Sydney Recording Studios: With a new solo career, the artist changed his name to Tom Jones at the direction of Mills, who was inspired by the 1963 Albert Finney film. Decca Records signed Jones, but his first single, “Chills and Fever,” didn’t catch on. However, his second single, the groovy, carefree “It’s Not Unusual,” peaked at No. 1 on the British charts in 1965 and was an American top 10 hit.
With success came a U.S. appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Throughout the latter half of the 1960s, Jones had an array of hit singles, including “Once Upon a Time,” “With These Hands,” “Green, Green Grass of Home” (a no. 1 hit in the U.K.), “Detroit City,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love,” “I’m Coming Home,” “Delilah” and “Help Yourself.”
Jones also became part of the cultural landscape via his soundtrack work. Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote the theme song for the 1965 comedy What’s New Pussycat?, a track which Jones performed amidst five out-of-sync pianos. That same year, Jones was also heard singing “Thunderball,” the top 40 title track of the James Bond film of the same name. The crooner later sang the theme song to the 1966 Warren Beatty comedy “Promise Her Anything.” That same year he won a Grammy for Best New Artist.
Sydney Recording Studios: ‘This Is Tom Jones’
From 1969 to 1971, Jones starred in his own TV show, This Is Tom Jones, which was based in America and aired in both the U.S. and Great Britain. He also released one of his most iconic hits, 1971’s “She’s a Lady,” a track which reached no. 2 on the American charts though lyrically out of step with the feminist movement. Jones spent much of the 1970s setting up shop in Las Vegas, hanging out with Elvis Presley, touring and launching a record label, MAM Records, with his manager. Later in the decade he had modest success in America with the top 20 single “Say You’ll Stay Until Tomorrow,” but his presence on the stateside charts was coming to an end.
