"It's Not Unusual" | ||||
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Single by Tom Jones | ||||
from the album Along Came Jones (It's Not Unusual) | ||||
B-side | "To Wait for Love" (Bacharach-David) | |||
Released | 22 January 1965 (UK) March 1965 (US) | |||
Recorded | 11 November 1964 | |||
Studio | Decca Studios, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:03 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Peter Sullivan [3] | |||
Tom Jones singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"It's Not Unusual" (Lyric Video) on YouTube |
"It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones, [4] after it had first been offered to Sandie Shaw. [3] He intended it as a demo for her, but when she heard it she was so impressed with his delivery that she recommended he sing it instead.
The record was the second Jones single Decca released, [5] reaching No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in 1965. [6] [7] It was his first hit in the United States, peaking at No. 10 in May of that year. It was released in the US by Parrot Records and reached No. 3 on Billboard 's easy listening chart. The song was first aired on pirate radio in the UK, as the BBC rejected it because of Jones' sexual image. In the US, Jones performed the song on three occasions on The Ed Sullivan Show . [8]
"It's Not Unusual" is the theme song of his late 1960s–early 1970s television musical variety series, This Is Tom Jones . The first studio version was released in 1995 on the compilation album, The Legendary Tom Jones – 30th Anniversary Album.
The musical arranger was Les Reed. Although the guitarist has been cited as Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, [9] Reed has said the only guitarist was Joe Moretti, who also played on "Shakin' All Over" and "Brand New Cadillac". Page lists the session in his online discography. [10] Drums were played by Scottish percussionist Andy White, who had previously drummed on a Beatles recording session, [11] or possibly by Ronnie Verrell,. [12] Alan Grahame has also said he was involved. [13] According to Jones's regular drummer, Chris Slade, there were four attempts with different drummers, him included, in order to get one with the right 'feel'. Though he was certain that his take was not chosen, he was unable to confirm which one of the others did make the final recording. Jones's group, "Tom Jones and the Squires", were missing their regular keyboard player for the session, so Slade (a future member of Manfred Mann's Earth Band, AC/DC, and The Firm with Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers) ran across the street to the "La Giaconda" coffee house, and recruited the then-unknown Reginald Dwight (who later adopted the stage name Elton John) for the one-day recording session. [14]
As was standard practice in the 1960s, session musicians were used instead of Jones's regular backing band. There are conflicting reports about who actually played on the record, but the most likely candidates are: [12]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [27] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
This section needs additional citations for verification .(November 2021) |
The song enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-1990s, as it was used in the hit sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on several occasions. It typically features Carlton Banks, one of the lead characters, lip-syncing to the lyrics and performing comedic choreography (which came to be known as "the Carlton dance"). [33] Jones had guest-starred on the show on a few occasions, also performing and dancing alongside Carlton in the episodes. Jones later made a guest appearance in the third season episode "The Alma Matter" as Carlton's guardian angel, who performed the song with Carlton's actor Alfonso Ribeiro. [34]
Manfred Mann were an English rock band formed in London in 1962. They were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The group had two lead vocalists: Paul Jones from 1962 to 1966 and Mike d'Abo from 1966 to 1969. Other members of various group line-ups were Mike Hugg, Mike Vickers, Dave Richmond, Tom McGuinness, Jack Bruce and Klaus Voormann.
The Sonny Side of Chér is the second studio album by American singer-actress Cher, released on March 28, 1966, by Imperial. Cher again collaborated with Sonny Bono and Harold Battiste. The album is by-and-large a covers album and contains two songs written by Bono. The title of the album is a pun on the name of Cher's first husband Sonny Bono. Cher's second successful album of the sixties, it was released on CD in 1992 by EMI together with Cher's first album as a 2fer. In 1995 EMI re-released this 2fer with the album Chér. The last version of the album was released in 2005 only in UK by BGO Records. These editions feature a different track order than the original LP.
"The Beat Goes On" is a song written and composed by Sonny Bono and recorded by Sonny & Cher. It was issued as a single and appeared on their 1967 album In Case You're in Love. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart on January 14, 1967, peaking at number six.
"For Once in My Life" is a song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, and first recorded in 1965.
"It's in His Kiss" is a song written and composed by Rudy Clark. It was first released as a single in 1963 by Merry Clayton that did not chart. The song was made a hit a year later when recorded by Betty Everett, who hit No. 1 on the Cashbox magazine R&B charts with it in 1964. Recorded by dozens of artists and groups around the world in the decades since, the song became an international hit once again when covered by Cher in 1990.
