How Chrissie Hynde and Lisa Kudrow created the classic ‘Friends’ song ‘Smelly Cat’
The iconic American sitcom Friends had its fair share of famous cameo appearances. With guest stars like Robin Williams, Brad Pitt, Winona Ryder, and Julia Roberts, the beloved show chronicled the lives of six dear friends in New York and knew how to keep its audience on its toes. One of the most memorable moments in the series occurred in ‘The One with the Baby on the Bus’, when Lisa Kudrow’s character, Phoebe Buffay, reunites with an old friend who expresses a keen interest in her song ‘Smelly Cat’.
In this particular instance, the guest appearance is made by Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, taking on the role of Stephanie Schiffer. Stephanie is brought in to replace Phoebe as the regular performer at Central Perk after Rachel’s manager, Terry, instructs her to dismiss her friend Phoebe, citing concerns about her performance. Phoebe is defensive, mocking Stephanie for knowing guitar chords and protesting outside the coffee shop.
The episode contains many poignant moments, including a special cover of ‘Angel of the Morning’ by Hynde. However, perhaps the most captivating aspect is the focus on the cherished Friends song ‘Smelly Cat’ throughout the episode. The song was originally co-authored by the series writers Adam Chase and Betsy Borns, along with Hynde and Kudrow. It makes its debut in the episode when Phoebe introduces the song to her.
Interestingly, Borns initially intended to create a song about a dog, inspired by her own pet dog Gouda, but later decided that a song about a malodorous cat would be more humorous. “My dog was so smelly his name was Gouda, because he smelled like bad cheese,” said Borns. “But it was determined that ‘cat’ was funnier.”
Also, when Hynde first agreed to make a guest appearance on the show, she had limited awareness of the sitcom’s growing popularity, as she had not heard of the show before being cast. Nonetheless, Kudrow fondly described the experience of writing the song with Hynde as “amazing”. Though it seems silly to most, it’s become one of the show’s most famous creations and is considered within the show as Phoebe’s most iconic song.
While the song has achieved cult classic status and taken on a life of its own, Hynde’s contribution remains significant. When Kudrow was invited on stage to duet the show with Taylor Swift as part of her 1989 world tour, she interrupted Swift mid-performance to give her feedback and remind her to feel the song’s lyrics, insisting that she master the song by referencing her performance with Hynde.
Hynde used to find it irritating when fans would request her to perform the song during her stage performances, particularly as her musical career encompasses a lot more than just that one project. However, she has since grown accustomed to the song’s popularity and now considers it to be “probably my biggest legacy now”. In fact, the song’s popularity soared to the extent that fans requested its release as an album track.
In response, Kudrow and the Pretenders, credited as Phoebe Buffay and the Hairballs, collaborated to record an updated version of the song titled ‘Smelly Cat Medley’ for the soundtrack album Friends Again in 1999. Ultimately, what initially began as a charming, lighthearted novelty evolved into a song that left a lasting mark on the collective memory of those who watched the television series in the 1990s and for decades to come.
