Island's vice-president calls Tom Jones’ new blues and gospel album a “sick joke” in a leaked email.
Island signed the Welsh legend to a multi-million dollar contract in October 2009 and he is set to release his first album for them, Praise And Blame, on July 26.But a leaked email from Island vice-president David Sharpe reveals a furious label boss who questioned whether Jones' pious new sound was "a sick joke".
According to the Telegraph, Sharpe wrote the email in May after hearing the new songs around the office, initially thinking they were for a Christmas album.
After discovering it was Jones' new album he raged, "We did not invest a fortune in an established artist for him to deliver 12 tracks from the common book of prayer [sic]. Having lured him from EMI, the deal was that you would deliver a record of upbeat tracks along the lines of Sex Bomb and Mama Told Me..."
He continued: "Please don't give me the art over commerce argument, it's run its course...what are you thinking when he went all spiritual?"
Jones reportedly switched tack from his hairy-chested lothario image due to advice from his son and manager Mark in an effort to avoid ridicule. Jones told WalesOnline on July 4, "You see, in my head I'm still 25 and he made me aware of things I'd not considered before, about who the real me was."
His management had not heard about Sharpe's opinion until the recent leak.
Sharpe reportedly remained unapologetic. He said, "Parts of this record company wanted to deliver an album for the typical Tom Jones fan and I don't know if that is what we got. Shall we say we've paid for a Mercedes - we've got the hearse that's arrived."