"Walk On By" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for singer Dionne Warwick in 1963. Warwick's recording of the song peaked at number 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Cash Box Rhythm and Blues Chart In June 1964 and was nominated for a 1965 Grammy Award for the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording.
"Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" is the second single by American singer-actress Cher from her second album, The Sonny Side of Chér (1966). It was written by her husband Sonny Bono and released in 1966. It reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week (behind "(You're My) Soul and Inspiration" by The Righteous Brothers), eventually becoming one of Cher's biggest-selling singles of the 1960s.
"Baby I'm Yours" is a song written by Van McCoy which was a hit in 1965 for Barbara Lewis, the original recording artist and featured on her album of the same name.
"Out of Time" is a song by the Rolling Stones, first released on their 1966 album Aftermath. The most commercially successful version of the song was by Chris Farlowe, an English solo artist. Farlowe's single, produced by Mick Jagger, peaked at number one in the UK Singles Chart on 28 July 1966 and stayed at the top for one week. A shorter alternative mix of the Rolling Stones' recording was released in the US in 1967 on the album Flowers. A third version featuring Jagger's lead vocal and the orchestration and backing vocals from Farlowe's cover version was released on the 1975 rarities album Metamorphosis and as a single.
"Alfie" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David to promote the 1966 film Alfie. The song was a major hit for Cilla Black (UK) and Dionne Warwick (US).
"Long Live Love" is a Chris Andrews composition which, in 1965, gained Sandie Shaw the second of her three UK number one hit singles.
"Make It Easy on Yourself" is a popular song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David which was initially a hit for Jerry Butler in 1962. The best-known version is the 1965 recording by the Walker Brothers, for whom it was a No. 1 UK and Canadian hit. Dionne Warwick, who made a demo of the song in early 1962, later had a hit with it in 1970.
"Help Yourself" is a song recorded by Welsh singer Tom Jones in 1968. The song is one of Jones' best known songs and reached number five in the UK Singles Chart in its original run. It topped the charts in both Ireland and Germany, and spent three weeks at the top spot in Australia. The American single reached Billboard peaks of number 35 pop and number three easy listening, and is still widely played on adult-standards radio.
"I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)" is an R&B song written and recorded by American singer Barbara George, released as her debut single in 1961. It became her signature song and her only major hit in United States, reaching No.1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and No.3 in the Hot 100. It was later covered by various artists, inducing Fats Domino, Cher, Ike & Tina Turner, and Bonnie Raitt. A Spanish version by Marisela topped Billboard's Latin chart in 1988. The Shirelles borrowed the melody of "I Know" for their 1963 cover of "Everybody Loves A Lover".
"I Love How You Love Me" is a song written by Barry Mann and Larry Kolber. It was a 1961 Top Five hit for the pop girl group The Paris Sisters, which inaugurated a string of elaborately produced classic hits by Phil Spector. Bobby Vinton had a Top Ten hit in 1968 with a cover version. The song has been recorded by many other artists over the years.
"She Thinks I Still Care" is a country song written by Dickey Lee and Steve Duffy. First popularized by George Jones, the song has been recorded by many artists, including Connie Francis, Anne Murray, Elvis Presley and Patty Loveless.
"I'll Never Fall in Love Again" is a song written by Lonnie Donegan and Jimmy Currie, and first released by Donegan as a single in 1962.
"Without Love (There is Nothing)" is a song written by Danny Small and originally recorded by Clyde McPhatter in 1957. McPhatter's version peaked at number six on the R&B Best Seller chart and number nineteen on Billboard Hot 100.
"Leave Me Be" is a song by the English rock band the Zombies. Written by Chris White, the band's bass guitarist, "Leave Me Be" was released on a non-album single in October 1964. Following the release of the band's debut single "She's Not There" in July 1964, White wrote a handful of songs in between performances during the band's heavy schedule. Most of the work on the song occurred in August 1964, when the Zombies recorded both a demo and the backing track for it. The instrumentation largely differs from both earlier and later Zombies records; it features electric organ played by Rod Argent, compared to his previous usage of the electric piano. Together with record producer Ken Jones, they returned in September to finish the vocal track, which was disliked by most band members for its similarity to "She's Not There"; the vocals would eventually be re-recorded a few months later.
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