It's Not Unusual
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"It's Not Unusual" is a song written by Les Reed and
Gordon Mills Gordon William Mills (15 May 1935 – 29 July 1986) was a successful London-based music industry manager and songwriter. He was born in Madras, British India and grew up in Trealaw in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. During the 1960s and 1970s ...
, first recorded by a then-unknown Tom Jones, after having first been offered to
Sandie Shaw Sandie may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Sandie Clair (born 1988), French professional racing cyclist * Sandie Fitzgibbon, Irish former camogie player * Sandie Jones (1950/1951–2019), Irish singer * Sandie Lindsay, 1st Baron Lindsay of Birker (1879 ...
. 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 Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
released, reaching No. 1 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in 1965. It was his first hit in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, peaking at No. 10 in May of that year. It was released in the US by
Parrot Records Parrot Records was an American record label, a division of London Records, which started in 1964. The label usually licensed (or leased) recordings made by Decca Records, England, for release in the United States and Canada, most notably by the ...
and reached No. 3 on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'''s
easy listening chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...
. The
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
initially refused to play it because of his sexy image, but UK
pirate radio Pirate radio or a pirate radio station is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are received—especially w ...
did not. He sang the song twice in 1965 on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...
'' in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, on 2 May and 13 June. He did it again on 21 April 1968. "It's Not Unusual" is the
theme song Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
of his late 1960s–early 1970s television musical variety series, ''
This Is Tom Jones ''This Is Tom Jones'' is an ATV variety series starring Tom Jones. The series was exported to the United States by ITC Entertainment and was networked there by ABC. The series ran between 1969 and 1971 to total 65 colour episodes. Jones was no ...
''. The first studio version was released in 1995 on the compilation album, ''The Legendary Tom Jones – 30th Anniversary Album''.


Musical arrangement and recording

The musical arranger was Les Reed. Although the guitarist has been cited as
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
of
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
, Reed has said the only guitarist was
Joe Moretti Joseph Edward Moretti (10 May 1938 – 9 February 2012) was a Scottish guitarist renowned for his work on seminal UK rock and roll records such as Vince Taylor's "Brand New Cadillac" and Johnny Kidd & the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over". He lived ...
, who also played on "
Shakin' All Over "Shakin' All Over" is a song originally performed by Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. It was written by leader Johnny Kidd, and his original recording reached No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in August 1960. The song is sometimes credited to Frederick ...
" and "
Brand New Cadillac "Brand New Cadillac" (also recorded as "Cadillac") is a 1959 song by Vince Taylor, and was originally released as a B-side. Featured musicians on the released recording were: Joe Moretti (guitars), Lou Brian (piano), Brian Locking (bass) and Br ...
". Page lists the session in his online discography. Drums were played by Scottish percussionist Andy White, who had previously drummed on a
Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...
recording session, or possibly by Ronnie Verrell, and Alan Grahame has said he was involved. Jones's group, "Tom Jones and the Squires", were missing their regular keyboard player for the session. Future
AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...
drummer,
Chris Slade Chris Slade (born Christopher Slade Rees; 30 October 1946) is a Welsh musician, best known for playing for the Australian rock band AC/DC. He drummed for the band from 1989 to 1994, performing on their 1990 album '' The Razors Edge'' along with ...
, 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 Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
) for the one-day recording session.


Personnel

As was standard practice in the 1960s,
session musician Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a ...
s 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: * Tom Jones – vocals *
Joe Moretti Joseph Edward Moretti (10 May 1938 – 9 February 2012) was a Scottish guitarist renowned for his work on seminal UK rock and roll records such as Vince Taylor's "Brand New Cadillac" and Johnny Kidd & the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over". He lived ...
– guitar break *
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
– lead guitar *
Vic Flick Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense) ...
– guitar * Andy White, Ronnie Verrell or
Chris Slade Chris Slade (born Christopher Slade Rees; 30 October 1946) is a Welsh musician, best known for playing for the Australian rock band AC/DC. He drummed for the band from 1989 to 1994, performing on their 1990 album '' The Razors Edge'' along with ...
– drums (also claimed by Alan Grahame) * Stan Barrett – percussion *
Kenny Salmon Kenny Salmon (17 July 1933 – 5 November 1994) was an English keyboard player who played piano, organ and MiniMoog on many hit records, films, radio and television shows in the 1960s and 1970s. Early life and education Salmon was born in Hainaul ...
– organ * Eric Ford – bass * John Carter and Ken Lewis – backing vocals * Stan Roderick, Kenny Baker, Bert Ezzard, and
Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voca ...
or Eddie Blair –
trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
s *
Ronnie Ross Albert Ronald Ross (2 October 1933 – 12 December 1991) was a British jazz baritone saxophonist. Life Born in Calcutta, India, to Scottish parents, Ross moved to England in 1946 and was educated at the Perse School in Cambridge. He beg ...
, Bob Efford –
tenor sax The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...
*
Harry Klein Harold "Harry" Klein (25 December 1928 – 30 June 2010) was an English jazz saxophonist. As a session musician, he played on recordings by the Beatles. Early in his career, Klein played with Nat Gonella in the late 1940s. He then played with Bi ...
–
baritone sax The baritone saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of instruments, larger (and lower-pitched) than the tenor saxophone, but smaller (and higher-pitched) than the bass. It is the lowest-pitched saxophone in common use - the bass, contra ...


