"
It's Not Unusual" is a song written by
Les Reed and
Gordon Mills, first recorded by a then-unknown
Tom Jones, after having first been offered to
Sandie Shaw. Jones recorded what was intended to be a demo for Shaw, but when she heard it she was so impressed with Jones' delivery that she declined the song and recommended that Jones release it himself. The record was the second
Decca single Jones released, reaching number one in the
UK Singles Chart in 1965. It was also the first hit for Jones in the
US, peaking at No. 10 in May of that year. The single was released in the US on the
Parrot label and also reached #3 on
Billboard's
easy listening chart. The
BBC initially refused to play the song because of Jones’ sexy image, but it was played by UK
pirate radio. Jones would perform the song several times on
The Ed Sullivan Show in the US, first on 2 May 1965, then again on 13 June 1965. He would sing the song again on the show when he returned on 21 April 1968.