Friday, February 10th 2012

News:  Tom Jones

Hear Tom Jones’ Jack White-Produced ‘Evil’ Cover

By Jason Shane

Jack White continues to pull together an eclectic lot for Third Man Records’ Blue Series, this time calling on legendary Welsh crooner Tom Jones to cover Evil, a Chicago blues standard written by one legendary blues man (Willie Dixon) and made famous by another (Howlin’ Wolf). Rest assured: this is not She’s A Lady or It’s Not Unusual.

The Third Mans website describes the Blue Series, a unique venture of White’s:

“Singers and bands that are traveling through Nashville, are invited to stop by to record one or two songs at Third Man Studio to be produced by Jack White.  The songs are then, as soon as possible, made available on 7” vinyl and digitally on itunes. The cover photos are taken in third man’s “blue room” photo studio/live venue.”

Before Jones made his way to the Music City, White produced Blue Series releases by the likes of all-female “garage-goth” quartet The Black Belles, psychedelic punk duo JEFF The Brotherhood, “Queen of Rockabilly” Wanda Jackson, bluegrass mandolinist Chris Thile, and even Stephen Colbert.

Although the release won’t be available commercially until March 5, White and company started streaming Evil on Thursday. Jones does his best blues man growl, but it’s still distinctively him. This standard is ramped up a notch with horns blaring over driving rhythm and blues riffs that would make Muddy Waters proud. The song’s Blues Brothers feel hits overdrive when the piano kicks in after about three minutes, leading into an extended blues jam outro with plenty of swagger. Check it out:

And here’s Howlin’ Wolf’s raw and dirty original:

Jones’ cover of Evil is slated for release March 5 on Third Man both digitally and on 7” vinyl, and you’ll be able to pick it up here. The B-side is another cover (Jezebel, originally made famous in 1951 by hit-maker Frankie Laine).