Two Undiscovered Stars and an Unusual Recording Session, a Music Mystery
By Drew Holmes
Thomas Woodward always loved music. As a young boy growing up in Wales, he would sing for weddings, at family events, and in his school choir. Unfortunately, at age 12 he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and spent the next two years bedridden.
During that time he had little to do but listen to music, so his days were filled with Little Richard, Jackie Wilson, and Elvis Presley. After making a full recovery, he resumed singing and developed a strong, powerful baritone voice.
He became front man for the band Tommy Scott and the Senators, where he was soon discovered by his future manager, Gordon Mills. Gordon suggested a name change, which Thomas agreed to, and signed him to a recording deal with Decca records. The ensuing single was a flop, failing to crack the charts.
Still an unknown, Thomas nonetheless persisted in carving out a singing career. He was asked to record a demo of a new song that was intended for singer Sandie Shaw. His demo was exceptional and when Sandie heard it, she refused to take the song saying, “Whoever’s singing this, it’s his song.”
On November 11, 1964, Thomas recorded his song at Decca Studios in West Hempstead. The first take was unremarkable, and producer Peter Sullivan encouraged him to try again, saying “You’ve got a big voice. Nice is not enough. You are not nice.” With this change in approach the song clicked, and a hit was born.
It was not unusual for a recording session to use studio musicians, and this song was no exception. Personnel will change depending on who is available that day and sometimes last-minute adjustments happen. Thomas’ regular keyboard player was unavailable, so his drummer ran across the street to the “La Giaconda” coffeehouse looking for a replacement. Fortunately, he found Reg who happened to play piano, and convinced him to join them. After a successful session they thanked Reg and paid him for his time.
No one could have known what the song, recorded by a group of studio players and relative unknowns, would become. The BBC refused to air it, saying it was “too raunchy”, so offshore pirate radio station Radio Caroline played it instead. In 1965 it exploded onto the charts, reaching #1 in the UK and #10 in the US. It catapulted Thomas to global fame, becoming his signature song and the theme for his television variety show which aired in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
Thomas earned many accolades over the decades, including a Grammy, Golden Globe, and star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But none of those awards bear the name Thomas Jones Woodward. Instead, they carry the stage name he adopted when he was just starting out as a professional singer, Tom Jones. And at the recording session of his signature hit, It’s Not Unusual, another future superstar was discovered among the session players and relative unknowns.
When asked his name, the last-minute keyboard player simply replied “Reg”. Over the course of his career he would also amass numerous accolades including two Academy Awards, an Emmy, a Tony, two Golden Globes, six Grammys, and his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But his name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight, appears on none of them. Instead he is honored by his stage name, Elton John.