cigarettes. 458 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 1: He ate really well. He really trained and got himself 459 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:07,639 Speaker 1: ready to come back. He really wanted to pamper his 460 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 1: voice and come and really do this, and he sounded 461 00:27:09,520 --> 00:27:13,919 Speaker 1: like it was. He sounded so magical. What's that like 462 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: for you if you had to because you you had polyps? Correct? Yeah, yeah, 463 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:20,280 Speaker 1: I had polyps because I was doing two shows a 464 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 1: night in Las Vegas for a month straight. Stranger voice. Yeah, 465 00:27:25,119 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: so I was over singing, and Frank Snazra God bless him, 466 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,879 Speaker 1: said to me, you're giving too much. You don't have 467 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: to hit everything as hard as you are, you know. 468 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,840 Speaker 1: He said, you've got to be able to light in shade. 469 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 1: You know, you won't last if you do this twice 470 00:27:38,760 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 1: a night, you're gonna be in trouble. And me, macho, 471 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: you know from Waal, like I could do this, you 472 00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:47,719 Speaker 1: know what I mean? But he was right. After a while, 473 00:27:48,200 --> 00:27:50,480 Speaker 1: he took its toll and then I had to see 474 00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:52,720 Speaker 1: a man in in in l A and he said, 475 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:56,000 Speaker 1: you've got these nodules on your vocal cords because you're 476 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: overdoing it. You've got to learn to pull back doing 477 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: too shows a night exactly. So I had to learn that. 478 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 1: That's one thing I had to learn. Light and shade, 479 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,360 Speaker 1: not to hammer, you know, all the time. And then 480 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: and then the when you would record, when you went 481 00:28:16,359 --> 00:28:19,440 Speaker 1: into the recording studio, was that something you love because 482 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: many artists I talked to they say that's their favorite 483 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:23,000 Speaker 1: thing is to get in there and just and to 484 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:25,800 Speaker 1: lay it down exactly the way they wanted to make 485 00:28:25,840 --> 00:28:30,120 Speaker 1: it perfect. Did you love recording? Yeah? Yeah, Well it's 486 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: to be honest with you, all roads lead to the stage. 487 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:37,520 Speaker 1: That's what I feel. Everything I do is it all 488 00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 1: leads to live performances. You're never happier than when you're 489 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:44,160 Speaker 1: up there exactly. That's when I breathe, That's when I 490 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:47,280 Speaker 1: come alive. So all the other things you know that 491 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 1: I do, like TV and promotion on records and you know, 492 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:53,960 Speaker 1: everything that goes with it, it's all leads to when 493 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: I get up there and do it live to the 494 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 1: people you know, and that's when it shows. That's when 495 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 1: you think, ship, I thought this song would work better 496 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: than this or I wasn't prepared for this song to 497 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: work as well. You don't really know when you're in 498 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,440 Speaker 1: the recording studio. There's a difference to when you're on stage, 499 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:17,200 Speaker 1: when you've got to perform these songs. There's a differences 500 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 1: no feedback from the audience in the studio. Well, exactly, 501 00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: so you're enjoy if I do plays, I enjoy that 502 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:25,800 Speaker 1: feeling them out or I can feel them out there, 503 00:29:25,880 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 1: you know. Right as far as I'm concerned, that's where 504 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: I live. He's on the stage. Singer Tom Jones follow 505 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,600 Speaker 1: Here's the Thing on the I Heart radio app, Apple 506 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. While you're there, 507 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: leave us a review when we return. Tom Jones talks 508 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: about meeting Elvis Presley and playing with Jerry Lee Lewis. 