Tom Jones has said his greatest career regret was focusing too heavily on live performances during the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in the United States, while neglecting his recorded music. He later described this as “digging my own grave”, believing that the decision limited his wider appeal and contributed to a downturn after his earlier success.

Jones had built a major career through 1960s and 1970s hits, later becoming closely associated with Las Vegas residencies, world tours and country recordings. In a 2010 interview, he said he would have devoted more attention to recording in the 1970s if given another chance; his son Mark also advised him to stop encouraging the underwear-throwing antics that had become part of his live image. Jones subsequently refocused on his recorded output to revive his career.