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| 3/11/2010 |
Tom Jones' Pre-Fame Unemployment Records Unearthed
Forty-five years ago today Tom Jones logged his first number one UK hit single with "It's Not Unusual." But Britain's "Telegraph" says unemployment documents dating back to the singer's pre-fame days indicate it was pretty unusual to see Jones working. In the early 1960s he was on Britain's Unemployment Register, or UR, and officials at the South Wales facility didn't exactly sing his praises. The updates on his employment progress date back to 1961, and show that Jones was focused on a singing career -- and little else. The employment agency's notes on Jones are now headed to the auction block. The collection of cards will be sold at a UK auction taking place in Ludlow, Shropshire on April 15th.
The cards show that officials weren't impressed with Jones' musical aspirations. In December 1963 one official noted Jones, quote, "does not want shift work," and speculated this was because he was in a band -- which the official called a "little hobby." The official suggested this "hobby" was behind Jones', quote, "non enthusiasm in securing employment," and added, quote, "Consider and submit as soon as possible to anything which wouldn't dirty his fingernails!" A few months later Jones told them his group was working on a record deal, which officials seemed to mock in their reports. The final update on Jones, from July 1964, reads, quote, "Claimant showed me a letter from Decca Studios confirming a recording session had been arranged. He has been talking about 'going professional' since April but he is still signing the UR and not autograph books." But Jones is getting the last laugh. Nearly 50 years later he can look back on a successful music career during which he has sold 100-million records. |
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