509 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,440 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and this is Here's the Thing. Tom 510 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:10,520 Speaker 1: Jones was married to his wife Linda for nearly sixty 511 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:14,640 Speaker 1: years until her death in two thousand sixteen. They fell 512 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 1: in love at age twelve and had their son Mark 513 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: when Linda was just sixteen and Tom was seventeen. Even 514 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,640 Speaker 1: from those early days singing in the local pubs, Tom 515 00:30:25,720 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: Jones had a family to support. You know. Some people say, well, 516 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:31,040 Speaker 1: did it get in the way. No, it gave me 517 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,120 Speaker 1: more determination. When I was a kid, I wanted to 518 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:37,800 Speaker 1: be a man desperately, you know. I saw my cousins 519 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:40,680 Speaker 1: going to the pubs with my father and his brothers. 520 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: You know, I desperately wanted to get in that world. 521 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,800 Speaker 1: You know, So getting married was one of those things. 522 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:50,080 Speaker 1: It was the rite of passage. Exactly, look at this 523 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:52,920 Speaker 1: and I can I can do this, you know, I 524 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:56,320 Speaker 1: can provide. I can provide for my wife and son. 525 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:59,560 Speaker 1: And then my wife was always a fan of my 526 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 1: you know, we were in school. She loved the ways 527 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 1: and she knew what I wanted to do. Now, whether 528 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:08,760 Speaker 1: I succeed or not, it was anybody's guests. But when 529 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: Gordon Mills came to see us, you know, see me 530 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 1: in this club, she knew she'd seen him on television 531 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:16,840 Speaker 1: and she said, wow, you know they would be great 532 00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 1: if Gordon Mills, if you could do that, that would 533 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 1: be wonderful, wouldn't it. I said, yeah. So it was 534 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 1: always like a family of fair you know. I had 535 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:30,080 Speaker 1: the people in Wales all loved the way I sang, 536 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:32,880 Speaker 1: all my family and I was like, yes, Tommy. You know, 537 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 1: Tommy can do it. Go on, tom You know. It 538 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 1: was all that and my wife was the same way, 539 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: you see. So she gave me strength, you know, she 540 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: reassured me that I could do it. So you were together. 541 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:46,840 Speaker 1: You were married for how long? Fifty nine years? Fifty 542 00:31:47,080 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 1: nine years? Yes, we were married for fifty nine years. 543 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: We were together before that, but that t B thing 544 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:55,600 Speaker 1: got in the way. I used to look at it 545 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:59,120 Speaker 1: through the from the window of my room. You know, 546 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:03,360 Speaker 1: she was becoming a woman and I wasn't out there. Yeah, 547 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: we just give her to this TV thing and I'll 548 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,640 Speaker 1: be right over exactly. But let me ask you this, 549 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: which is, you're married for fifty years, but according to 550 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: other things I've read about you, that didn't prevent you 551 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,160 Speaker 1: from becoming, shall we say, a good will ambassador around 552 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: the world, if you will, quite right to your quits, 553 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: you had many fans, you had many female fans, and 554 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,840 Speaker 1: you felt the need to let the