Song of the Day 9/16: Tom Jones w/ CSN&Y, “Long Time Gone”
I confess that teenage me was not into watching “This Is Tom Jones,” the variety show the Welsh belter hosted from 1969 to 1971. I was too young to realize that though he found fame and fortune singing what came to be called Adult Contemporary, Jones was a helluva soul singer. Just listen to what he does with David Crosby’s musical response to the RFK assassination.
Of course, it helps that he’s backed by CSN&Y themselves, and they all really get into it. Stephen Stills, on the organ for this song, delivers some great soul singing of his own on the outro — all the more impressive because this was live in the TV studio, though one of the edits makes me think they might have filmed two separate performances.
For a long time I thought this song just reflected Crosby’s paranoia. Now I think it was prophetic.
Great stuff. The guys clearly enjoyed being fronted by a “square,” especially since this square could sing like a mother. Talent is talent. Of course, in hindsight Jones doesn’t seem so square after all. But we were too young to know that then.
I like to watch clips from Jones’ TV show because he had on all the top people of the day as musical guests, from across the musical spectrum.
Biggest revelation of that video for me is Stills’ soul scatting at the end. He’s holding his own with Tom Fucking Jones, which isn’t something many people could do. I’ve never heard him sing that way, or that well, anywhere else.
Jones’ birth name was Thomas Woodward, which isn’t the kind of name (like, say, Mellencamp) that you really have to change. Maybe his manager took one look at how tight his pants were and said, “Anything with ‘wood’ in it is right out.”
Stills goes on in that style for about 10 minutes on one of CSN’s live albums – riffing about “America’s children” or somesuch. Unbearable.
CSN are one of rock’s major disappointments.
Spring of ’69 – “Members of The Byrds, Hollies and Buffalo Springfield are forming a super group!” Wow, three cool groups – we can’t wait!
Fall of ’69 – “Don’t you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express?” Dear God, what have we done to deserve this? Simply terrible.
Jeezus Effin’ Christ!
To steal a phrase from the era, this blows my mind.
Didn’t the same manager suggest the Engelbert Humperdink name change?
Yep, same guy. EH’s birth name: Arnold George Dorsey
that can’t be true
What, that a guy would name himself “Engelbert Humperdinck” on purpose?
yes.
I thought I remembered Casey Kasem telling that story.