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You must have got a sense of the Bling Bling culture when you were working with Wyclef. Are you an ardent Blinger?
Tom: I've always worn jewellery but for a time it went out of fashion. Like grungy and punk bands didn't wear jewellery because it was stupid.

You must be in your element now then.
Tom: Of course, for Wyclef and these Hip Hop guys, the more jewellery you have is a status symbol. I'm pulling all my old jewellery out now and comparing my rings with Wyclef. He's got a big diamond ring and I said "That's a fantastic ring" and he said "That's a complement coming from the King of Rings".

Do you ever get ring envy?
Tom: He's got a bigger diamond than I have and on him it looks great because he is who he is. If I was to wear it people would look at it in a different way.

At the end of Mars Attacks there's a chaffinch that lands on your arm while you're singing. Is that special effects or your power over the birds?
Tom: (Laughter) I didn't think of it that way when it happened because it's a different kind of bird. (More laughter). I can't answer that because I've never thought about it before.

You're de-mystifying it all now.
Tom: It didn't enter my mind. When a real bird lands on your arm … you know.

Would you react in the same way?
Tom: If a real woman jumped on my arm, I wouldn't be able to hold her up in the same way.

I want to show you this picture we have in the archive from 1966. What do you think of this picture?
Tom: I never liked that one because it was the first time I had ever worn make up on television. They had put too much on. I thought I am never going to wear that much again because it looks false.

To read Tom's biog,