Tom Jones - the Life Read online

  Tom may well decide to pack it in and retire when another artist overshadows him in a duet. It hasn’t happened yet. It seems to me he has finally reached the position he wanted. He appears content and comfortable in himself and his age. Both the record industry and the public have responded to his veteran status with respect and affection. He may need a bigger house to store all the awards he has received in recent years, and the critics have praised him more than any other performer at the big establishment gigs, like the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert.

  He is gaining full recognition for his status and his talent, applauded by young and old. It’s cool to like Tom Jones. I began this book by declaring that even as a small boy, it was always about the voice. That hasn’t changed, although he is now in his seventy-fifth year.

  Jones The Voice seems to be getting better with age.

  Tom’s Stars

  It’s not unusual to be a wonderful mimic if you are born with the Sun in Gemini. Developing his sense of identity is something Tom will have struggled with at times, but, from an early age, his talent for imitation helped him explore his own individuality. Versatility, charm and the ability to have fun are also well-acknowledged Gemini traits, along with the famous duality of Tom’s Sun sign, identified by the symbol of the twins. The ruler of Tom’s Gemini Sun, Mercury, is in family-loving Cancer, so it is very apt that he can sing about ‘the green, green grass of home’ while feeling perfectly well domiciled on foreign shores. Roots in two places – dual residence – equals happiness for this restless performer.

  The presence also of the Moon in Gemini emphasises that this ability to combine two approaches to life is part of the very fibre of the man and is not in any way the debilitating conflict it might be for some. Tom is vitalised by such duality – both his heart and his head demand it and it influences many areas of his life.

  To have both the Sun and Moon in Gemini highlights the importance of communication for Tom. However, it is the sign ruler, Mercury, and the fused planets of passion, Mars and Venus, in responsive, moody, sentiment-loving Cancer, that dictate his singing signature. Tom will be honoured and remembered for music of great emotional power and poignancy, songs of fierce love and tempestuous heartbreak – the stuff that pulls at the heartstrings of both genders equally. He is a musician who can communicate the volcanic feelings in us all.

  What contributes more to the individuality of this gifted performer are the links made between the Sun and other planets in the chart: in particular, creative and compassionate Neptune and rebellious, break-the-mould Uranus. These two planets couldn’t be further apart in the influence they wield upon a character, emphasising again the contradictions in the personality of a performer who is a champion in the realm of reinvention and originality.

  The tight links from Neptune to Tom’s Sun and Moon suggest an innate understanding of the importance of compassion. This wonderfully dynamic, smoulderingly charismatic and explosively sexual entertainer is, in fact, a very kind man – an extremely generous, sensitive man, with an ability to live out either end of the saviour–victim spectrum easily.

  Neptune also creates a great yearning to be special. Tom early on will have idealised anything moving that had the slightest vestige of glamour and wanted to embody that quality. Sadly, this must sometimes lead to discontent. The ordinary has a way of bouncing back, breaking through the illusions built on shifting success in relationships or career.

  The position of the heroic, quest-focused Sun in the chart area associated with roots and home suggests both love and loyalty to family, and the acceptance of a challenge. He is motivated by a desire to help those he is closest to. Family dynamics would have undoubtedly furthered his self-understanding, enabling him to find his role, perhaps as the one who entertained, brought harmony and fun to the everyday. The link between this Sun and sensitive, protective Neptune, prompts dreaming and belief in an ideal that might rescue him and others from none-too-welcome reality.

  Neptune, long associated with creativity, gentleness and the spiritual, links tightly to the two planets that symbolise Mother and Father. It is likely that clever and clannish Tom saw what they could have been and appreciated the sacrifice of the life they might have had to do what good parents must. How could he not feel that he owed it to them to fulfil what was within him – that gift from his ancestors he will always honour … the voice?

