What's New Pussycat?

Album: What's New Pussycat? (1965)
Charted: 11 3
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Songfacts®:

  • This was written by Burt Bacharach for Peter Sellers' character in the movie What's New Pussycat? He told Record Collector magazine: "It was an instrumental first and then words were put on it. If it's got a good melody it can always fit the lyric."
  • In the same Record Collector interview Bacharach discussed writing songs for movies: "I think if you've got a theme like 'What's New Pussycat?' and that music comes from watching Peter Sellers and his craziness in that movie and you're trying to make it that way and out words to it. Then you get Tom Jones to sing it, you get lucky. Here was a theme, which was basically an instrumental, and if it's a good melody you'll always fit words."
  • This song is intentionally outrageous, with Tom Jones telling a girl to powder her pussycat nose so he can kiss her "sweet little pussycat lips." At the time, Jones was developing an image as a ribald pop star, and this song played right into it. Here's a quote from 1987: "Most songs are about the relationship between men and women, and so sex is involved. I act it out as best I can."

    Burt Bacharach knew he had the chops to convey the right tone in the song, and convinced Jones to do it. "When I first heard it I thought, Christ! What the bloody hell do they want me to sing this for?" Jones told Q magazine. "But Burt Bacharach explained, I want the big voice to sing this bloody crazy song, and you put it on, it's a classic."
  • When Elvis first heard Tom Jones sing this, he assumed the singer was black.
  • This also featured in the 2001 film Cats And Dogs.

Comments: 8

  • Steve Mullany from Washington DcThis song is brilliant, outrageous, harmonically and melodically sophisticated, highly offensive and made to order for Tom Jone’s brand of salaciousness. The circus carousel orchestration is top notch, right up there with the best of George Martin’s Beatles arrangements. Did I mention that I love this song?
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 28th 1965, the New York City disc jockey Murray the K's television special, 'It's What's Happening, Baby!', was aired on the CBS-TV network...
    One of the eighteen acts to appear on the show was Tom Jones; at the time he had two records on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; "What's New Pussycat?" was at #26 while "Little Lonely One" was at #46...
    "What's New Pussycat?" would peak at #3 {See 2nd post below} and on July 11th, 1965 "Little Lonely One" would peak at #42 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the chart for 9 weeks.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 22nd 1965, the Farmartists Production of the movie "What's New Pussycat?" opened in theaters across the U.S.A. and Canada...
    The film's theme song, sung by Tom Jones, received an Academy Award nomination for 'Best Original Song'; the Oscar was won by "The Shadow of Your Smile" from the movie 'The Sandpiper'...
    {See next post below}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 13th 1965, "What's New Pussycat?" by Tom Jones entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #79; and on July 25th it peaked at #3 (for 2 weeks) and spent 12 weeks on the Top 100 (and for 5 of those 12 weeks it was on the Top 10)...
    And on August 2nd, 1965 it reached #1 (for 1 week) on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart...
    On the very day that "What's New Pussycat" entered the Top 100 Tom Jones appeared on 'The Ed Sullivan Show'; but he did not perform the song, instead he sang his debut record, "It's Not Unusual".
  • Thomas Leonard from Pittsburgh, Pa, PaJones talked about the song in an televised interview with Larry King, saying he initially refused to sing it, thinking it was a comedy song and beneath him, when Burt Bacharach first introduced it to him (playing it on piano and singing it to him). With only two hit singles to his credit however, Jones didn't have the clout to refuse the song, and by his account tried to sing it as "macho" as possible. He was surprised it became such a big hit (US #3, UK #11).
  • Barry from Sauquoit, Ny"What's New, Pussycat?" was nominated for Best Song at the 1965 Academy Awards {Lost to "The Shadow of Your Smile"}!!!
  • Thomas from Somerville, AlI never was a big TJ fan as a kid. Later in life I gained a whole new respect for the man when I came to realize that his voice caused women to take off their panties and throw them at him. God Bless you Mr. Jones.
  • Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, Caone of the most original songs I've ever heard,
    along with the powerhouse vocal of the great Tom JOnes.
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