charlie: american blues had a big influence, too, didn't it? sir tom: definitely. 1960's, we all listened to roots music. really. van morrisonhe beatles, the stones. all of us of a certain age. i am the same age as john lennon. and so we were all listening to that and wanting to do it. you know, but then, it came about -- like bb king said, if it wasn't for the british rock bands, the blues might have died. but they brought it and sold it back to america. charlie: you are also on the same wavelength as frank sinatra. you two were friends, too. sir tom: yes, but when i was in vegas at the same time as frank sinatra and elvis presley, i recorded an album called "from the heart." they called it -- i don't know why, but it was a bunch of standards that i did with big arrangements. and elvis had bought it, and i said what you think? , and he said, we don't do that, tom. we leave that to frank. "we." he said "we." we leave that to frank, and he said, don't go there. i said, i like a lot of standards. but he said, don't go there, don't record it. stick with me. and then when i would see frank , sinatra, he would say forget that roc