It's Not Unual was originally written for:

[luke]

a)Davy Jones
b)Stevie Wonder
c)Chuck Jackson
d)Al Wilson


Answer announced tomorrow.

[soulster]

Unual? Is that right? Are you sure you don't want to fix that to "Unusual"?

[uptight]

I could hear Chuck Jackson singing it.

[dickiemint]

None of the above, it was written for Sandi Shaw, who said that the person singing the demo should release the song, and the demo singer was Tom Jones .

[texassoul]

None of the above, it was written for Sandi Shaw, who said that the person singing the demo should release the song, and the demo singer was Tom Jones .

Aww, dang!! Another trick question. Bummer.

[Roberta75]

Unual? Is that right? Are you sure you don't want to fix that to "Unusual"?

LOL Good one Soulster.

[robb_k]

The Dells sang it, too [[albeit later than Tom Jones).

[P-Shark: The Revenge]

Unual? Is that right? Are you sure you don't want to fix that to "Unusual"?

Yeah thats right, its the drunk idiot karaoke version

[luke]

NOT TRUE per the singer who said it was written for him. Deadline extended til tomorrow.

[smark21]

I would like to know who the singer most associated with "It's Not Unual",let alone who was originally written for. I've never heard that song before.

[P-Shark: The Revenge]

Wouldn't be Stevie, he doesn't need anybody writing his songs.
Has to be Davey Jones since he's a fellow Brit

[Roberta75]

I would like to know who the singer most associated with "It's Not Unual",let alone who was originally written for. I've never heard that song before.

LOL smark21. You'll have to wait until tomorrow when Luke will reveal the mystery behind the Unual song.

[simplysupreme]

LOL smark21. You'll have to wait until tomorrow when Luke will reveal the mystery behind the Unual song.

Oh, the suspense!

[mark speck]

The Impressions also cut a version of the song.

Best,

Mark

[stephanie]

I would say Davey Jones!

[texassoul]

None of the above, it was written for Sandi Shaw, who said that the person singing the demo should release the song, and the demo singer was Tom Jones .

I would agree!

[Sotosound]

I would agree!

I'm with texassoul on this.

[Hotspurman]

I'll agree too. In every story about It's Not Unusual that I've have ever read, it was clearly stated that Les Reed and Gordon Mills wrote the song with Sandie Shaw in mind but she turned it down.

[luke]

Remember there are always two sides to stories. And because one side always stated something does not mean there was not another side. Sometime people dont get the chance or attention to state their side. Didnt Stevie sing For Once in My Life?

[dickiemint]

I have seen Tom Jones interviews on TV where he tells the Sandie Shaw story, and also that when It's not unusual became a hit in the States,he tells of how Dionne Warwick took him to see Chuck jackson perform at the Appollo NY, and he was blown away by him, in fact you can hear similar phrasing with Tom Jones and Chuck Jackson, which just shows how influenced UK singers were in the 60's by US soul and blues artists.

I am sticking to Sandie Shaw as the answer. She and Tom shared the same Managment/ Songwriting team Mills & Reed.

[alanh]

I must side with the Sandie Shaw option. Tom Jones was hired, before he became famous for his version of the song, to sing it as a demo for Sandie to hear. Decca archives show he recorded it in November 1964 and the arrangement of that version was similar to the sound Sandie Shaw had for her hit 'There's Always Something There To Remind Me'. After she turned it down [[saying I believe that it suited the demo singer better than herself) he went back into the studio in December to record the version/arrangement we all now know. The early version exists and, after being discovered in the vaults in 1992, has been made available from time to time. I have it on a UK Decca various artiste compilation CD called 'As Years Go By'. You can also hear it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WSYW6xGgXw

Now, I agree that this doesn't prove that Gordon Mills and Les Reed didn't intend it for another singer, but I've heard the Sandie Shaw connection several times. Also at that point in UK music history and considering the other artistes in Luke's list, I think it unlikely these British writers would have wanted to pitch a song to them. Far more likely the emerging and 'hot at the time' Sandie Shaw!

[luke]

Dont be down on the yanks!! www.chuckjackson.org go to Biography tab.

[copley]

Sandie Shaw turned it down in favour of Tom Jones. So says both Sandie & Tom. They were there so they should know!

[phil]

Dont be down on the yanks!! www.chuckjackson.org go to Biography tab.

"Britain's Tom Jones was heavily influenced by Chuck when he touched down on American soil with the smash that was originally written for Chuck, "It's Not Unusual."

Good, but where's the proof ? Is there any interview with the writers of the song ?

Though it's possible that they [[Les Reed & Gordon Mills) wrote it with Jackson's voice in mind. [[?)

[Hotspurman]

I looked at the mention on the Chuck Jackson biography too, but I don't think it confirms Les Reed and Gordon Mills wrote it with Chuck in mind. Why would they offer it to Sandie Shaw first if they intended getting it to Chuck Jackson? Besides, Sandie had just come off a UK number one, whilst Chuck was relatively unknown in this territory. Methinks the biography mention is employing a little bit of journalistic licence. I'm sticking with the song being written for Sandie Shaw until such time Les or Gordon confirm otherwise.

[texassoul]

Me thinks we're not going to agree on the answer to this question!! ;o)

[alanh]

I've always been someone fascinated by original versions of hits and information about who songs were written for and have been intrigued by the discussion. I thought the only way we're going to get a definitive answer on this one was to ask Les Reed himself, one of the composers. I emailed him and got this very interesting reply:

Hi Alan,
Thank you for your interest….the forum looks pretty cool too. I am honoured!
Certainly, the song was written for Sandie Shaw, and because Tom had just signed to Gordon as artist, we decided he should sing the demo for her. Late 1964, we booked Regent Sound Studios in Denmark Street in London and with me on piano, Gordon singing back-up’s, Mitch Mitchell on drums [[Jimi Hendrix) Peter Lee Stirling guitar, and Eric Ford on bass, we cut the demonstration record, with Tom singing ala Chuck Jackson [[who Gordon and I were very aware of). Sandie’s manager hated the song, but played it to Sandie anyway.
She said….”should be sung by the guy on the demo”. I scored the arrangement and we recorded the track at Decca studios a few weeks later. Unfortunately, the producer Peter Sullivan thought that my arrangement would have been better suited to Sandie Shaw!! So…..back to the drawing board, and I came up with the arrangement that we all now know. Great….it reached number one in the charts, and has been covered by every major artist on the planet. Thanks to Sandie!! By the way, Barry Mason and I wrote “Delilah for P.J.Proby, and I produced his version [[now released) a few months before playing it to Tom. Proby hated the song, and we took the recording off of the album we made with him called “Believe It Or Not”. Again, we found the right artist eventually in Tom.
That’s all for now.
Hope this helps.
My best to all on the forum.
As always,
Les

[P-Shark: The Revenge]

Good job Alan
Case closed

[Hotspurman]

Alan - now you have got this confirmed beyond all doubt, do you think you can locate Shergar? And Lord Lucan, while you at it....

[bankhousedave]

Four Tops did a good version too on their live album, but the Jones single was a masterpiece - everything worked, especially Les's arrangement.