Bathroom recording of Jones to be sold

LONDON, July 4 (UPI) -- Christie's auction house in London is set to auction off a rare recording made of Tom Jones while the singer was in a bathroom, a Christie's official says.

An unidentified Christie's spokesman said the four tracks recorded in a YMCA bathroom in the Welsh town of Pontypridd, Jones' hometown, represented the earliest-known recordings of the "It's Not Unusual" star, The Daily Telegraph said Friday.

"These recordings have genuine historical significance as they mark the birth of the Tom Jones phenomenon," the spokesman said.

The tracks were made in 1962 when Jones was performing under the name Tommy Scott and was a member of the band The Senators.

Jones and two area songwriters recorded the demo along with a sound man, who is the individual behind next week's auction.

Liz Williams, president of the Pontypridd YMCA, told the Telegraph it was Jones' idea to use the bathroom for the recordings..

"When it came to the recording, he wanted to use the toilets because he believed they had the best acoustics in the building," Williams said. The recordings are expected to sell for at least $4,000.