What Was the Last U.S. Top-40 Hit by Tom Jones?

Tom Jones has proven time and again how a non-writing artist can put their stamp of identity on anything they record. His ability to interpret a wide range of material, from lighthearted pop songs to dramatic ballads, served him well through pop music’s winds of change.

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But the interpretation Jones delivered for what’s turned out to be his last U.S. Top-40 hit (to date) was one that no one saw coming. Here’s how the Welsh legend rose again by taking on an iconic R&B song with the help of some inventive collaborators.

Jonesing for Another Hit

Ironically enough, it was the shift in U.S. musical tastes toward more of an R&B-based sound, via funk and disco, that made Jones’ style of brassy pop seem somewhat obsolete as the ‘70s progressed. After hitting No. 2 in America with “She’s a Lady” in 1971, Jones scored just one Top-20 song stateside for the rest of the decade.

Sensing he was fighting an uphill battle, Jones shifted his attention to country music for the first half of the ‘80s. He did well enough, but it certainly seemed like his pop-hit days were behind him, at least in the United States.

Later in the decade, he made an appearance on a British television show where he sang a song that had recently been a huge hit for one of the most iconic artists of the era. It was a fateful performance, because a pair of individuals were watching that day who would work with Jones and help him alter the trajectory of his career.

Noise Interruption

The individuals in question were Anne Dudley and J.J. Jeczalik, who at that time were the sole remaining numbers of the UK outfit Art of Noise. Originally a collection of musicians who aided Trevor Horn in his productions, they were known for their trailblazing work in concocting songs out of synthesizers, samples, and manufactured rhythms.

And the song Jones performed that day: “Kiss,” a smash 1986 single by Prince. Dudley and Jeczalik asked if Jones would be interested in recording the song with Art of Noise providing the musical foundation.

Art of Noise then did what they did best, assembling a track that first stripped the song to its barest elements, and then adding unexpected pieces and frills to transform it. In their version of “Kiss,” the backbeat changes from verse to verse, while horns swirl about in unpredictable fashion. There are even sly musical references to past Art of Noise songs in the instrumental break.

Tom Takes It Home

Meanwhile, Jones takes “Kiss” to an entirely different place than Prince did. Where Prince’s vocal contained hints of angst and anguish, Jones attacks the song with good-natured enthusiasm and gusto. His iconic interjection before the break (I think I better dance now) captures the spirit of this entire undertaking.

Jones version of “Kiss” with Art of Noise put him in the Top 10 in countries all over the world. And while it didn’t do quite that well in the United States, it at least squeaked into the Top 40 at No. 37. An accompanying video gave Jones a shot of exposure to a whole new fan base.

One other side effect of “Kiss”: it seemed to permanently end his flirtation with country and put Jones back in the pop lane. As his career progressed, he took a lesson from the song. He’d offer his interpretations of other monumental pop and rock songwriters on a series of albums that earned Jones some of the finest reviews of his illustrious career.

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