relationship with you 555 00:32:27,880 --> 00:32:30,239 Speaker 1: go to another, let them into your life a little bit. 556 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 1: Is that correct? Yes? Well, I tell you my wife. 557 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 1: You know, I made a statement once which she didn't 558 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: particularly like. I said, my wife keeps me single. She 559 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: prevents me from doing something stupid, you know, like marrying 560 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:47,920 Speaker 1: some young girl, you know, and then putting her in 561 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:49,920 Speaker 1: for a new model, you know, as time goes on, 562 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: as a lot of people do you know what I mean? 563 00:32:52,840 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 1: But my wife, you see, I always had this wonderful excuse, 564 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 1: always upfront, saying, excuse me, whatever we do is going 565 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 1: to be fun of games. My wife is number one. 566 00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:08,800 Speaker 1: She is there in this house, you know, as long 567 00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:11,360 Speaker 1: as she don't find out. You know, she didn't give 568 00:33:11,400 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 1: me the right of passage. She didn't say, oh I'm 569 00:33:13,280 --> 00:33:15,480 Speaker 1: gotta you know, put the put the blinders on. Oh no, 570 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:18,560 Speaker 1: she said, just don't you dare embarrass me. And I said, 571 00:33:18,720 --> 00:33:21,360 Speaker 1: I will not ever, I won't do that, you know. 572 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:23,600 Speaker 1: And I was true to my word. I never did. 573 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:26,600 Speaker 1: She was always number one in my life, and she 574 00:33:26,720 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 1: gave me strength. She was. It wasn't until she passed away, 575 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:32,200 Speaker 1: to be honest with you, that I realized I'm on 576 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:35,200 Speaker 1: my own now, I know. I know. I always remember 577 00:33:35,240 --> 00:33:40,040 Speaker 1: that wonderful quote that I'm told was from Sophia loren 578 00:33:40,760 --> 00:33:42,640 Speaker 1: And they asked her, what would you think if you 579 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:45,480 Speaker 1: found out your husband was with another woman? And she said, 580 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: if my husband slept with a thousand women, that would 581 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 1: hurt me, she was. But if my husband slept with 582 00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:55,920 Speaker 1: the same woman a thousand times, then I'd really be concerned. 583 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,720 Speaker 1: She said, You know, that says in love. If he 584 00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:01,840 Speaker 1: was in love, if everything else was just uh sport, 585 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 1: if you will, you know exactly, that's that's you've hit 586 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:07,240 Speaker 1: the name right on the head. You know. My wife, 587 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:09,840 Speaker 1: God bless her, she would get out of out a 588 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,680 Speaker 1: joint if if I had seen somebody, you know, and 589 00:34:12,719 --> 00:34:16,759 Speaker 1: she knew that there was more to it than a game. Now, 590 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:19,280 Speaker 1: you see, for all of us when we're young, especially 591 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:21,840 Speaker 1: if we come from a background. And my dad was 592 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: a public school teacher, he had no money. He had 593 00:34:23,960 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: six kids. Remember when I was leaving home, the mantra 594 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:30,760 Speaker 1: was I gotta make money. Everything was a problem about money, 595 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: and all the friction, oh my household between my parents 596 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 1: was about the lack of money. Money. But at the 597 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,280 Speaker 1: same time, you're out there and you're not even conscious, 598 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 1: you mean, you just work like an animal, performing and 599 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:43,960 Speaker 1: performing and performing, and then you don't realize. I mean, 600 00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:46,279 Speaker 1: for me, it was probably early thirties and the mid 601 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:49,160 Speaker 1: thirties I realized how lonely I was I was lonely, 602 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 1: and I was wondering if that was a part of 603 