Tom is terrific throughout This is Tom Jones, a collection culled from the Welsh singer's late '60s-early '70s ABC television series. Subtitled Rock 'n' Roll Legends, this three-disc set spotlights eight separate episodes (one of which, featuring a performance of "Pinball Wizard" by the Who, is a black & white kinescope). None is complete; judicious (and sometimes not) editing limits the focus to the musical and comedic portions, and that's by and large a good thing. Jones, who was just 28 when the first show aired in February, 1969, displays remarkable versatility, taking on everything from Broadway ("Somewhere," with Leslie Uggams) and torch standards ("Angel Eyes") to stone R&B (Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Turn on Your Lovelight"), soul ("In the Midnight Hour"), pop ("What's New, Pussycat?" and, of course, "It's Not Unusual"), and rock ("Lodi," "Lucille") and doing a credible job on all of it, notwithstanding a patina of Vegas glitz. But the high points come from his partnerships with the titular legends, especially Janis Joplin (their duet on Eddie Floyd's "Raise Your Hand" rocks) and Aretha Franklin (then at the peak of her powers, Aretha is fine on "I Say a Little Prayer," but her volcanic pairing with Jones on "See Saw" and her own, gospel-tinged "Spirit in the Dark" is the undoubted high point of the entire DVD set). Jones also duets with Joe Cocker ("Delta Lady"), Little Richard (a medley of his classics), Stevie Wonder (then on the verge of his '70s creative explosion), and Burt Bacharach; and while appearances by comedians like Peter Sellers, a then-unknown Richard Pryor, Pat Paulsen, the Committee (with Howard Hesseman), and the Ace Trucking Company (with Fred Willard) deliver a few chuckles, in the end, this one's all about the music. Jones introduces each episode with a brief reminiscence; a 2007 interview with the singer is among the scant other bonus material. --Sam Graham
Tom Jones, a man who oozed charisma thanks to his powerhouse voice and slick stage moves, hosted his own weekly musical variety show from 1969 to 1971. This 3 DVD set captures all his swagger and sex appeal. Featuring guest performances from Little Richard, Stevie Wonder, and Aretha Franklin, this set is a collector's treasure. Track Listings:
It's Not Unusual (several versions)
-- Tom Jones
Help Yourself
-- Tom Jones
Kansas City
-- Tom Jones
Danny Boy
-- Tom Jones
Ain't That Good News
-- Tom Jones
I (Who Have Nothing)
-- Tom Jones
What's New Pussycat?
-- Tom Jones
The Look of Love
-- Tom Jones with Burt Bacharach
What the World Needs Now Is Love
-- Tom Jones with Burt Bacharach
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head
-- Tom Jones with Burt Bacharach
Green Grass of Home
-- Tom Jones
Love Me Tonight
-- Tom Jones
Hello Young Lovers
-- Tom Jones
The Rose
-- Tom Jones
Turn on Your Lovelight
-- Tom Jones
Shake
-- Tom Jones
You Came a Long Way from St. Louis
-- Tom Jones
In the Midnight Hour
-- Tom Jones
Land of 1000 Dances
-- Tom Jones
Angel Eyes
-- Tom Jones
She Loves Me
-- Tom Jones
I Got Plenty of Nuttin'
-- Tom Jones
Hard to Handle
-- Tom Jones
Lucille
-- Tom Jones
I'm Coming Home
-- Tom Jones
Lodi
-- Tom Jones
Down On The Corner
-- Tom Jones
Departure/Ride My See-Saw
-- Moody Blues
Those Were The Days
-- Mary Hopkin
Pinball Wizard
-- The Who
Little Girl Blue
-- Janis Joplin
Raise Your Hand
-- Janis Joplin with TJ
We Can Work It Out
-- Leslie Uggams with TJ
Delta Lady
-- Joe Cocker with TJ
The Letter
-- Joe Cocker
Lucille
-- Little Richard
Jenny, Jenny/Rip It Up/Send Me Some Lovin'/Good Golly, Miss Molly
-- Little Richard with TJ
For Once In My Life
-- Stevie Wonder
Thank You Love
-- Stevie Wonder
A Place In The Sun
-- Stevie Wonder with TJ
Up Tight
-- Stevie Wonder
I Say A Little Prayer For You
-- Aretha Franklin
See Saw
-- Aretha Franklin with TJ
Call Me
-- Aretha Franklin
The Party's Over
-- Aretha Franklin with TJ
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