🌟 The Beginning of a Strange Opportunity
In the mid-1960s, Tom Jones was already riding high with his breakthrough hit “It’s Not Unusual.” His booming baritone voice and magnetic stage presence had set him apart from other young British singers. Yet what came next was something even he couldn’t have predicted—a quirky, playful tune that would forever link his name with pop culture in the most unexpected way.
The opportunity came from Burt Bacharach and Hal David, two legendary songwriters who were penning music for a new film called What’s New Pussycat? starring Peter Sellers, Peter O’Toole, and Woody Allen. The title itself was unusual, almost cartoonish. Bacharach originally considered other singers, but when Tom Jones was suggested, everything clicked.
At first, Jones was hesitant. He was known for his dramatic, soulful delivery, not comic tunes with odd titles. But Bacharach insisted—and once Tom stepped into the studio, he turned the song into something bigger than anyone had imagined.
🐱 The Song That Shouldn’t Have Worked
“What’s New Pussycat?” is a song that defies easy classification. Its playful lyrics, swinging rhythm, and quirky orchestration made it stand out from anything on the charts. Where Jones’s earlier hits leaned on soulful passion, this one relied on tongue-in-cheek charm.
But Tom’s performance gave it weight. He didn’t treat the song like a joke. Instead, he sang it with his full, operatic power, giving comic lines a strange kind of sincerity. This contrast—between the silliness of the lyrics and the thunder of his voice—turned it into magic.
Released in 1965, the single climbed to the Top 10 in both the UK and the US. More importantly, it cemented Tom Jones not just as a singer of love ballads, but as a performer who could cross into the realm of pure entertainment.
🎥 From the Radio to the Silver Screen
The song’s tie-in with the movie gave it an extra boost. What’s New Pussycat? was Woody Allen’s screenwriting debut and had the kind of zany, slapstick humor that defined mid-1960s comedy. Tom’s booming voice belting out “What’s new, pussycat? Woah, woah…” over the opening credits made the film unforgettable.
The movie itself was a hit, but the song outlived it. Audiences left the theater humming the tune, and soon it was everywhere—on jukeboxes, radio, and TV. Tom Jones became forever linked with the phrase “pussycat,” a nickname that followed him for decades.
🪩 A Pop Culture Time Capsule
By the late 1960s, “What’s New Pussycat?” was more than just a song—it was shorthand for a certain kind of playful, swinging-era energy. It appeared on variety shows, comedy sketches, and even as a punchline in stand-up routines.
Years later, its cultural power only grew. Comedians like Robin Williams referenced it. The song popped up in cartoons, sitcoms, and commercials. In the 1997 film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, it was used to capture the groovy spirit of the 1960s. Even today, when the song comes on, people can’t help but laugh, smile, and sing along.
Tom Jones himself leaned into it. While “Delilah” and “It’s Not Unusual” showed his dramatic range, “What’s New Pussycat?” displayed his humor and willingness to not take himself too seriously. This flexibility is part of what made him such a lasting star.
🎶 A Song of Contradictions
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about “What’s New Pussycat?” is how it shouldn’t have worked for Tom Jones. It was playful, campy, and almost absurd. Yet because he gave it the same intensity he gave to romantic ballads, it became unforgettable.
This is a key part of Tom Jones’s artistry: his ability to turn unlikely material into gold. His voice had the power to elevate songs that might otherwise have been dismissed as novelties.
And in a way, the song captured something essential about Jones himself. He was a working-class Welshman with an earth-shattering voice, suddenly thrust into the world of swinging London and Hollywood. “What’s New Pussycat?” symbolized the strangeness of that journey—both ridiculous and brilliant.
🐾 Legacy of a Cultural Catchphrase
Decades later, the song remains one of the most recognizable in Tom Jones’s catalog. Younger generations who may not know his deep catalog of soul ballads or Vegas showstoppers still recognize “What’s New Pussycat?”
Comedian John Mulaney famously revived it in a stand-up routine about playing the song 21 times in a row on a diner jukebox, turning it into a viral bit and reintroducing the tune to millennials and Gen Z.
Even Tom himself laughed at how the song kept coming back. In interviews, he acknowledged that he never expected it to become such a cultural touchstone, but he embraced it as part of his identity.
🎤 The Song That Made Him More Than a Singer
“What’s New Pussycat?” transformed Tom Jones from a rising star into a household name. It wasn’t just about the charts—it was about visibility, about attaching his name to something everyone recognized.
While he went on to record countless serious and soulful songs, it was this quirky number that cemented his place in the public imagination. He wasn’t just a singer—he was an entertainer, a character, a pop culture figure.
And that’s why the song still matters today. It reminds us that sometimes, the most unexpected moments create the biggest legacies.
Video