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:52,799 Speaker 1: a few as well, which is you're on the road. 604 00:34:52,800 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm sure it's about your libido on one level, 605 00:34:56,200 --> 00:34:58,000 Speaker 1: but on the other level, was it about being lonely 606 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:02,480 Speaker 1: because you were traveling? U um? Now that question has 607 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 1: never been asked before. I've got to try and analyze it. 608 00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:08,799 Speaker 1: You remember being lonely during that period when you were 609 00:35:08,840 --> 00:35:12,279 Speaker 1: taken off. No, to be honest with you, I never was, 610 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:16,960 Speaker 1: so I can't. You know, it doesn't apply. I was 611 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,240 Speaker 1: like a kid in a candy I was just gonna say. 612 00:35:19,360 --> 00:35:21,560 Speaker 1: I was just gonna say you were a you were 613 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 1: the proverbial kid in a candy story. And it's still 614 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 1: I mean, and I never got still I still I've 615 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:34,600 Speaker 1: just an eight year old version of what I was before. 616 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:38,040 Speaker 1: But you know, it's a strange thing with time. You know, 617 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:41,839 Speaker 1: when time goes on, things happened to you and you think, 618 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: I wonder what I'm going to be like if I 619 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:46,160 Speaker 1: get to be old. You know, what would I be like? 620 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,440 Speaker 1: And things do. Nature has a way of making you 621 00:35:50,480 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: accept certain things. You know with your life, you can't 622 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:57,080 Speaker 1: be what you were. You can't. If you think you can, 623 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:59,880 Speaker 1: you're a fool, you know, to yourself, You've got to 624 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:02,759 Speaker 1: be what you are. And I've always tried to be 625 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:05,879 Speaker 1: as honest as possible, you know, and and and that's 626 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: a fact on my life. And and I still feel 627 00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:10,879 Speaker 1: the same way now. You know, I'm an eight year 628 00:36:10,920 --> 00:36:13,839 Speaker 1: old man. Now. My wife has passed away five years ago. 629 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:16,000 Speaker 1: I took a hell of a time to get over 630 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:19,279 Speaker 1: that because I realized I was on my own, which 631 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:22,279 Speaker 1: I had never thought of before. And then when that's 632 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:25,760 Speaker 1: taken away from you, you think, Jesus Christ. I've never 633 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:29,719 Speaker 1: experienced this before in my life, and so that took 634 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,120 Speaker 1: an adjustment. But my wife God blessed as she said, look, 635 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:35,839 Speaker 1: you know, go back to London, go back to to 636 00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 1: to Britain. Wanted that what you was at the dream 637 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,799 Speaker 1: for you you missed him. Yes, my wife, you see, 638 00:36:42,960 --> 00:36:46,239 Speaker 1: was always homesick. Even though we had wonderful houses in 639 00:36:46,320 --> 00:36:48,840 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. She always had it in her mind that 640 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:53,359 Speaker 1: we would eventually come home. Well, I noticed that for me. 641 00:36:53,719 --> 00:36:56,279 Speaker 1: I turned sixty three this year. You're the same age 642 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:59,399 Speaker 1: as my son. It's true. Well you were impossibly young, 643 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:02,000 Speaker 1: but got remarried and my wife and I had six 644 00:37:02,080 --> 00:37:04,719 Speaker 1: kids in seven years. Now, wait a minute, could I 645 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:06,920 Speaker 1: just say this, did you did you come here to 646 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:10,680 Speaker 1: confess or just a brag? A little of both. I 647 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:14,360 Speaker 1: must say a little both. But but one thing I realized. 