Comments on: TOM JONES – “Green Green Grass Of Home”

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:41:29 +0000

TOTPWatch: Tom Jones performed The Green Green Grass Of Home on Top Of The Pops on four occasions;

17 November 1966. Also in the studio that week were; The Shadows, The Yardbirds and Val Doonican. Jimmy Savile was the host.

8 December 1966. Also in the studio that week were; Jimmy Ruffin, The Barron Knights, The Easybeats, The Kinks and The Young Rascals. Pete Murray was the host.

5 January 1967. Also in the studio that week were; Paul Jones, Sandie Shaw, The Four Tops and The Kinks. Pete Murray was the host.

25 December 1967. Also in the studio that Christmas were; Petula Clark, Sandie Shaw, The Foundations, Jimi Hendrix, The Tremeloes and The Who. Jimmy Savile, Alan Freeman and Pete Murray were the hosts.

None of these editions survive.

By: Paulito

Paulito — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:34:14 +0000

One of Elvis Presley’s later recordings is this version of GGGOH and it’s nicely done – bittersweet and mournful. Crucially, he (mainly) sings the last verse instead of reciting it, thus avoiding the hamminess and bathos that Tom’s effort descends into.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksVpFUtgbvA

By: Lena

Lena — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:55:04 +0000

’67…begins: http://musicsoundsbetterwithtwo.blogspot.com/2011/10/back-to-future-donovan-sunshine.html Thanks for reading everyone!

By: Lena

Lena — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:11:06 +0000

Comforting sounds: http://musicsoundsbetterwithtwo.blogspot.com/2011/09/all-aboard-seekers-morningtown-ride.html Merci, tout le monde!

By: Lena

Lena — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:47:08 +0000

Less melodramatic: http://musicsoundsbetterwithtwo.blogspot.com/2011/09/two-are-better-than-one-val-doonican.html Thanks for reading, everyone!

By: crag

crag — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:12:24 +0000

DESERT ISLAND DISCS WATCH:

Mary Peters, athlete(1973)

Duncan Bannatyne,businessman(2010).

By: rw

rw — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:04:24 +0000

Don’t forget that Jerry Lee Lewis had recorded this before Tom Jones did …. so it can’t be all bad ……

By: Waldo

Waldo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:06:10 +0000

I would loved to have heard the Home Secretary of the day tackle this fucker!

By: doofuus

doofuus — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 02:27:00 +0000

Look, someone had to do this, I have waited weeks, so I guess it’s me:
Patient: “Doctor, I’m so worried, I can’t stop singing ‘The Green, Green Grass of Home’. Can you help me?”
Doctor: “What you have is the Tom Jones syndrome”
Patient: “Oh, gosh, is it common?”
Doctor: “It’s not unusual”
Thankyou very much

By: Rosie

Rosie — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 21:33:00 +0000

Thank goodness for that. I was worried…

I know I can be a real prima donna and have flouncing off to a fine art, but even so!

By: Frank Kogan

Frank Kogan — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 17:20:00 +0000

By the way, Marcello’s stomping off isn’t anybody’s fault; it’s just Marcello being Marcello.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 10:19:00 +0000

Tom Jones was the singer in The Viscounts before solo fame, right? But was it him who sang on ‘Who Put the Bomp?’ or was it Johnny Gentle – whose biggest claim to fame was doing a tour with support act and backing band The Silver Beetles, who featured John, Paul and George, but not Ringo.

Tommy Mack

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 16:26:00 +0000

Marcello ! Come back ….! Your contributions will be a loss. “You shouldn’t take it so purrrrrsonal.”

BRian in Canada

By: Mark Gamon

Mark Gamon — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 14:07:00 +0000

Thank you. Rubbish then, remains rubbish to this day.

Not long ago there was a 'blues special' programme on C4 (?) late at night. All the usual suspects took part, Jeff Beck and Lulu included, playing a series of blues classics in an informal setting, apparently for the craic and nothing else.

