In 1969, Tom Jones was just 29 years old, but his voice already carried the power and confidence of a seasoned entertainer. When he stepped onto the stage of This Is Tom Jones and launched into “Treat Her Right,” he showed television audiences something beyond the romantic ballads that had made him famous. This was Tom Jones at his energetic best: moving with the rhythm, commanding the stage, and delivering a performance that made it nearly impossible to sit still.
By that time, the Welsh-born singer, whose real name was Thomas John Woodward, had already established himself as one of the most recognizable voices in popular music. Songs such as “It’s Not Unusual,” “Green, Green Grass of Home,” and “Delilah” had introduced millions of listeners to his powerful vocals and unmistakable style. His voice could express tenderness, longing, and heartbreak, yet it could also explode with energy when the music demanded something different.
And “Treat Her Right” demanded exactly that.
Originally written by Roy Head and Gene Kurtz, the song became a major hit in 1965, reaching No. 2 on the American charts. Built around a driving rhythm, punchy horns, and a lively 12-bar shuffle, it belonged to a different musical world from the sweeping ballads that had helped define Tom Jones’s career. It was a song made for movement, with a beat that seemed to invite the entire room to join in.
Tom Jones understood that instinctively.
On the stage of This Is Tom Jones, which ran from 1969 to 1971, he did not simply stand behind a microphone and deliver the lyrics. He became part of the rhythm itself. His movements were sharper, his delivery more playful, and his stage presence full of the confidence that had made him such a compelling live performer.
His open-collar shirt, energetic footwork, and unmistakable vocal power gave the performance a raw, almost club-like atmosphere. Although millions were watching from their living rooms, the music felt as though it belonged in a packed nightclub, where every beat could pull the audience onto the dance floor.
That was the magic of Tom Jones. He could make a television studio feel alive, transforming a familiar song into a performance that felt spontaneous and immediate.
For longtime fans, this appearance remains a wonderful reminder that Tom Jones was never just the voice behind the great ballads. He was also a dynamic entertainer who could take a rhythm-and-blues classic and make it entirely his own.
Decades later, the performance still captures the excitement of an era when powerful voices, live musicians, and commanding stage presence could turn a few minutes of television into an unforgettable musical memory.
“Treat Her Right” may not be the first Tom Jones song casual listeners think of, but for those who remember his electrifying performances, it reveals exactly why he became a legend.
What is your favorite Tom Jones performance — the romantic power of “Delilah” or the unstoppable energy of “Treat Her Right”?