Tom Jones, one of the oldest stars in the music business, has turned his hand to a new style - hip hop.

His new album, to be released on 4 November, is the brainchild of Jones and Wyclef Jean, the Fugees star and one of the biggest names in rap in the US.

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Jones spoke to BBC Breakfast about the making of his album, which includes the recently-released single Tom Jones International.

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Wyclef: 'worry about the beats, the grooves'

He said the idea had come from Wyclef, and initially Jones had some concerns about the proposition, wondering: "Where are we going to get the songs from?"

Wyclef responded: "Don't worry about the songs, worry about the beats, the grooves.

"Today that's the most important thing. Then you think about putting the songs on top of that."

Men dig me for other reasons, I suppose Tom Jones

The other challenge for Welshman Jones was getting to grips with the language of rap.

He said: "'Bling blings' - they're diamonds. I didn't know that until Wyclef told me."

Bridging the gap

The new track plays on Jones' huge female fan base, but Jones insists it is not only the ladies who like his singing.

"There are men there too. Men dig me for other reasons, I suppose."

You can't rest on your laurels Tom Jones

This change of style is the latest in a long career in which Jones has enjoyed remarkable success in appealing to different generations.

Having worked with artists as diverse as Elvis and EMF, Jones described how, in his work, he had always crossed generational gaps.

"It's a style of singing that I have. I think it appeals, and always did.

"In Wales I would sing to teenagers on a Friday night in a YMCA. Then I would play in a working man's club on a Saturday night."

He said he enjoyed the fact that both kids and their parents appreciated him equally, but stressed the importance of an evolving style to keep up with the times.

"What works today, record-wise, sound-wise especially, is not going to work in 20 years, or even ten years.

"You can't rest on your laurels. You've got to keep your ears open."

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