I mean DAYUM, virtually every person who listens to TJ's version say it's a more 'manly, danceable' version and much better than the original. Please no one on here agrees right?

Because they have absolutely no discernable taste in music?

My boss is one of those ppl. We were out doing rounds one day and Kiss came on the radio and he was really diggin' it but then he was like, "HEY, you know who does a better version?! TOM JONES. Much better singer than Prince."

I was just like, "Uhhh, riiiight. "

Then he continued trying to sing. In faslsetto.

prince's 12" version knocks out all the covers...though, a) i like to think of it as the "art of noise" version rather than the "tom jones" version, and b) a relatively obscure new wave band called age of chance did what i think is the coolest cover version of "kiss" thus far. i dunno if their video for it is on youtube, but i like it far better than the AON/tom jones cover.

Anx said:

Yeah, over the years the Art of Noise have got pushed out of the picture, though I have heard Tom say he was already performing it regular in Vegas and wanted to record it but the record companies didn't think it fit him! After that single came out and was a huge success, it allowed him to record more varied stuff, so in a very real sense that song resurrected his career.

I'm sure I remember a short-lived show that Tom Jones hosted (I think on the bbc) where he chatted with fellow singers, someone asked him what he thought of Prince and he said he thought he a fantastic musician and song-writer, but that he didn't think much of his voice! I've never forgiven Tom for that, I don't think Tom has the range of Prince at all, all Tom's song have that same belted-out Welsh-choir wannabe-black-soulsinger sound to them I reckon.

What's the 12" version like?
What additional instrumentation does it have?

I don't know if I like it better...I just think it is really funny how he sings it...he kinda sounds like William Shattner! Tom Jones is really sexy btw too...

Do you know that the opening song to the Kim Basinger movie "My stepmother's an alien" was his version? Prince connection!

mikek1 said:

Are you kiddin?! Only one of Prince's best 12" ever! The first part is the normal song, then it continues with lots of extra lyrics based around a drum sound and a synth burst. Random shout outs like "Everybody will have short hair - next" and "Ten toes going up, ten toes going down". Best bit though is a conversation between Soul (Prince) and some woman on a couch watching TV watching... Prince. The first time Soul is really into it, she is saying he looks like a freak, then they come back to them at the end and now the woman is really into Prince.

Tom Jones and Art of Noise. 2 ways to remove all the sexiness from a Prince song.

Nobody can 'Kiss' better than Prince!

What!? I don't even know anybody who has heard Tom Jones' version

Krystal666 said:

Krystal, I usually agree with you on the "he's so sexy" posts but NOT today!!!

Every time I hear this I want to

I like both. and I also think of "Art of Noise" cover rather than "Tom Jones" cover. The fact that AON had Tom Jones do the vocal adds 2 the camp factor, which I love.

Tom Jones is a disgusting, womanising, sleazy, sings like he's completely out of breath, Welsh cunt! He destroyed that song and anyone who thinks it is even 'ok' is a moron. If i saw him across the street i would run over and punch the fucker in the face

I read an interview with "Art of Noise" in 1988 where they said Dance On could have beenthe best song Prince had ever put out if it didn't sound like the beat was to a different song.... those fools are idiots.

Today's trivia...


Tom Jones and Prince were both born on June 7th.

Everybody's entitled to their own opinion I guess but there's nothing as good as the original, Prince!

Tom Jones just doesn't get it. His vocals are all loud and blustery all the way through it. Prince's original takes it's time with his delicate falsetto building into a rip-roaring scream of a finale. There's a progression there during P's which engages the listener. TJ's version is flat an uninteresting.

Princes' vocal is genuinely sexy, Jones' sounds like he's trying too hard. Or some old fella doing a bad karaoke turn.

It's horrible his version, always was.

Tom Jones can't sing worth a shit!

Kiss is like my fave P song of all time (other than Te Amo Corazon) For Tom to sing it is an abomanation! Prince should beat the hell outta Tom for singing that song.


And Prince has better chest hair too!

I never understood that, but I like prince's "the original" better. I like Tom Jones but not a good cover.

wonder if Nicole Kidman & Hugh Jackman's version will b any better?
[Edited 10/12/06 6:35am]

I know this reason kinda sucks (so call it an excuse) but many people prefer Tom Jones because he's a boring crooner.

Also on the karaoke, people can do better Tom Jones impressions than Prince though i stay true 2 Prince when trying that (hence not having a voice 4 the following week.

My friend played "Kiss" by Tom Jones at my dance practise and I asked if the others knew who's song that really was, and none of them knew it's Prince's song!

FruitToAttractBears said:

That must have been horrific!

people actually like tom's version?

Are these people drinking heavily while listening?


ARE THEY F***** CRAZY!!!??? EVEN I KNOW I DON"T SOUND BETTER THAN PRINCE!!!

emmi said:

How old were they?

kpowers said:

Well between 15-22 so not exactly the target audience anymore, but at least one of them should've known
[Edited 10/13/06 0:55am]