648 00:37:14,719 --> 00:37:17,360 Speaker 1: One thing I realized as is I'm getting older, is 649 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: that I used to be very political, and the older 650 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:22,239 Speaker 1: I get, the less so I am. Because I'm like, 651 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:24,759 Speaker 1: you know, there's a time when you're younger when you 652 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:28,640 Speaker 1: want to go out in all affairs, your career, your advocacy, 653 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:31,560 Speaker 1: whatever causes you want to support, and you go out 654 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:33,120 Speaker 1: there and you bite it as hard as you can, 655 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:35,440 Speaker 1: and you get in there and fight, and you're in 656 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 1: the scrum there with people. And then as I turned 657 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 1: sixty and have these kids, I thought, you know, I 658 00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:42,839 Speaker 1: think I'm done with that for the time being. I 659 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:44,799 Speaker 1: only have the energy to raise my family and go 660 00:37:44,880 --> 00:37:48,080 Speaker 1: to work and all these answers. I mean, at the 661 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:50,160 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, that's as you said 662 00:37:50,239 --> 00:37:52,359 Speaker 1: to begin with. You know, when you when you're coming 663 00:37:52,360 --> 00:37:54,400 Speaker 1: from a working class back around or a middle class 664 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:56,400 Speaker 1: pack around, you want to go out and make money. 665 00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:59,520 Speaker 1: You want to get out and provide for your family. 666 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:04,000 Speaker 1: If you and that's your first thing. And look now 667 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:06,399 Speaker 1: that you're as old as you are and you've got 668 00:38:06,840 --> 00:38:09,920 Speaker 1: a family, you you're you're basically doing the same thing. 669 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 1: Right as my friends said when I turned sixty, we 670 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,600 Speaker 1: still have plenty of time, but none to waste. And 671 00:38:16,680 --> 00:38:18,719 Speaker 1: I love that phrase. You know, when you're young, you 672 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:20,759 Speaker 1: think you've got all the time in the world, and 673 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:22,440 Speaker 1: you've got you're gonna do a lot, and you're gonna 674 00:38:22,440 --> 00:38:24,160 Speaker 1: do this and do that. You know, I was going 675 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:26,279 Speaker 1: to make movies. I was gonna you know, I had 676 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:28,720 Speaker 1: all these great ideas about what I was going to do, 677 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:31,520 Speaker 1: and then before you know where you are, time is 678 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:35,000 Speaker 1: sort of gone. So you've gotta you know, you you 679 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,840 Speaker 1: come to realize, well, now my grandkids. You know that 680 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,640 Speaker 1: my grandchildren are here, my son and my daughter and 681 00:38:40,719 --> 00:38:43,919 Speaker 1: all my grandkids. That's where I am. Now, what would 682 00:38:43,920 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: you say, especially since you turned fifty, fifty, sixty, sixty five, 683 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:51,560 Speaker 1: as you were getting older, what's been your health regiment? 684 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:55,960 Speaker 1: Because you sound like you're forty years old. You're so energetic, 685 00:38:56,000 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: you're so alert, you're so healthy. Are you a big 686 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:01,959 Speaker 1: are you as a nutrition as an exercise? What's your thing? Yeah, 687 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:06,040 Speaker 1: exercise I used to run a lot, you know. Uh, 688 00:39:06,040 --> 00:39:07,640 Speaker 1: then I got be the trouble on my knees, so 689 00:39:07,680 --> 00:39:10,360 Speaker 1: I don't, but i'd still. I got on a cross trainer, 690 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:12,719 Speaker 1: you know, I'm on a bike. I do to get 691 00:39:12,719 --> 00:39:15,839 Speaker 1: the heart rate up. You've got to. You've got a faith. Yeah, 692 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:18,040 Speaker 1: you've got to do cardio. You've got to. And of 693 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:20,600 Speaker 1: course you've got to be careful with the demon drink, 694 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:22,520 Speaker 1: you know. I mean I used to love to, you know, 695 00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:25,560 Speaker 1: have a few years ago. I know, if I want 696 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:29,880 Speaker 1: to keep living, I've got to listen to what the 697 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:33,360 Speaker 1: doctors say, you know, and be careful. And if you 698 00:39:33,440 --> 00:39:35,600 Speaker 1: do that, as long as you've got good health, which 699 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,319 