The Janis Joplin guest performance on This Is Tom Jones aired in the U.S. on December 4, 1969
We’ve previously posted Classic Videos of Tom Jones performing with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and a teenaged Stevie Wonder.
So no surprise, then, that we’d post another clip from the Welsh singer’s vintage This Is Tom Jones variety series which ran in the U.S. from 1969-1971. The show grabbed a youthful audience eager to see rock stars such as The Who, Joe Cocker, Donovan and the Hollies, while their parents enjoyed guests like Paul Anka, Robert Goulet and Bob Hope.
Jones, who hails from Wales, was a huge star at the time with a string of hits from 1965’s “It’s Not Unusual” and “What’s New, Pussycat?” through 1966’s “Green, Green Grass of Home” and 1967’s “Delilah.” In 1969, he was just 29 and at his commercial peak.
One of the coolest parts of these clips is watching Jones perform with some of the biggest names in what is now known as classic rock.
On December 4, 1969, one of his guests was the great Janis Joplin and the two sang a duet on “Raise Your Hand” which Joplin had featured in her set at Woodstock earlier that year.
Watch the energy level rise in our Classic Video from This Is Tom Jones
Jones returned to the top of the pop charts in 2000 with the hit “Sex Bomb.” He still tours regularly and when he does, tickets are available here and here. His recordings are available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here. Joplin’s music is available here.
When he turned 80 on June 7, 2020, he wrote, in part, “It’s a great feeling to hit this milestone. I’ve been blessed with so many extraordinary experiences and have had the privilege of meeting and working with outstanding, talented and inspiring people across many generations.
“It’s amazing when I think about it! To have a life in music, along with love, family, friends, and the most loyal fans throughout the years – who have allowed me to continue to record and tour the world for over fifty years, is truly an honour.”
Related: Listings for 100s of classic rock tours
5 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationThese two powerhouses are incredible together. And while the Kosmic Blues Band does a terrific job of backing them in this number, and in playing in general, they never were really the right fit for Janis. Maybe too funky, I can’t quite put my finger on it. But they always seemed to be fighting her musically — not enough space for that voice. Conversely, as great a the Full-Tilt Boogie Band was, and as much as Janis loved them, their sound, in my opinion, was just too smooth and produced-sounding. She was never as good as she was with Big Brother And The Holding Company, rough cobbs though they were. I loved their background vocals with Janis, and no other band supplied that, which was a significant missing element, in her last two LPs.
I’ve always loved Janis and her soulful voice since I was a little girl.
What an amazing combination of voices and energy.. and dancers in the background! That is really how we danced back then. At least I did! And now I almost walking with a cane!
Looks like the Kozmic Blues band, no?
Couldn’t disagree more. Big Brother was not a very good band, out of tune half the time. They held her back. The band on Pearl is my favorite. Janis went from being a blues belter to an R&B singer and for me that was an improvement, not that any of her stuff is bad.