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In 1984, Tom Jones made his debut recordings in the now defunct Corndon House Studios in deepest Birkenhead, Merseyside. He covered a range of classics, the power and depth of his voice totally captivating the engineer, David Hughes. Phone numbers were swopped, and soon a tentative meeting was arranged. At that time Jones was a joiner for British Rail, and at night sang in the Liverpool badlands club circuit. The 22 year old Toxteth scally handled it all effortlessly, but he did have countless elder brothers keeping an eye out for him. Hughes in contrast, had recently given up gigging after a worldwide slog with OMD, having previously experienced a turbulent career with 'Dalek I' .He was currently writing soundtracks for seedy movies, and in the back of his mind thought that Jones had the voice of the "Ideal Theme", and so brains were rattled. |
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Early in 1985, songs from the new partnership emerged, and enough money was raised to record a private E.P.at Amazon studios in Liverpool. 1,000 copies were pressed for promotion, but Hughes's recording commitments prevented anything else happening that year. At the next session of writing, 'Fingers and Thumbs' had emerged, and the quality and direction of the track forced them to give the project priority. Management was found, and they enlisted the help of a young fretless bass prodigy, John Murphy. After this bout of recording, everyone was confident enough to do the record company rounds, and a gig at Liverpool 's Berlin Cafe as a trio with backing tape was arranged, advertised simply as "Tom Jones". |
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The time up to signing to CBS in May 1986, was spent in and out of the studio, trying to make a demo that would clinch a deal. Andrew Redhead was lined up as a drummer, and began to contribute in the studio. All four then kept the wolf from the door by performing as backing band to Peter Coyle (ex Lotus Eaters), often also supporting as a trio. It was one of these gigs at the 100 Club in London that finally secured a deal .The next stage was to rehearse a full band, so Paul Thomas was added on sax and Mark Vormawah on guitar and backing vocals. The first concert as a five piece was again at the Cafe Berlin.
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Pre-production for the debut album started, and by the toss of a coin, Pete Smith was selected to co-produce it. He was fresh from Sting's 1st album, although everyone failed to realise the significance of his credit "Production..whatever that means" at the time. Initial recording was interrupted for an audition for 'The Tube',dragging Paul Thomas away from his own wedding in full regalia. This was successful, as was the first mastering sessions, from which emerged 'The Happy Man'. |
Soon discussions turned to stage names, as Tom Jones was, for obvious reasons, unable to be used legally. A band name was rejected, because although Hughes and Jones had signed as a partnership, and the band were contributing more and more, it was obvious that Jones's image would be the focus, and so initially the album was recorded as Tom Cearns, after the road Corndon House Studios was sited upon. Later this was rejected in favour of Thomas Lang, Langford having been one of Tom's family names.
The album was completed by mid '87,and labeled 'Scallywag Jaz' which was the bands own term to describe their music.
To promote the album, the first gig was a showcase at an infamous transvestite bar called Madame Jo Jo's, in Soho. This was followed by a tour supporting Suzanne Vega, signaling a year of hard work, highlighted by a tour of Japan, a residency at Ronnie Scotts, and a performance on TV's 'Wired' (performing 'Fingers & Thumbs').
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In this period two eccentric gigs deserve a mention, one was for the Spanish Royal family, where together with the Barcelona Philharmonic Orchestra and Jazzie B, they were flown to Majorca to perform for some absurdly rich debutante.
The other was a set at the Brecon Jazz festival, an outdoor concert where they completed the gig despite a violent electronic storm, and a drooping canopy forcing them to their knees. Promotion on the album ended with a European tour supporting Alison Moyet, another Japanese jaunt, and a college tour. |
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In the middle of 1988 recording for the second album started, and having conceded to CBS to try various producers, the next year proved a frustrating one, as the band always seemed to work better without outside interference. Changes within CBS itself made life even harder, resulting in 'Little Moscow' being hastily recorded in Liverpool, with little help from the record company. The album was quietly released in early 1990,with a short UK tour to promote it. Both albums had been highly acclaimed and Thomas Lang had gone a long way to establish an important, and lasting career.
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Above text taken from
Music, Machevelli & the Lost Letter Z - (A Biography)
Originally produced by the Thomas Lang Database |
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