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Cover versions

*
The Impressions The Impressions were an American music group originally formed in 1958. Their repertoire includes gospel, doo-wop, R&B, and soul. The group was founded as the Roosters by Chattanooga, Tennessee natives Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks and Arthur Bro ...
recorded a version in 1965. *
The Dells The Dells were an American R&B vocal group. Formed in high school in 1953 by founding members Marvin Junior, Verne Allison, Johnny Funches, Chuck Barksdale, and Michael and Lucius McGill, under the name the El-Rays. They released their first r ...
also recorded a version in 1965 and released it as the title track of an LP on
Vee-Jay Vee-Jay Records is an American record label founded in the 1950s, located in Chicago and specializing in blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and rock and roll. The label was founded in Gary, Indiana in 1953 by Vivian Carter and James C. Bracken, a ...
records in
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. It was released as the B-side to their original recording of '' Stay in My Corner''. *
Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...
recorded the song on his 1965 album ''
The Big Bad Rock Guitar of Glen Campbell ''The Big Bad Rock Guitar of Glen Campbell'' is the fourth album by American singer-guitarist Glen Campbell, released in 1965 by Capitol Records. A vocal chorus appears on many tracks, singing wordless melody lines; otherwise, the album is entirel ...
''. *
Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...
recorded the song for her 1965 album ''Too Many Rivers''. *
Bobbi Martin Barbara Ann "Bobbi" Martin (November 29, 1939 – May 2, 2000) was an American country music, country and pop music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She grew up in Oslo, Minnesota and began her singing career in Baltimore, working her way up ...
released her version on her 1965 album ''I Love You So''. *
Jackie Trent Yvonne Ann Burgess (6 September 1940 – 21 March 2015), better known by her stage name Jackie Trent, was an English singer-songwriter and actress. She was best known for co-writing (with Tony Hatch) several hits for Petula Clark in the 1960s an ...
included her version on her 1966 album ''Yesterdays''. *In 1966, South African trumpeter
Hugh Masekela Hugh Ramapolo Masekela (4 April 1939 – 23 January 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer and composer who was described as "the father of South African jazz". Masekela was known for his jazz compositions and for ...
included the song to his album ''
Hugh Masekela's Next Album ''Hugh Masekela's Next Album'' is the fourth studio album by South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela. It was recorded in New York City and released in December 1966 via MGM Records label. The album consists mainly of covers of pop songs. Tra ...
''. *
The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...
recorded a version of this song for their '' Supremes A' Go-Go'' album, but was not included. It was recently released on a collection of Supremes' previously unreleased recordings and rarities. *
Florence Ballard Florence Glenda Chapman (''née'' Ballard; June 30, 1943 – February 22, 1976) was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown vocal female group the Supremes. She sang on 16 top 40 singles with the group, including ten number-o ...
(of The Supremes and featured on their version) recorded a version of this song in 1968 for her debut solo album, ''You Don't Have To'', that was shelved by ABC Records and left unreleased until the release of '' The Supreme Florence Ballard'' CD. *
Vikki Carr Florencia Vicenta de Casillas-Martínez Cardona (born July 19, 1940), known by her stage name Vikki Carr, is an American vocalist. She has a singing career that spans more than four decades. Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents, she has pe ...
recorded the song for her 1968 album ''Don't Break My Pretty Balloon'. *Italian rock singer Little Tony performed a local version with the title "Non è normale " ("It's not usual") 'sic'' *American alternative band
Wild Colonials Wild Colonials are an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1992 by Angela McCluskey (vocals), Shark (guitar/vocals/percussion), Paul Cantelon (violin/piano), Scott Roewe (multi-instrumentalist) and Ian Bernard (dru ...
covered the song, which appeared on their album ''
Reel Life vol 1 Wild Colonials are an United States, American alternative rock musical ensemble, band formed in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles, California in 1992 in music, 1992 by Angela McCluskey (vocals), Shark (musician), Shark (guitar/vocals/percussio ...
'' (2000) and on the soundtrack of the
Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...
film ''
