What's New, Pussycat?

What's New, Pussycat?
source
Name	What’s New, Pussycat?
Artist	Tom Jones
Released	1965
Writer	Burt Bacharach and Hal David
Producer	Peter Sullivan
Genre	Pop
Length	1:57
Label	Decca

What's New, Pussycat? is a 1965 popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and recorded by Tom Jones as the title theme for the film directed by Clive Donner and produced by Charles Feldman. The recording became a transatlantic hit, connecting figures such as Peter Sellers, Rita Hayworth, Woody Allen, Peter O'Toole, and Diana Dors through the film's ensemble, while reflecting the songwriting partnership associated with A&M Records, Decca Records, United Artists, and the broader 1960s pop landscape. The song's release involved collaborators from Britain and United States music industries like Bacharach’s regular arrangers and studio musicians who worked on contemporaneous projects by Dusty Springfield, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and Elvis Presley.

Background and Composition

Bacharach and David conceived the tune during a prolific period that included work for Phil Spector-era artists and hits recorded by Dionne Warwick, Chuck Jackson, Gene Pitney, Aretha Franklin, and Bobby Vinton. The melody employs Bacharach's signature unusual time changes and chord progressions reminiscent of arrangements heard on records by Johnny Mathis, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Nat King Cole. The lyric's playful, flirtatious persona draws on popular song traditions established by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and later interpolations by performers such as Petula Clark and Shirley Bassey. Composition sessions involved industry professionals linked to Brill Building songwriting practices and sessions at studios frequented by musicians credited on records for Phil Ramone, George Martin, and Joe Meek.

Recording and Production

The recording was produced by Peter Sullivan and arranged in the style of Bacharach productions that featured orchestral players from sessions used by Burt Bacharach on recordings for Dionne Warwick and Sandie Shaw. Session musicians drawn from the London recording scene—musicians who also worked with Andrew Loog Oldham, Shel Talmy, Mike Leander, and John Barry—played alongside studio arrangers with credits on recordings for The Who, Small Faces, Manfred Mann, and Herman's Hermits. Engineers working in studios associated with Decca and EMI employed techniques similar to those used by Geoff Emerick and Glyn Johns, blending brass, strings, and rhythm sections to complement Tom Jones's baritone. Production decisions paralleled contemporaneous film soundtrack recordings produced for Henry Mancini, John Williams, and Ennio Morricone.

Release and Chart Performance

Released on Decca Records in 1965 and issued in the United States by Parrot Records and London Records branches, the single entered charts compiled by Billboard and Record Retailer while receiving airplay on programs hosted by Alan Freeman, David Jacobs, John Peel, and Wolfman Jack. It charted alongside releases by The Beatles' Rubber Soul era, The Rolling Stones' Out of Our Heads, and Bob Dylan's evolving catalog. The record achieved high positions in national charts including the UK Singles Chart, Billboard Hot 100, RPM in Canada, and national charts in Australia, France, Germany, and Netherlands, competing with singles by Petula Clark, Herman's Hermits, The Supremes, The Four Seasons, and The Beach Boys.

Critical Reception and Legacy

Contemporary reviews appeared in publications such as Melody Maker, NME, Rolling Stone, Time, and Variety, often referencing Bacharach and David's catalog that included songs sung by Dionne Warwick, Jerry Butler, Bobby Vinton, and Julie London. Over time the song has been cited in analyses of 1960s pop by scholars associated with Oxford University Press, commentators from BBC Music, and authors writing for The Guardian and The New York Times. Its concise format and memorable hook influenced soundtrack choices for filmmakers like Woody Allen, Peter Bogdanovich, Quentin Tarantino, and Baz Luhrmann, and it has been included on compilation albums alongside work by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sam Cooke, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong.

Cover Versions and Cultural Impact

The song has been covered and referenced by a wide array of artists and in media associated with Madonna, David Bowie, Cher, Elvis Costello, Carly Simon, Neil Diamond, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, Sting, Phil Collins, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Janet Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli, and Cher. It has appeared in film and television contexts tied to MTV, BBC Television, HBO, Netflix, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and Universal Pictures, and has been sampled in recordings produced by Dr. Dre, The Bomb Squad, and Rick Rubin. The tune continues to feature in stage revues, tribute concerts at venues like Royal Albert Hall and Madison Square Garden, and in licensing catalogs managed by ASCAP, BMI, and PRS for Music.

Category:1965 songs Category:Tom Jones songs Category:Songs written by Burt Bacharach Category:Songs with lyrics by Hal David