Speaker 1: I've been lucky enough to have, you know, there's never 700 00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:42,440 Speaker 1: everything really wrong with me. Is that you've got to 701 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:44,400 Speaker 1: make the most of it. And as you say yourself, 702 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:49,439 Speaker 1: time is getting, you know, more valuable. I feel now 703 00:39:49,480 --> 00:39:52,320 Speaker 1: when you were doing the TV show, I would imagine 704 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,279 Speaker 1: you did five seasons of that show, correct, Yeah, And 705 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:56,800 Speaker 1: when you did that, where did you shoot that? L 706 00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,960 Speaker 1: A We did most of it in London, just outside 707 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:02,719 Speaker 1: north of London, and then some of it from Los 708 00:40:02,719 --> 00:40:04,920 Speaker 1: Angeles as well. And when you would do that show 709 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:07,640 Speaker 1: or any performance as you've done. Who are people there 710 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:09,200 Speaker 1: for you that when you were up there on stage 711 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 1: with them you really to s thought this is great 712 00:40:11,200 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 1: somebody you loved performing with. Well, first of all, the 713 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:18,720 Speaker 1: one that jumps to mind is Jerry Lee Lewis, because 714 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:21,080 Speaker 1: I bought a whole lot of shaking going on when 715 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 1: I was seventeen, you know, and I heard this record 716 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: and I thought, fuck me, who is that? You know, 717 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:29,640 Speaker 1: because Elvis? You know, everybody said Elvis is a freak. 718 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:32,920 Speaker 1: And I said, it can't be one. There can't just 719 00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:35,600 Speaker 1: be one guy, you know, some white guy that's been 720 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:39,160 Speaker 1: listening to black singers in the South, and oh, yes 721 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:41,000 Speaker 1: it is. It's a freak. And then I hear a 722 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:44,000 Speaker 1: whole lot of shaking Jerry Lee Lewis, and I said, 723 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:46,719 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, you know this is the same thing. But 724 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:49,400 Speaker 1: he's playing piano. You know, he's not standing up there 725 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:52,160 Speaker 1: with a guitar. He's actually pounding the ship out of 726 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:56,719 Speaker 1: this piano with another another flavor. So when I got 727 00:40:56,760 --> 00:41:00,400 Speaker 1: Jerry Lee on my show and I'm looking across the 728 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:03,360 Speaker 1: the piano at him doing the songs with him, you know, 729 00:41:03,560 --> 00:41:05,840 Speaker 1: like I went back to when I was seventeen, you 730 00:41:05,880 --> 00:41:07,720 Speaker 1: know when I first heard a whole lot of shaking, 731 00:41:08,040 --> 00:41:10,680 Speaker 1: And here I am same thing with little Richard, you know, 732 00:41:10,760 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 1: the same thing. I was a big Little Richard fan, 733 00:41:12,600 --> 00:41:14,920 Speaker 1: had all his records, and that he is and I'm 734 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:17,000 Speaker 1: doing good. Call him as molly with him, you know, 735 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:19,560 Speaker 1: and send me some loving So that was my dream. 736 00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 1: I was living my dream, you know, like that. And 737 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,040 Speaker 1: the same when I met Elvis Presley. I used to 738 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:27,319 Speaker 1: sing with him in his suite in Las Vegas, but 739 00:41:27,719 --> 00:41:30,000 Speaker 1: Parker wouldn't let him record with anybody, so we never 740 00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:32,439 Speaker 1: got to record together. But I did sing with him, 741 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:36,400 Speaker 1: and I thought, this is fantastic. And then Sonatra, I 742 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:38,640 Speaker 1: never got to sing with him, but I knew him. 743 00:41:38,680 --> 00:41:42,160 Speaker 1: I met him, you know, trunk with him. Oh you 744 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:45,759 Speaker 1: were very close to was it Mary Wilson? Yeah, Mary 745 00:41:45,840 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 1: Wilson of the Supremes. And did you did you record 746 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:52,799 Speaker 1: with her? Uh? No? I almost signed with Moretown. They 747 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:54,399 Speaker 1: wanted me to sign. I would have been the only 748 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:57,719 Speaker 1: white artist on the label at that time, but but 749 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:00,480 Speaker 1: it didn't work out. But we we we out close. 