Tom Jones the Musical The One - Mark Brown

Tom Jones the Musical Demo Sessions

Last week the other week I wrote about the amazing recording sessions we had in NYC for my new musical Tom Jones the Musical. This is the first post about the incredible LA recording session.

The One

I think “The One” is the second song I wrote for Tom Jones. (The first being “Harlot Jenny Jones”). It’s the third song of the show, when we first meet our lovers – Tom Jones and Sophie Western.

Tom is out in a field snogging with Molly, a casual snogging friend. Sophie appears and Tom and Sophie, pretending not to see the other, sing about their love for each other. Sort of awkward with Molly there.

Deedee Magno Hall

I defy anyone to find something bad to say about Deedee Magno Hall. She’s the sweetest woman in the world. We met a few years ago when my daughter and she were in a production of The Who’s Tommy at East West Players. (She played my daughter’s mother. My daughter played 10-year old Tommy). Deedee quickly became a dear friend.

Deedee was in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon and the national tour of both Wicked and If/Then. Years ago she was in the All New Mickey Mouse Club, but she’s perhaps best known as the voice of Pearl in Steven Universe. Yeah, that’s right. Pearl! She’s been nominated six times for the BTVA Voice Acting Awards and has won:

Best Vocal Ensemble in a Television Series
Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Television Series – Comedy/Musical
Best Vocal Cast in a Television Series

Not shabby at all.

Cliffton Hall

Cliffton is the other half of the world’s nicest couple. He was also in The Who’s Tommy at East West Players (he played Tommy’s father). And he and Deedee have worked together in the Broadway production of Miss Saigon and the national tour of both Wicked and If/Then. Cliffton is an amazing singer and a wonderful friend.

Tom Jones – The Musical

Here’s a brief synopsis of the show and what I’m doing with it.

In this thrilling adventure of the heart, Tom Jones, a charming young man of questionable birth and the ward of Squire Allworthy, is madly in love with Sophie Western and she with him. But when Sophie’s father arranges for her to marry Squire Allworthy’s loathsome and devious nephew, Blifil, she swears her undying love to Tom and flees for her life. Tom goes in search of Sophie, but hot on his heels are Sophie’s father, Sophie’s aunt, Squire Allworthy and Blifil, who are all in search of Sophie as well.

Set against this madcap story is music inspired by that frenzied mop-top-led era of music of the 1960s known as the British Invasion. Think The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, the Dave Clark Five, the Hollies, the Animals, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield and of course—Tom Jones. It was a time of catchy, top-of-the-pop-chart songs that had everyone from London to New York City hitting the dance floor to do the Jerk, the Pony, the Shimmy and the Mashed Potato. Aristocrats, wenches and scalawags abound in this bawdy and rollicking romp through the back roads and bedchambers of England.