Tonight I was in the kitchen cutting up a watermelon and whistling … “Jeremiah was a bullfrog … was a good friend of mine … I never {cough, cough} understood a single word he said, but I {cough, cough, cough} helped him drink his wine.”  And so I knew I had my song for tonight.  Until … I found that I had played it recently, so there went that idea out the window at 3:00 a.m.!  So, instead of “Joy to the World” you get Tom Jones!  I’m sure Clive will be grateful … or maybe not, but he would have cringed at Jeremiah!

This was written by the classical music arranger and conductor Les Reed along with Tom Jones’ manager Gordon Mills. They wrote it for the British singer Sandie Shaw, but she turned it down. Tom Jones saw the song’s potential, recorded it, and it became his first hit single.

“I did the demo on this song when it was being offered to Sandie Shaw. I was just starting out and, God bless her, she said: ‘Whoever’s singing this, it’s his song.’  Finding great new songs is never easy, and back in those days, finding one that would fit me – the way I felt and sang anyway – was difficult. I’m indebted to Sandie for being so generous.”

Tom Jones’ real name is Thomas Jones Woodward. Early on, manager Gordon Mills suggested the name Tom Jones and secured him a deal with Decca. After a succession of hit singles in the UK and US he moved to California in 1969, performing regularly in Las Vegas.

In 2006 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to music.  His personal life has been … um … shall we just say “interesting” and leave it at that.  By the way … the header photo is Tom Jones, then and now.

It’s Not Unusual
Tom Jones

It’s not unusual to be loved by anyone
It’s not unusual to have fun with anyone
But when I see you hanging about with anyone
It’s not unusual to see me cry,
I wanna die

It’s not unusual to go out at any time
But when I see you out and about it’s such a crime
If you should ever wanna be loved by anyone,
It’s not unusual it happens every day
No matter what you say
You’ll find it happens all the time
Love will never do what you want it to
Why can’t this crazy love be mine?

It’s not unusual to be mad with anyone
It’s not unusual to be sad with anyone
But if I ever find
That you’ve changed at anytime
It’s not unusual to find that I’m in love with you