On 'Surrounded By Time,' Tom Jones Goes Beyond Simply Covering Others' Songs

XPN | By Kimberly Junod,

Published May 21, 2021 at 12:22 PM PDT

Whatever you do, do not call Tom Jones' latest album a "covers album." More than that, Surrounded By Time is Jones' 41st studio album. It is also the fourth in a string of records produced by Ethan Johns, wherein Jones reinterprets the music of a wide variety of artists. His son, Mark Woodward, also joins as a producer on the new album.

Tom Jones explains how they made Surrounded By Time and how his process is different from simply covering songs. Jones also takes us back to the very early days of his childhood, a period when he had to be in quarantine.

Kimberly Junod

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Raina Douris

Raina Douris, an award-winning radio personality from Toronto, Ontario, comes to World Cafe from the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), where she was host and writer for the daily live, national morning program Mornings on CBC Music. She was also involved with Canada's highest music honors: hosting the Polaris Music Prize Gala from 2017 to 2019, as well as serving on the jury for both that award and the Juno Awards. Douris has also served as guest host and interviewer for various CBC Music and CBC Radio programs, and red carpet host and interviewer for the Juno Awards and Canadian Country Music Association Awards, as well as a panelist for such renowned CBC programs as Metro Morning, q and CBC News.

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