The Lead and How to Swing It
The Lead and How to Swing It is the 33rd studio album by Welsh singer Tom Jones, released in 1994. It includes the singles "If I Only Knew", which reached number 11 in the UK singles chart, and "I Wanna Get Back with You", featuring Tori Amos, which reached number 94.
Critical reception
In a review for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that on The Lead and How to Swing It, Jones had recorded "with several of the hippest names in dance music" of that time. He described the album's title as "clumsy", and opined that the album is "neither true to Tom Jones' core audience nor appealing to Gen Xers, simply because it doesn't feature Jones doing what he does best -- famous songs written by other people. Instead, it's a set of written-to-order dance numbers that are immaculately produced and sung, yet hardly engaging." He concluded the review by saying that the songs on the album are "devoid of the camp factor that made version of Prince's "Kiss" so entertaining."Personnel
Adapted from the album's liner notes.Musicians
- Tom Jones – lead vocals
- Michael Allen – bass
- Tori Amos – backing vocals
- Helen Andrew – backing vocals
- David Ayres – guitar
- Lisa Banks – backing vocals
- Dave Bishop – tenor saxophone
- Mildred Black – backing vocals
- Antoinette Brown – backing vocals
- Mike Campbell – guitar, bass
- Warryn S. Campbell II – keyboards
- Charlotte – backing vocals
- Gardner Cole – backing vocals
- Mark Cox – keyboards
- Lalo Creme – guitar
- Lol Creme – guitar, keyboards
- André Cymone – backing vocals
- Orsine Daan – backing vocals
- DJ Battlecat – keyboards, drum programming
- Alice Echols – backing vocals
- Simon Franglen – keyboards
- Lisa Frazier – backing vocals
- Simon Gardner – trumpet
- Andrew Gray – guitar, guitars
- Trevor Gray – Moog bass
- Dave Hollister – backing vocals
- Jim Horn – saxophone
- Garry Hughes – keyboards
- Marshall Jefferson – keyboards
- Howard Johnson – backing vocals
- Stan "The Guitar Man" Jones – guitar
- Katie Kissoon – backing vocals
- Russ Kunkel – drums
- Jan Leyers – backing vocals
- Levi Little – backing vocals
- Jeff Lynne – piano, guitars, keyboards, percussion, additional backing vocals
- Cathy Merrick – backing vocals
- Paul Michiels – backing vocals
- Steve Monti – drums
- Wendell A. Morrison Jr. – backing vocals
- Mic Murphy – backing vocals
- Tessa Niles – backing vocals
- Perla – backing vocals
- Teddy Riley – backing vocals
- Guy Roche – keyboards
- Owen Rossiter – drums
- Michael Sanchez – Hammond organ
- Neil Sidwell – trombone
- Steve Sidwell – trumpet
- Rose Stone – backing vocals
- Craig Vear – drums
- Bruce Woolley – backing vocals
Technical
- Michael Allen – producer
- Roland Alvares – assistant
- Rob Chiarelli – mixing
- Bob Clearmountain – mixing
- Bradley Cook – engineer
- André Cymone – associate producer
- DJ Battlecat – producer, mixing
- Tom Elmhirst – assistant
- Richard Feldman – vocal production
- Steve Fitzmaurice – engineer
- Flood – producer
- Gus Garces – assistant
- Serban Ghenea – engineer
- Barry Goldberg – assistant
- Andrew Gray – producer
- Howard Gray – producer
- John Haynes – engineer
- Trevor Horn – producer
- Greg Hunter – mix engineer
- Garry Hughes – programming
- Jimmy Iovine – executive producer
- Marshall Jefferson – mixing
- Howard Johnson – producer
- David LaChapelle – photography
- Susan Leary – typographer
- Jan Leyers – producer
- Jeff Lynne – producer
- Liz Magro – engineer
- Glen Marchese – assistant
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Manny Marroquin – engineer
- George Mayers – engineer
- John McClain – producer
- Alan Moulder – producer
- Carl Napper – assistant
- Thom Panunzio – producer, engineer, remixing
- Richard Perry – producer
- Tony Phillips – mixing
- Mike Piersante – assistant
- Chris Potter – engineer
- Teddy Riley – producer, mixing
- Alex Rodriguez – additional engineering
- Richie "Vanilla" Rodriguez – digital editing
- Matt Rowlands – programming
- Mark Stebbeds – engineer
- Susie Tallman – production manager
- Tracy Veal – art director/designer
- David Werner – producer
- Andy Wright – producer
- Youth – producer, mixing
- Wayne Yurgelun – additional engineering