Now about 60 years long, Tom Jones‘ career thankfully shows no signs of slowing down. He’s still touring, recording, and appearing on television with regularity. It’s fair to wonder how that career might have developed were it not for the early boost it received from “It’s Not Unusual.”
What is the song about? And how did Jones nearly miss out on recording this track, were it not for a generous decision? Let’s start swinging those hips and dive deep into “It’s Not Unusual.”
The Rise of Tom Jones
He was born Thomas Woodward amid humble surroundings in Wales in 1940. Despite their poverty, the parents of the man who would eventually be rechristened Tom Jones to cash in the popularity of a British film of the same name, loved music, and they passed that love on to Tom, who was gifted with a powerhouse voice.
As he made his way to the London music scene when it was at its height in the early ’60s, Jones thought he’d be well-served to sing in a rock band, since those were the acts who were having the greatest success at the time. But his efforts didn’t attract much attention.
He kept plugging away until Gordon Mills, a part-time songwriter, found him singing at a club. Mills took on the role of Jones’ manager (the name change was one of his first orders of business). And it was one of Mills’ songs that helped Jones to stardom, although it originally wasn’t intended to do so.
“Unusual” Business
In 1964, the British teenage chanteuse Sandie Shaw broke out with a massive hit version of the Hal David-Burt Bacharach song “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me.” Mills penned the lyrics to “It’s Not Unusual” with the intent of pitching the song to Shaw to sing. Since he had Jones at his disposal, he asked Tom to do the demo.
Then a funny thing happened. Although reports differ about whether it was Shaw herself or someone in her employ who made the decision, somebody who heard the demo reported back to Mills, who had co-written the song with composer Les Reed. They told him Jones was so good on the demo it would be a shame if he didn’t get a chance to record it.
Speaking of conflicting reports, some say that luminaries like Jimmy Page and a then-undiscovered keyboardist named Reginald Dwight (soon to undergo a name change of his own and become Elton John) played on the session for “It’s Not Unusual.” What’s for sure is Jones’ blustery voice came blasting out of the peppy, horn-filled arrangement and propelled the song to the top of the UK charts.
What is the Meaning of “It’s Not Unusual”?
“It’s Not Unusual” gets a lot of mileage out of the title phrase. It suggests something casual and routine, but the energy in Jones’ voice lets out the secret that his feelings for the girl in the song are anything but ordinary: But when I see you hanging about with anyone / It’s not unusual to see me cry / I wanna die.
The song nods to the unpredictable notion of romance: Love will never do what you want it to. The narrator finds hope in the idea things might turn his way: Why can’t this crazy love be mine? And, maybe, just maybe, fate may send her his way: But if I ever find that you’ve changed at any time / It’s not unusual to find that I’m in love with you.
Without Jones’ vocals, “It’s Not Unusual” might seem like one of many ’60s pop trifles. He imbues it with playfulness and deep emotion all at once. It was the first of many hit singles for the legend, setting the tone for a long, brilliant career.
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