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

Tommy Mack

BRian in Canada

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.

(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.

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

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.

Sigh.

***meaningful pause***

w
.h
..y

…d
….o

…..I

……e
…….v
……..e
………n

……….b
………..o
…………t
………….h
…………..e
……………r
…………….?

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.

Anyway - I believe Tom has given two 1s - I See The Moon by the Stargazers - something I’m not aware that I’ve ever heard though I expect I’d recognise it if I did - and My Old Man’s A Dustman, which really is dire enough to deserve it. One is plenty damning enough - a zero to my mind is just blowing a raspberry at the project. Besides, there are plenty worse than this song to come - I agree with our Tom that TJ almost pulls this off.

I don’t know who was buying GGGOH, just taht a lot of people were. Not my parents, who were in the market for Petula Clark in a couple of entries’ time. But the charts are a measure of overall sales, and there’s no rule of course about who is and who isn’t allowed to buy records. There were a lot of Capodimonte figures and flamenco dolls being sold at this time as well and I strongly suspect s strong correlation between the two markets.

I sense, too, that we are now crossing a watershed, of which Good Vibrations marked the summit. We leave behind a year full of wonderful things (Jim and Tom notwithstanding) and move forward into an uncertain period - some real gems to be sure but a lot of flat and boggy terrain and having peeked ahesd I don’t envy Tom the next year or so. The best of The Beatles is behind. The best of the Stones , the Who, the Kinks are to come, but we’re moving quickly into the age of The Album - The Doors and the Velvet Underground and Sergeant Pepper, and a significant tranche of youth turning away from the singles charts.

Marcello’s contribution brings up a question I have for Tom:

Would you, under some extreme circumstances, give a recording a 0?

I’ve not gone through the entire earlier lists, but have you ever given a 1?

Just curious. I imagine there must be some way of designating the nadir of awfulness, even if I can’t quite decide myself what that might be–even though there’s a lot of toxic waste soon to come in the charts.

Tom Jones, unlike Johnny Cash, tended to go for dramatic overkill. (Think “Delilah.”) Sentimentality and a death sentence–what more could you ask for?

It would be interesting, though, to contrast this with another “death sentence” song several years later: The Bee Gees’ “I’ve Just Got to Get a Message to You.” I actually think that the Gibbs made the idea work–their song admits the crime and shows little in terms of self-pity, only last-minute desperation in making some sort of amends to the girl whose heart was broken by all that. Tom, on the other hand, is planning his own funeral.

I actually like Pete’s Witchdoctor’s skull/maraca image in connection with the song–even if it’s borderline child abuse to make eight-year-olds sing it. Surely there’s some sort of abuse in making anyone of any age listen to it.