750 00:42:00,840 --> 00:42:03,000 Speaker 1: But she met my wife afterwards. You know. Everything was 751 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 1: was cool. She was a good person and she's passed 752 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:09,600 Speaker 1: away since, but she was really really lovely, lovely girl. 753 00:42:10,160 --> 00:42:14,120 Speaker 1: Nick Tashes wrote this very famous biography of Dean Martin, 754 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:17,680 Speaker 1: and uh, there's a moment in the book when Elvis 755 00:42:17,760 --> 00:42:23,919 Speaker 1: is surging and Martin plays Elvis's song. Then he takes 756 00:42:23,920 --> 00:42:26,080 Speaker 1: it off the turntable, puts on a record of his 757 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:28,239 Speaker 1: and plays a song that he takes that off the 758 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:30,680 Speaker 1: turntable and he puts on Bing Crosby and plays a song, 759 00:42:30,880 --> 00:42:35,080 Speaker 1: and he says, what's the difference being to me to Elvis? 760 00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:37,840 Speaker 1: And then when he said crooning is crooning singing and singing? 761 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:39,480 Speaker 1: Do you feel that way? Do you feel that you're 762 00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:43,879 Speaker 1: part of a line of great male vocalists? Yes, yes, 763 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:47,920 Speaker 1: and and and as Dean Martin said, I think Ben 764 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:51,600 Speaker 1: Crosby was maybe the first pop singer. You know that 765 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:54,400 Speaker 1: when I was a kid, you know, my mother and 766 00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:57,960 Speaker 1: father listened to him. Ben Crosby was iconic. I can 767 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:01,200 Speaker 1: never get tired of going on YouTube and watching those 768 00:43:01,239 --> 00:43:04,480 Speaker 1: shows of them together being with Frank and High Society. 769 00:43:04,520 --> 00:43:05,960 Speaker 1: They were in the movie together. They were in the 770 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:09,160 Speaker 1: movie together, and then Frank would sing with Elvis. But 771 00:43:09,160 --> 00:43:11,280 Speaker 1: then there's that wonderful thing on YouTube where they switched 772 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:16,799 Speaker 1: songs and Elvis sings Witchcraft Yes, and Frank sings what's 773 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:19,359 Speaker 1: the song? Frank sings love Me Tender, love me Tell, 774 00:43:19,520 --> 00:43:24,560 Speaker 1: love me, love me Sweet? Yeah, never let me Go. 775 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:26,839 Speaker 1: He's got the Frank rhythm to it. You know what 776 00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:29,800 Speaker 1: I mean. It's so funny. That video is so funny. 777 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:32,160 Speaker 1: Let me ask you this, which is that you've sang 778 00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:35,280 Speaker 1: some very colorful songs and very kind of kitchy songs 779 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:38,200 Speaker 1: like pussy Cat and so forth, but you've also sang 780 00:43:38,280 --> 00:43:41,080 Speaker 1: songs that are just beautiful pop like she's a lady 781 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:44,880 Speaker 1: who wrote that song? She's a lady? Uh, paul Anka, 782 00:43:45,440 --> 00:43:49,040 Speaker 1: But paul Anka, paul Anca, And this is the truth. 783 00:43:49,200 --> 00:43:52,600 Speaker 1: Paul Anka was doing my TV show, right, and he 784 00:43:52,680 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: said to me, I've just written this song and you 785 00:43:55,080 --> 00:43:58,160 Speaker 1: would sing the ship out of it. It's called My Way, 786 00:43:58,600 --> 00:44:02,240 Speaker 1: right And I said really and he said yeah yeah, 787 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 1: And he had done a demo on it, so I listened. 788 00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:06,520 Speaker 1: I said, Wow, that sounds great that song. He said, 789 00:44:06,520 --> 00:44:09,400 Speaker 1: the only problem is my publisher has sent it to 790 00:44:09,440 --> 00:44:13,440 Speaker 1: Frank Sinatra. Now where Frank wants to do it? Frank 791 00:44:13,520 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 1: does it? You know, you know, but where Frank Sonatra 792 00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:18,600 Speaker 1: once he told me, because when I listened to the song, 793 00:44:18,680 --> 00:44:21,640 Speaker 1: I thought, have I lived long enough yet? You know, 794 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:23,640 Speaker 1: because I was thirty years old at the time. You 795 00:44:23,719 --> 00:44:25,799 Speaker 1: need to have a few more rings on the tree 796 00:44:25,840 --> 00:44:27,919 Speaker 1: there to sing that song. Now I could do it, Yeah, 