TOM JONES: "What's New Pussycat?"

Original released on LP Parrot PA 61006 (mono)

(US, September 1965)

The song "What's New Pussycat?" was written by Burt Bacharach for Peter Sellers' character in the movie of the same name. 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. 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.