Tom Jones releases ‘One More Cup of Coffee’

Song appears on forthcoming Surrounded By Time

Tom Jones has released a new single “One More Cup Of Coffee” from his forthcoming album Surrounded By Time. Having already shown glimpses of what’s to come with previous singles “Talking Reality Television Blues” and “No Hole In My Head”, the album sees Jones continuing a creative journey which shows little sign of slowing up, delivering a narrative that not only traces an incredible career but also reveals a universal relevance to a diverse contemporary audience. Surrounded By Time will be released on April 23rd via BMG.

Some 44 years after discovering the song, Jones was finally able to work Bob Dylan’s “One More Cup Of Coffee” in the manner he had always imagined it – bringing the right blend of experience, brevity and careworn playfulness to the scenario set out in the original. Putting it into context, Jones explains, “Years ago I was a bit of a tearaway, finding myself in situations and with people I shouldn’t have been with. For me all these years later when I hear the line about going down to the valley below, I don’t just think about the reality of going too far, but also the hangover. I can’t be that person any more but I start singing that song, and I’m right back there.”

Co-produced by Ethan Johns and Mark Woodward, Surrounded By Time marks out new territory with a sonic landscape of outstanding musicianship and a vocal delivery that re-imagines a diverse set of songs of personal importance that have impacted Jones throughout a long, unpredictable but undeniably impressive career.

For an artist such as Sir Tom Jones, with over 100 million record sales to his name, certain milestones loom large over the horizon – and with those milestones come certain expectations. A few years ago, Jones’ record label raised the topic of his 80th birthday coming in June 2020. When you’ve enjoyed 36 Top 40 hits spanning five decades, a new Greatest Hits collection somewhat suggests itself. But after a period of upheaval which saw him come to terms with the loss of his wife Linda of 59 years, and time spent in the hospital with a bacterial infection, Jones’ instinct was not to reflect upon his legacy, but to further extend it.

“You know, I wasn’t so well a couple of years ago. When I came out of hospital, I saw the doctor and he said that, taking my age into account, it was time to slow down. Well, really, that was like a red rag to a bull,” Jones shares.

Having recorded three acclaimed albums with producer Ethan Johns (Laura Marling, Paolo Nutini, Kings Of Leon, Ray Lamontagne), Jones was keen to continue what was already the longest musical association of his career. An avid record collector, there were songs he had set aside for decades, waiting to reach an age at which he would truly be able to do them justice. Here and elsewhere, perhaps the question that determined the shape and feel of Surrounded By Time was this: what if this were to be Tom Jones’ final album? “I hope I get to make several more,” he adds, “But at this point, you really have to make it count.”

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com