What's New Pussycat? (song)
"What's New Pussycat?" is the theme song for the eponymous movie, sung by Welsh singer Tom Jones, and written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.[1] Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1966, it lost to "The Shadow of Your Smile". It was Jones' third UK top 30 record, and peaked at number 11.[2] In the US, "What's New Pussycat?" peaked at number 3, and was Jones' second entry on the Top 40.[3]
| "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) | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Genre | Traditional pop | |||
| Length | 2:18 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Burt Bacharach and Hal David | |||
| Producer(s) | Peter Sullivan | |||
| Tom Jones UK singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The original single included a 13-second instrumental introduction, ending in the sound of shattering glass, but later issues omitted this introduction.[4]
It has also been performed by Bobby Darin, Steve Lawrence, Anita Kerr,[5] The Wailers and The Four Seasons.[4] Barbra Streisand performed several lines in her "Color Me Barbra Medley" from the TV special and album Color Me Barbra.
In popular culture and cover versions
The song was covered by Alvin and the Chipmunks in their 1965 album Chipmunks à Go-Go. The song was used in the films Paulie (1998) and the end credits of Cats & Dogs (2001) and Flushed Away (2006).
It has also been referenced in John Mulaney’s popular segment “The Salt and Pepper Diner,” the last segment in his stand up routine The Top Part.[6]
Wendy Carlos recorded a version performed with a moog synthesizer on her album By Request (1975). This version features cat's meow voices imitated with a synthesizer.
A metal version of the song was recorded by Leo Moracchioli for his YouTube channel, Frog Leap Studios.[7]
The song was also heard at the end of the 2006 British computer-animated DreamWorks Animation film Flushed Away and at the episode of The Simpsons where Milo (voiced by Jack Black) plays the Korean-language version.
References
- Matthew Greenwald. "What's New Pussycat? - Tom Jones | Listen, Appearances, Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
- "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.
- Dominic, Serene (2003). Burt Bacharach, Song by Song: The Ultimate Burt Bacharach Reference for Fans, Serious Record Collectors, and Music Critics. Schirmer Trade Books.
- Anita Kerr. "Anita Kerr Singers - Reflect On The Hits Of Burt Bacharach & Hal David / Velvet Voices And Bold Brass". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- Various Artists - Topic (2016-11-11), The Salt and Pepper Diner, retrieved 2018-10-26
- What´s New Pussycat (metal cover by Leo Moracchioli) on YouTube