797 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:30,520 Speaker 1: you could, well, let's hear it. But but I want 798 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:33,680 Speaker 1: to ask you this there. This makes me a little 799 00:44:33,680 --> 00:44:38,279 Speaker 1: emotional because there's the Tom Jones we know, handsome is 800 00:44:38,320 --> 00:44:42,759 Speaker 1: the day is long powerful. But there's a boy in 801 00:44:42,800 --> 00:44:46,400 Speaker 1: a house in the south of Wales and he wants 802 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:48,600 Speaker 1: to be a coal miner, he wants to be a man. 803 00:44:48,840 --> 00:44:52,440 Speaker 1: He's got tuberculosis. He's gonna go on to become one 804 00:44:52,440 --> 00:44:56,080 Speaker 1: of the most popular and the most famous male vocalists 805 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:59,560 Speaker 1: in history. But when what's what's the song that Tom 806 00:44:59,640 --> 00:45:03,040 Speaker 1: Jones sings? That's the song for that boy? Is there 807 00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:06,799 Speaker 1: a song that really touches you? What's the ballad you 808 00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:10,600 Speaker 1: sang where sometimes you almost thought you might crack? It's 809 00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:15,000 Speaker 1: so about you. There's one that I did, a Bob 810 00:45:15,080 --> 00:45:18,040 Speaker 1: Dylan song that was called What good Am I? What 811 00:45:18,160 --> 00:45:20,120 Speaker 1: good am I? If I don't do this, you know, 812 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:23,200 Speaker 1: if I let this happen and don't do anything about it. 813 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:27,320 Speaker 1: That song is hard to sing for me now because 814 00:45:27,320 --> 00:45:29,439 Speaker 1: the last verses, what good am I? If I say 815 00:45:29,480 --> 00:45:31,840 Speaker 1: foolish things and I laugh in the face of what 816 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:35,560 Speaker 1: sorrow brings? And I just turned my back while you 817 00:45:35,719 --> 00:45:39,200 Speaker 1: silently die, What good am I? And I think? Fuck? 818 00:45:39,560 --> 00:45:42,439 Speaker 1: You know? Did I could I have done? What? Could 819 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:45,080 Speaker 1: I have done something? But I couldn't? But that song 820 00:45:45,640 --> 00:45:48,680 Speaker 1: is hard. What advice does the great Tom Jones have 821 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:51,920 Speaker 1: for his successors, these the young Harry Styles and all 822 00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:54,680 Speaker 1: these performers. Just hold onto what you've got. I mean, 823 00:45:54,719 --> 00:45:57,239 Speaker 1: you've got to You've got to do it your own way. 824 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:00,920 Speaker 1: You know, you've got to stick to your guns. Take advice, 825 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:04,040 Speaker 1: you know, listen and take advice from people, or I 826 00:46:04,080 --> 00:46:06,480 Speaker 1: would never have recorded. Wasn't your pussy cat? You know? 827 00:46:06,520 --> 00:46:08,719 Speaker 1: I mean if I'd just gone on instinct. So you've 828 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:10,880 Speaker 1: got to listen, and you've got to take advice. But 829 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:13,600 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, it comes down to yourself, 830 00:46:14,080 --> 00:46:16,080 Speaker 1: and that's got to be you. You've got to be 831 00:46:16,120 --> 00:46:18,000 Speaker 1: able to look in the mirror and say, I've done 832 00:46:18,000 --> 00:46:20,520 Speaker 1: the best I can. I'm doing what I love to do. 833 00:46:20,719 --> 00:46:23,160 Speaker 1: If you can't talk to yourself like that, how can 834 00:46:23,200 --> 00:46:25,799 Speaker 1: you talk to anybody else. Well, let me just say 835 00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:29,080 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you so much. I'm glad you sound great, 836 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:31,839 Speaker 1: you look fantastic. Oh, thank you very much. I thank 837 00:46:31,840 --> 00:46:37,800 Speaker 1: you all the best. The once and forever sexiest man alive, 838 00:46:38,360 --> 00:46:41,520 Speaker 1: Tom Jones. He had a hit with his cover of 839 00:46:41,560 --> 00:46:47,440 Speaker 1: this song, Green Green Grass of Home. INTI, I'm Alec Baldwin. 840 00:46:47,800 --> 00:46:54,600 Speaker 1: Here's the thing, has brought to you by my heart radio. 841 00:46:57,600 --> 00:47:06,960 Speaker 1: A smiling sweetly, It's good to touch the green green 842 00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:18,200 Speaker 1: grass of home. The old house is still standing, though 843 00:47:18,239 --> 00:47:24,080 Speaker 1: the paint is cracked and dry. And that that old 844 00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:33,640 Speaker 1: old tree that I used to play all down the lane, 845 00:47:35,719 --> 00:47:43,160 Speaker 1: when my sweet Mary care of gold and lips like cherries. 846 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:49,120 Speaker 1: It's good to touch the green green grass of home. 847 00:47:54,560 --> 00:48:01,480 Speaker 1: Then I awake and look around me, gray walls that 848 00:48:01,640 --> 00:48:07,080 Speaker 1: surround me, and I realized, Yes,