Mr. Wrong ''Mr. Wrong'' is a 1996 American romantic black comedy film starring Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Pullman. It was a critical failure and box office bomb. DeGeneres used to mention it occasionally in her talk show, ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', pok ...
''. *
Five Iron Frenzy Five Iron Frenzy is an American band formed in Denver, Colorado, in 1995. Best known for playing ska punk music characterized by an offbeat sense of humor and prominent Christian themes, Five Iron was one of the pioneering figures of the Christi ...
covered this song on their live album '' Five Iron Frenzy LIVE: Proof That the Youth Are Revolting'', and later released a studio recorded version on their album ''
All the Hype That Money Can Buy ''All the Hype That Money Can Buy'' is the third studio album by Five Iron Frenzy, released on April 25, 2000, by Five Minute Walk, under their SaraBellum imprint, with distribution from Warner Bros. Records. Overview ''All the Hype That Mon ...
''. *
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
recorded a version of the song on her 1966 record, '' The Sonny Side of Cher''. *Writer Les Reed and his orchestra also recorded an
instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
version on their 1971 record, ''Colour Me''. *
Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
singer/artist
Sam Sorono A Tom Jones impersonator is someone who impersonates or imitates the look and sound of musician Tom Jones. Professional Tom Jones impersonators or Tom Jones tribute artists, perform all over the world as entertainers. Similarly to Elvis Presley an ...
(1950–2008) covered this song on his 1978 ''Sings Tom Jones' Greatest Hits'' LP album with
EMI Records EMI Records (formerly EMI Records Ltd.) is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It originally founded as a British flagship label by the music company of the same name in 1972, and launched in January 1973 as the succ ...
. *
The Wedding Present The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group originally formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, from the ashes of The Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, ...
recorded a version included on the UK remastered re-release of their 1989 album, ''
Bizarro Bizarro () is a supervillain/anti-hero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman, and first appeared in ''Superboy'' #68 (1958) ...
''. *The alternative rock band
Belly Belly may refer to: Anatomy * The abdomen, the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax; or the stomach ** A beer belly, an overhang of fat above the waist, presumed to be caused by regular beer drinking ** Belly dance * The fleshy, cen ...
covered the song on the 1994 soundtrack of the movie ''With Honors''. *
Clare Teal Clare Teal (born 14 May 1973) is an English singer and broadcaster who has become famous not only for her singing, but also for having signed the biggest recording contract by a British jazz singer. Biography Teal was brought up in the Kildwic ...
in a jazz style on her 2012 album ''The Many Sides of Clare Teal''. *
Temuera Morrison Temuera Derek Morrison (born 26 December 1960) is a New Zealand actor and Singer who first gained recognition for his role as Dr. Hone Ropata on the soap opera ''Shortland Street''. He gained critical acclaim for his starring role as Jake "The ...
covered the song on his 2014 album ''Tem''.


''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''

The song enjoyed a resurgence in the mid-1990s, as it was used in the hit
sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz for NBC. It aired from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart t ...
'' on several occasions. It typically features
Carlton Banks Carlton Banks is a fictional Character (arts), character portrayed by Alfonso Ribeiro on the NBC television sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' from September 1990 to May 1996, the preppy and politically conservative cousin, main foil, and even ...
, one of the lead characters, lip-syncing to the lyrics and performing comedic choreography (which came to be known as "the Carlton dance"). 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 ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
" as Carlton's guardian angel, who performed the song with Carlton's actor
Alfonso Ribeiro Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro (born September 21, 1971) is an American actor, comedian and television host. He is best known for his roles as Alfonso Spears on the sitcom ''Silver Spoons'', Carlton Banks on the NBC sitcom ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ...
.


References


Bibliography

* {{authority control 1965 singles Decca Records singles Parrot Records singles Tom Jones (singer) songs Glen Campbell songs UK Singles Chart number-one singles Number-one singles in South Africa Songs written by Les Reed (songwriter) 1964 songs Songs written by Gordon Mills