Tom Henry
From the What’s Left (2026) liner notes courtesy of Ian F Svenonius:
As soon as we saw TOM HENRY, we knew we had hit the jackpot.
He had the talent, charm, style, chops, for certain we could send him to the very top of the heap and make a million off the kid. By "we" I'm referring, of course, to INTEGRATED STAR MANAGEMENT LTD, my company, which at the time was seeking exclusive rights to Mr. Henry's songs, image, likeness, etc. When we found him, he was just raw material. Perfect "as is", sure, but in today's topsy turvy world of infinitesimal attention spans, we figured he needed a gimmick; a conceptual makeover. Just being "perfect" doesn't cut it anymore.
We determined, in a series of high powered strategy meetings, that he needed something- a little tweak here, a twist there to push him over the top into the public's cerebral cortex. We took him to the storehouse where they keep the identity kits for up and coming indie artists and gave him the pick of the lot. Tom was weary but, being the good sport that he is, heard us out.
First we found a space suit... it would look great on him and we proposed he could be a lonely interstellar alien in a world where applause was rationed, searching for new worlds where people could clap freely. He could have a lightning bolt over the "o" in Tom and smear paint on his face, like is so popular now. He politely declined. Then we found a red neckerchief and a striped hat, and said, "Heck, what if you're a coal miner or railway man and sings the old timey songs of the depression era and who just does this on the weekends? Ol' Tom Henry would be the name: singing would be his game." He didn't want to bum us out but said he'd think about it. "I know!" my I.S.M. creative co-producer Brenda Mafarkin said, pulling a silk scarf off a mannequin— "How about if you're a louche nightclub piano man, been-there, done-that and you always wear shades and have a lot of demons and stuff, and play this sort of cynical, smarmy AM fare?" Tom Henry, polite as ever, deferred and said something to the effect of "1 don't know guys... is there anything else?"
I guess I was a little frustrated and I just said "That's what's left, Tom Henry... that's what we're left with, all the other stuff has been done. All the songs have been sung, the big statements have been made, the paintings have been painted, and the heroes & heroines have done their deeds and made their mark. All there is for us to do is admire the photographs of that which has gone before. So let's just grab a cape or a bowler hat or eyepatch or something and get on with business."
We left the warehouse in silence and guess I could tell Tom Henry wasn't going to sign an exclusive contract with I.S.M. He said he wasn't concerned with having a gimmick or a story and that he thought the power of rock'n' roll was an eternal spring that we could draw on forever and always find joy and inspiration in. That, sure, they want us to think that our work on the planet is done and it's time to kick back, sip a margarita, and let the robots take over.
But even if rock'n'roll is what's left, maybe it's alright with him because that's just what he likes to do.We said farewell on good terms and although we haven't signed a contract or anything I wish Tom Henry all the best in the future and hopefully we can work together on a TV special or celebrity endorsement or a publicity stunt. In the meantime, I'm really digging his latest "What's Left"!
- Johnny Sincere
ISM LTD
