http://www.macon.com/231/story/465807.html

Tom Jones to release 1st album in US in 15 years

By JAKE COYLE - AP Entertainment Writer

After 15 years without a new album in the U.S., Tom Jones will release a disc of almost entirely original material this fall.

The 68-year-old singer will release "24 Hours" on Nov. 25 on S-Curve Records. It's a retro-tinged album much in the style of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" that finds the Welshman's voice as strong as ever.

"The fire is still in me," Jones told The Associated Press in a recent interview, speaking by phone from his home in Los Angeles. "Not to be an oldie, but a goodie. I want to be a contender."

The disc was produced by British production duo Future Cat, who have cut tracks for Lily Allen, Kate Nash and others. With backing horns and an almost Stax Records kind of soul, the sound is distinctly retro.

"We've been thinking about this for a while, doing a retro sound but new," said Jones. "And Amy Winehouse, she cracked it. When that album came out, my son called me right away and said, 'You know what we've been talking about? Listen to this.'"

Since he released the hit "It's Not Unusual" in 1965, Jones has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. While his 2000 album "Reload" was a hit in Europe and elsewhere (buoyed by the club hit "Sex Bomb"), it was never released in the U.S. - which Jones calls "a shame."

"The hits that I've had recently have all been European," he said. "I've had a lot of success worldwide, which is a pain because I live here and I do most of my shows in America. ... Hopefully this will straighten that out."

Jones, who regularly performs in Las Vegas, believes his voice hasn't aged - thanks partly to his careful treatment of it; he takes a humidifier with him traveling to keep his throat from drying. Jones even believes his lower registers have gotten richer.

"I wanted my voice to sound as natural as possible," Jones said of the album. "The arrangements and the production needs to be modern, but the vocal needs to sound like me."

There are two covers on the album - Bruce Springsteen's "The Hitter" and "I'm Alive" by Tommy James and the Shondells - but the rest Jones either co-wrote or collaborated with the songwriters. Bono and the Edge of U2 guest on the song "Sugar Daddy."

"I love doing the songs that I've had success with and the audience keeps those alive," Jones said. "But I love moving on."

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[bigred]CD[/bigred]

Music icon Tom Jones returns with his first album of new material to be released in the United States in over 15 years. [title]24 Hours[/title] represents another milestone for Tom Jones; from interpreting a classic Bruce Springsteen track (The Hitter) to writing and working alongside the likes of Bono and The Edge (Sugar Daddy).

Utilizing modern day producing maestros, Future Cut (Lily Allen), Tom Jones' "24 Hours" showcases the best of what has made him a legend. From the pulsing first single, If He Should Ever Leave You, to the soaring I'm Alive; from the reflective title track to the emotional depths of The Hitter, Tom Jones delivers one of the most powerful albums of his career.

Having sold over 100 million albums throughout his career and still touring and performing over 200 days out of the year, Tom Jones brings his best to this latest recording and shows why he remains at the top of his craft after 40 years.

1. I'm Alive 3:37
2. If He Should Ever Leave You 3:30
3. We Got Love 2:58
4. Give A Little Love 2:59
5. The Road 4:02
6. In Style And Rhythm 3:22
7. Sugar Daddy 3:38
8. Seasons 4:12
9. Never 3:56
10. The Hitter 6:30
11. Seen That Face 4:19
12. 24 Hours 3:54
13. More Than Memories 3:57

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001G5SDA2/?tag=imwan-20

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[bigred]MP3 (Amazon Exclusive)[/bigred]

The Amazon exclusive edition of the MP3 album includes the bonus track "Feels Like Music".

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001L28QPW/?tag=imwan-20

Great news! I really like Tom's Reloaded: Greatest Hits, especially the newer tracks from his Reload album that wasn't released in America. His voice has remained strong over the decades, and he's not afraid to try anything. This should be one to look out for.

Jim

Reminds me of Amy Winehouse's Frank cover...

Here's the press release:

Parlophone / S-Curve are proud to announce the return of legendary singer Tom Jones with perhaps the defining album of his career; [title]24 Hours[/title]. Intimate, personal, moving and full of fire this is the first time Tom has had a major hand in the songwriting - and the result is a work of revelation from one of the biggest-selling artists of all time.

"It's all very well just singing songs," says Tom, "but for this record I really wanted to get properly personal. I've been getting reflective recently, looking over my journey through life, and I wanted to get that down on song. This time I wanted to make something that was all about me, my stories, my life. In other words, you listen to this album and you get the real me."

`24 Hours' was recorded in Los Angeles throughout last year, and was produced in the main by Future Cut, the drum `n' bass outfit who have previously worked with Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascal, Estelle and Kate Nash. While the production references the impassioned cinematic classics of his early career mixed with a current cross-genre template, the performances deliver the unique power and iconic sound of Jones' voice as he sings the tale of a mature man who has lived it large and full. The collection includes the sophisticated soul of first single `If He Should Ever Leave You', the shirt button-popping cover of the Tommy James and the Shondells classic `I'm Alive', the cool Latin beats of `Style and Rhythm', the raw, contemporary statement that is `Feels Like Music' and the pop genius of `Give A Little Love'.

However `24 Hours' is much deeper than the upbeat pop blasts described above. One song that perfectly encapsulates the intimate tone of so much of this record is `The Road', a wonderfully impassioned ballad about man's one true love, Tom's voice filling every note until it comes close to cracking. Meanwhile Tom's version of Bruce Springsteen's `The Hitter' is remarkable, the sad tale of a boxer on his last legs, Tom conveying the man's broken resolve with a sense of drama redolent of Richard Burton at his Shakespearean best.

This air of reflection continues with perhaps the album's pivotal moment, a song called `Seasons' in which he confronts his past with an unflinching eye. "There's a reason for passing time," he sings. "These are the seasons of my life." And the sense that this is an historic Tom Jones album, one that brings the true substance, grit, strength and age of the man is best exemplified by the title track itself; a spine-tingling gaze into the abyss, delivered with sublime gravitas.

I'll have to squeeze in this album next month. This is one new release I need to hear right away!

Bump: added MP3 album details to the first post. This is an Amazon exclusive edition with a bonus track.