Time Life Announces Debut of This Is Tom Jones on DVD

May 2, 2007 – What’s new pussycat? Tom Jones on DVD—that’s what’s new. One of the greatest and most influential music-variety television series of the last 40 years is coming to home video for the first time, as Time Life Video debuts This Is Tom Jones. The trendsetting television series stars the Welsh-born Jones, along with a variety of rock, pop and soul greats. This Is Tom Jones originally aired on ABC from 1969-1971 with 57 episodes. Rock ‘N’ Roll Legends contains performances by The Who, Moody Blues, Janis Joplin, Little Richard, Stevie Wonder, Joe Cocker and Aretha Franklin, along with cutting edge comedy by the likes of Richard Pryor, Peter Sellers and Pat Paulson. This Is Tom Jones: Rock ‘N’ Roll Legends arrives in stores for $39.99SRP on June 26, and includes nearly two hours of bonus material, featuring on-camera introductions to each episode and a new, in-depth interview with Jones.

Network television needed a healthy dose of youthful sex appeal and swagger in the late ‘60s. Enter Welshman Tom Jones, a man who oozed charisma thanks to his powerhouse voice and exciting stage moves. Jones was 28 years old when he hosted the first season of “This Is Tom Jones.” Initially shot in London and later filmed in both Hollywood and London, the program attracted the biggest stars of the day – Jones’ peers. He’d won a Grammy®, sold millions of records, and appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” as well as at the top venues from New York City to Las Vegas. But unlike the majority of TV hosts, Jones belonged to the rock ‘n’ roll generation.

The guest artists on This Is Tom Jones read like a Classic Rock dream list. The Tommy-era Who unleash “Pinball Wizard” a mere few months after the release of Tommy (Keith Moon’s maniacal glaring at the camera alone is worth the price of admission!). From psychedelic (the Moody Blues’ “Ride A See-Saw”) to blue-eyed soul (Joe Cocker & the Grease Band’s version of “The Letter”), the show delivered. Jones trades verses with Cocker on “Delta Lady” and with Janis Joplin on the R&B classic “Raise Your Hand.” Tom also performs his own hits, “It’s Not Unusual,” “What’s New Pussycat?” and “Help Yourself.” Unlike other TV variety shows from the same time period, sections of This Is Tom Jones were shot as a concert, with Jones and guests very close to the audience, for a truly live feel.

The son of a coal miner from South Wales, Tom Jones dropped out of school when he was 15 and was married and a father at 16. After playing in clubs in both Wales and London he was signed to Decca Records in 1964 at the age of 24. As he said in the exclusive interview done for this DVD collection, “as far back as I can remember I always sang. My mother says I could sing before I could walk. Apparently I was crawling around on the floor singing.” Jones’ second single for Decca, “It’s Not Unusual” was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and set Jones on a course of hit-making that has continued throughout his career. In the year 2000, forty years on from his first success, Jones remarkably achieved his biggest sales hit ever with the album Reload. In 2006, Tom Jones became Sir Thomas Jones Woodward as he was knighted by the Queen of England; shortly afterward he released his latest single “Stoned in Love.” He continues to record and tour throughout 2007.

THIS IS TOM JONES: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL LEGENDS
Release Date: June 26, 2007
Pre-Order Date: May 22, 2007
Item Number: M19269
List Price: $39.99 SRP
Running Time: 5 Hours
Rating: N/R

DISC 1

FEBRUARY 7, 1969
It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
Help Yourself – Tom Jones
Departure; Ride My See-Saw – The Moody Blues
Comedy Sketch – Richard Pryor
Those Were the Days – Mary Hopkin
Comedy Sketch – Peter Sellers
The Concert: Kansas City – Tom Jones
Danny Boy – Tom Jones

APRIL 18, 1969
It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
Hello Young Lovers – Tom Jones
Comedy Sketch – Pat Paulsen
Pinball Wizard – The Who
The Rose – Tom Jones
The Concert: Turn on Your Lovelight – Tom Jones
Shake – Tom Jones

SEPTEMBER 25, 1970
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
Comedy Sketch – The Ace Trucking Company
Dramatic Sketch – Anne Bancroft
Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head – Tom Jones with Burt Bacharach & Big Jim Sullivan
Comedy Sketch – Anne Bancroft with Tom Jones
The Concert (medley): I’ll Never Fall in Love Again/Green,Green Grass of Home/Love Me Tonight/ It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones

*Special Bonus Material-- Exclusive Tom Jones interview videotaped on February 11, 2007 in Los Angeles

DISC 2

DECEMBER 4, 1969
It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
You Came a Long Way From St. Louis – Tom Jones (Glen Campbell intro)
Comedy Sketches – The Committee
Little Girl Blue – Janis Joplin
Comedy Sketch – The Committee with Tom Jones
Raise Your Hand – Janis Joplin with Tom Jones
The Concert: In the Midnight Hour – Tom Jones
Danny Boy – Tom Jones
Land of 1000 Dances – Tom Jones

FEBRUARY 19, 1970
It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
We Can Work It Out – Tom Jones (Leslie Uggams intro)
Delta Lady – Joe Cocker and the Grease Band with Tom Jones
Angel Eyes – Tom Jones with Johnnie Spence
The Letter – Joe Cocker and the Grease Band
The Concert: She Loves Me – Tom Jones

NOVEMBER 27, 1969
It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’ -- Tom Jones
Comedy Sketch – The Ace Trucking Company with Tom Jones
Lucille – Little Richard
Comedy Sketch – The Ace Trucking Company
Medley: Jenny, Jenny/Rip It Up/Send Me Some Lovin’/ Good Golly, Miss Molly – Little Richard with Tom Jones
Comedy Sketch – The Ace Trucking Company
The Concert: I’m Coming Home – Tom Jones

DISC 3

APRIL 25, 1969
It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
Medley: For Once in My Life/Thank You Love – Stevie Wonder
Comedy Sketch – Pat Paulsen
Medley: A Place in the Sun/Uptight (Everything’s Alright)/It’s Not Unusual/Nothing’s Too Good For My Baby -- Stevie Wonder with Tom Jones
The Concert: Lucille – Tom Jones

OCTOBER 9, 1970
Ain’t That Good News -- Tom Jones
I Say a Little Prayer – Aretha Franklin
Comedy Sketch – The Ace Trucking Company
Comedy Sketch – Bob Hope Medley: It’s Not Unusual/See Saw/Spirit in the Dark – Aretha Franklin with Tom Jones
Comedy Sketches – The Ace Trucking Company
The Party’s Over – Aretha Franklin with Tom Jones
The Concert: Lodi – Tom Jones

APRIL 26, 1970
It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
Comedy Sketch – Robert Klein
The Concert: Down on the Corner – Tom Jones

SOURCE Time Life