  Mother had a vibrancy and quickness about her and would have promoted Tom’s sociability, curiosity and rationality. She may have come from a line of healers, albeit the type who mended a person through supportive, sharing talk. It is likely, too, that she possessed a certain naivety, a childlike quality, so that at times she was less a parent, more a sibling. Although close to both parents, Mother wielded the greatest influence.

  Father had strength of will, a degree of stubbornness and a fear of manipulation. Beneath a controlled exterior, he had a sustained faith in life and enthusiasm, which supported him and others in the family.

  With Saturn influencing the chart area associated with siblings, Tom’s sister will have provided a pragmatic influence during his early years. Perhaps she was something of a parent to him – Saturn often suggests an age difference. Her affection would have been very important to Tom, although there may also have been a degree of unpredictability in the relationship.

  The importance of family to Tom, both birth family and present, can’t be overestimated, because it was, and will remain, an environment in which he learnt and learns about his own needs and resources. He will be appreciative of his heritage and land, and feel honoured to shelter and protect family members.

  A problem, though, with Neptune is that the loving closeness it can promote becomes something akin to enmeshment – a state in which it is hard to know if what you want is really your own desire or that of everyone you are trying to please. But this is a man who, with the dexterity of a magician, can have his cake and eat it too.

  In parallel to the pleasures of a supportive home base, where he can be truly appreciated for what he is, this restless, adaptable performer will be drawn to the intensity of performance and the nectar of fame.

  Two planets reveal the power and drive that have been fundamental to his resilience and stellar status. Pluto, the planet that governs death and rebirth, links positively with the chart area associated with public success. Instinctively, from an early age, Tom would be able to learn and develop the skills necessary for recognition, his facility to prioritise and work compulsively towards his goals never failing, no matter what the obstacle. These were not conventional academic abilities – the planet of delays and restriction, Saturn, influences the chart area connected with early education, hinting at failure here. But Pluto gifts both with the means to benefit from difficulties and great powers of regeneration. Together with the adaptability granted by the Sun and Moon in Gemini, Tom, like a Madame Tussauds waxwork, can embrace meltdown and reinvention, growing from the experience and finding new strengths in his talent each time. Crisis is at the very heart of his evolution.

  Uranus, planet of rebellion, plays a distinct role in Tom’s make-up too. This is the planet that preceded the Sun rising above the horizon at the moment of birth. It suggests initially that he came into his family at an unsettled time; it might even be that the pregnancy was a bit of a surprise. This is someone who will shake up the status quo. Linked beautifully to Neptune, planet of creativity, clearly there is then the capacity to stir things up on the music scene. Arguably, it is this that makes Tom not simply a great performer, but actually someone who shines with the brilliance of a true star – a man who connects with a wide audience and who is right for the time, heralding a new dawn.

  A traditional family man in many ways, Tom will have played his part in the shifting of morals, the breaking down of taboos, and the more blatant acknowledgement of sexuality that marked the post-war era. It was not unusual to express love and emotion in popular songs; it was unusual to showcase the lust.

  Neptune an
d Pluto, placed in the chart area connected with marriage, speak of closely binding and long-lasting links. In terms of relationships, Tom’s default position is to be highly protective of his spouse, but he will need an escape clause. This is because of the position of Pluto, a planet that demands emotional intensity, but can also be repelled by prolonged intimacy. Pluto is reclusive by nature and often tries to kill that which it grows dependent upon – here, the love of his partner. It is the planet of control and power struggles. In the particular position it occupies, Tom, through the process of projection, will often feel that he is the one controlled – and this may not be groundless. Partly this is due to an innately empathetic heart (the redemptive Neptune to Moon influence), which will always be hooked by the desire to rescue should his partner need support. There are likely to have been many occasions when Tom has felt the need to redeem himself – that is, to restore his respected and loved partner’s belief in his goodness. But Pluto is manipulative and control can be a two-way thing. Any partner of someone who has relentlessly pursued fame may well resent the restrictive and controlling invasion of privacy that is a consequence of egotistically sought popularity. So who has controlled whom? It is likely to take a long lifetime to settle this one.