The surprise guest, for me, was our Tom. Not because he was there: the surprise was how well he sang. Turns out he really IS a great blues singer.

Which only goes to show the damage pop music can do, I suppose.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 08:59:00 +0000

That last verse does come pretty close to shanking things, but quite honestly, the sound of Tom Jones showing restraint is such a powerful and awesome one that I want to give it a passing grade anyway.

By: Frank Kogan

Frank Kogan — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 23:23:00 +0000

A request that Marcello repost his deleted entries on this and other threads; I’m making the request for the selfish reason that some of my own posts no longer make sense without the context provided by Marcello’s comments, and for the equally selfish reason that I like to read Marcello’s comments.

By: Joe Williams

Joe Williams — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 23:08:00 +0000

The record first hit Number 1 in November and stayed there for 7 weeks, so while it was Number One at Christmas, it isn't a Christmas Number One in the novelty sense, so comparisons to There's No-One Quite Like Grandma etc are a bit unfair.

(Similarly for Two Little Boys which hit the top before Christmas week and stayed there till well through January).

I'm of the school of thought that says that I'm Not Unusual is the only decent record Tom Jones ever made, so I'll pass on this one.

By: Joe Williams

Joe Williams — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 23:07:00 +0000

This post has been removed by the author.

By: Intothefireuk

Intothefireuk — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 21:29:00 +0000

I too, enjoy Marcello’s comments and am saddened that he has removed it (presummably he did this himself). Please re-post.

To the Welsh foghorn Jones – he does indeed overplay his hand but for some reason I don’t mind. Possibly my judgement is coloured by my own personal childhood memories of gravy (especially as this was a hit at Christmas). I remember him singing it on TV in a studio set behind bars so no one could miss the point although of course this did make the ending somewhat meaningless. It’s over blown sentimentality is the likely reason why it was a such a big hit at Christmas (check out future Xmas hits from the mighty Rolf & St. Winifreds Choir for further evidence). Brings a tear to the eye doesn’t it ?

ITF

By: Lena

Lena — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 00:13:00 +0000

I don’t know this (all comments considered, I’m taking that to be a good thing) but I do know the song and once again I have to register surprise, this time that this, not the happiest song ever (not that I have anything against sad songs being popular!), would go to #1 at Christmas, but then I am also hopelessly ignorant as to why what the Christmas #1s are so important in the first place. I know they are, I just don’t know why.

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 21:52:00 +0000

Before everyone gets all upset – I have no problem with Marcello putting his thoughts on the comment boxes, they’re always worth reading. His perspective on these songs is usually quite different from mine anyway! (And I also like hearing what mark out of 10 someone else would give it.)

I haven’t yet worked out how to delete blogger comments, though I’m looking into it as there’s been an outbreak of spam on the Mike Sarne and Wendy Richards entry (best place for it!). When I do I will eagerly delete any and all flaming, though (and just to be clear nobody yet on this or any other entry has written anything remotely approaching flaming).

Every comment I get on Popular is valued and I feel flattered by the interest the project generates, in whatever form that interest takes. If anyone wants to talk more about any of this then I suggest they email me! Cheers, Tom.

By: Marcello

Marcello — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 19:15:00 +0000

I’m a bit puzzled about what Marcello is up to in the last few entries – it’s not so much a response to Tom’s main article and the other comments as a rival commentary; I’m almost tempted to say ‘spoiler’.

Sigh.

***meaningful pause***

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By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 16:10:00 +0000

GGGOH – isn’t that a town in Wales ?

By: Tom

Tom — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 16:01:00 +0000

I can think of records plenty worse than Dustman or the Stargazers, whether they’ll get a 0 or a 1 I don’t know.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 05:20:00 +0000

Doctor Mod says:

GGGOH–Trying to pronounce the acronym produces a sound similar to one’s response to the recording….

And right you are, Rosie–on virtually every point.