What's New Pussycat? (song)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2014) |
| "What's New Pussycat?" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Tom Jones | ||||
| from the album What's New Pussycat? | ||||
| B-side | "The Rose" | |||
| Released | 5 June 1965 (US) 9 August 1965 (UK) | |||
| Genre | Traditional pop[citation needed] | |||
| Length | 2:18 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Burt Bacharach and Hal David | |||
| Producer(s) | Peter Sullivan | |||
| Tom Jones UK singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "What's New Pussycat?" on YouTube | ||||
"What's New Pussycat?" is the theme song for the eponymous movie, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David,[1][2] and sung by Welsh singer Tom Jones. The original single included a 13-second instrumental introduction, ending in the sound of shattering glass, but later issues omitted this introduction.[3]
Jones was skeptical about the song when first approached about it. He said when it was offered to him, he felt it was "sort of a backhanded compliment: 'I've got to have you, but this is the song.'"[1] Jones said it took convincing from Bacharach to perform it:
"When I first heard it I thought, 'Christ! What the bloody hell do they want me to sing this for?' But Burt Bacharach explained, 'I want the big voice to sing this bloody crazy song.' And you put it on, it’s a classic."[1]
Chart performance
[edit]It was Jones' third UK top 30 record, and peaked at number 11.[4] In the US, "What's New Pussycat?" peaked at number 3, and was Jones' second entry on the top 40.[5]
Accolades
[edit]It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1966, and lost to "The Shadow of Your Smile".[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c McEvoy, Colin (February 9, 2023). "What It Was Like to Work with Burt Bacharach, in the Words of his Collaborators". Biography. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
- ^ Matthew Greenwald. "What's New Pussycat? - Tom Jones | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
- ^ Dominic, Serene (2003). Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans, Serious Record Collectors, and Music Critics. Schirmer Trade Books. ISBN 9780825672804.
- ^ "TOM JONES | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 333.
- ^ "The 38th Academy Awards (1966)". oscars.org. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