  The frequently acrimonious tussles that are the natural territory of this planet will challenge Tom until he lives by the non-negotiable Pluto lesson: to share power equally and employ honesty and integrity in all intimate encounters.

  Tom will, in the past year, have experienced a number of challenges to relationships, not least involving those with a sibling role in his life. This could, for example, cover colleagues with whom he works closely on a day-to-day basis. In January 2015, the tough links between Pluto and Uranus moving in the sky and Venus and Mars in his chart suggest the climax to these contentions experienced in April 2014. Tom may have felt his goals and desires were thwarted and resented the demands from others to look at problems buried in the past. This period, early in the year, will revisit these problems, which will move towards resolution. Importantly, the passage of ‘reap what you sow’ Saturn at the pinnacle of Tom’s chart means he will be held responsible both for errors in the past but hopefully also for years of ambition and effort that could pay off brilliantly in terms of personal achievement and public success. It is a period that reveals the consequences of how Tom has led his life, especially over the last twenty-nine years.

  In May 2015, there is the progression of Tom’s natal Moon into the feisty competitive sign of Aries, providing a resurgence of courage and self-esteem and an investment of time and energy in new projects, followed in June by returning Saturn positioned at the top of his chart for a second time. Tom should be able to accept the demanding responsibilities and hard work that accompany the opportunities presented now, which are the result of years of his own efforts.

  There is a further period from July to September 2015 that heralds tension – all existing relationships may experience quite fundamental change and it is not beyond possibility that some may end and new ones begin.

  Towards the end of September, Saturn, in a third and final hit, crosses the uppermost point of Tom’s chart, promising a forthcoming period of great productivity. Tom will receive all that he deserves – acknowledgement of his status as a leader in his professional field and as a performer who has contributed his own individual brilliance to the entertainment of millions.

  Madeleine Moore

  February 2015

  Acknowledgements

  One of the delights of writing this book was listening to the music of Tom Jones – revisiting old favourites and discovering new songs for the first time. As I found out more about his fascinating life, the music inspired me. You can’t tire of hearing Tom sing, and Praise and Blame is now firmly established on my favourite CDs shelf.

  Thank you to everyone who helped bring this story to life. I loved my trips to South Wales. Time and time again interviewees told me how much they enjoyed talking about things they hadn’t discussed for many years – sometimes the stories were more than sixty years old. My particular thanks to Gill Beazer, Brian and Mary Blackler, Keith Davies, Donna Gee, Glynis McKenna, Gemma Perry, Tommy and Vimy Pitman, John Scanlon, Kay Tranter, and Tom’s cousin Margaret Sugar and her husband Graham, who brought Laura Street and Cliff Terrace to life for me.

  It’s a small world, because John Scanlon and his lovely wife Denise run the Central Guest House in Treforest, where I stayed. It turned out that not only was the building on the site of the old Central School, but they were also the last steward and stewardess at the Wood Road Non-Political Club before it closed. And John was a pall-bearer at Dai Perry’s funeral.

  From Treforest, I drove over to Swansea for several enjoyable days spent with Vernon Hopkins, the original bassist with The Senators, and his daughter Tara, who proved to be a great help in hunting down people for the book. Good luck with those exciting projects, Vernon.

  The great days of the sixties and the seventies were recalled with affection by Chris Hutchins and Les Reed. Glenna Stone has been a huge help in the US, and I love reading all her posts about her favourite singer. My old friend Kevin O’Sullivan, the best television critic in the country, again offered valuable insight into The Voice.

  Tom is the start of a new era for me. This is my first book for HarperCollins, so it’s been an exciting year. Sincere thanks to publisher Natalie Jerome for inviting me to join the company; editor Kate Latham for overseeing the project with enthusiasm and expertise; editors Simon Gerratt and Mark Bolland, and Dean Russell, who looked after production; Simeon Greenaway for the stunning cover design; Helen McFarland for her essential work researching pictures; and Virginia Woolstencroft for her deft touch with marketing in her role as communications manager.

