Tom Jones’ manager, Gordon Mills, had asked Paul Anka to write a song that would be a guaranteed hit in the U.S., so as Anka sat on the plane, he began thinking, ‘Tom…women…’ and the rest is history.
Brimming with male bravado, She’s A Lady became a tremendous hit for Tom Jones, who recorded it in 1971 on his album Sing She’s A Lady. The song reached #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and became Jones’ biggest selling single of all time, giving Anka his first #1 hit in the USA and his only #1 hit in CashBox Magazine.
The success of She’s A Lady was another notch in Anka’s belt and yet another example of his versatility as a songwriter. The cheeky lyrics and swinging beat were perfect for Jones, a crooning Casanova known for his sexual energy on stage.
Other artists have produced unique renditions of this standard, including a house version by Funkstar de Luxe on his 2001 album Keep on Moving (It’s Too Funky in Here), and a jazzy, tongue in cheek version by Patricia Barber on her 1998 album Modern Cool.