  Fortunately for me, Team Sean was able to join me. I would be lost without them: my brilliant agent, Gordon Wise, and his assistant at Curtis Brown, Richard Pike; my amazing researcher, Emily-Jane Swanson; Jen Westaway, who transcribed my interviews and somehow made sense of my ramblings; Jo Westaway, for listening patiently while I talked endlessly about the book in the pub; Arianne Burnette, the best copy-editor in the business; and Madeleine Moore, one of my dearest friends, who once more produced a fascinating birth chart.

  You can read more about my books at seansmithceleb.com or follow me on Twitter @seansmithceleb and facebook.com/seansmithcelebbiog.

  Select Bibliography

  Eggar, Robin. Tom Jones: The Biography, Headline, 2000

  Ellis, Lucy and Bryony Sutherland. Tom Jones Close Up, Omnibus Press, 2000

  Hildreth, Stafford and David Gritten. Tom Jones: The Biography, Pan, 2000

  Hopkins, Vernon. Tom Jones: Just Help Yourself, Iponymous, 2012

  Humperdinck, Engelbert. Engelbert: What’s in a Name?, Virgin, 2012

  Jones, Peter. Tom Jones: Biography of a Great Star, Arthur Barker, 1970

  Love, Darlene. My Name Is Love, William Morrow, 2013

  Macfarlane, Colin. Tom Jones: The Boy from Nowhere, W. H. Allen, 1988

  Mitchell, Leanne. Finding My Voice, BBC Books, 2013

  Nash, Alanna. Elvis and the Memphis Mafia, Aurum Press, 2005

  Powell, Don. Pontypridd at War 1939–45, Merton Priory Press, 1999

  Roberts, Chris. Tom Jones: A Life in Pictures, Carlton, 2013

  Savile, Jimmy. Love Is an Uphill Thing, Coronet, 1976

  Schwartz, Bert. Tom Jones, Grosset & Dunlap, 1969

  West, Sonny. Elvis: Still Taking Care of Business, Triumph, 2007

  Wilson, Mary. Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1987

  List of Searchable Terms

  The page numbers in this index relate to the printed version of this book; they do not match the pages of your ebook. You can use the eBook reader’s search tool to find a specific word or passage.

  Aaland Hotel, Bloomsbury 78

  ABC cinema ban (P. J. Proby) 104

  ABC network 146, 155, 156

  Aberfan disaster 124
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  AC/DC 71

  Academy Award nomination 113

  Aero Zip factory 47

  AFL Grand Final, Melbourne 275

  Agnes Browne 229

  ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ 156

  ‘Ain’t That a Lot of Love’ 237

  Ali, Muhammad 195

  ‘All I Get from You Are Heartaches’ 128

  All Saints 235

  Allen, Lily 256

  Allen, Vicky 245

  Allen, Woody 113

  Along Came Jones 111–12

  Altham, Keith 104

  American Green Card 183

  American Music Awards (1995) 218

  Amos, Tori 217

  ‘Angels’ 222

  Animals, The 107, 239

  Anka, Paul 161

  ‘Apache’ 53, 55

  Apollo Theater, Harlem 116

  Apple Studios, London 261

  Archell, Don 204, 276

  ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’ 236

  Art of Noise, The 206–7, 221

  Ashman, Charlie 42

  Asia 71

  Associated Television (ATV) 146

  Atlantic City 227

  ATV 146

  Audience with Tom Jones, An 240

  Babalola, Tunde 256

  ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ 239

  Bacharach, Burt 112–13, 115, 157, 247

  Back to Black 256

  Bad Company 213

  Bag o’ Nails (pub), West End 120

  Bal Paree, Munich 135

  ‘The Ballad of Tom Jones’ 234, 235

  Ballard, Florence 136