Stray Cats (album)
Encyclopedia
Stray Cats is the first album from the rockabilly
band Stray Cats
. It was released in the UK and was very successful, with hits such as "Runaway Boys," "Stray Cat Strut
," and "Rock This Town
."
"Storm the Embassy" is about the Iran hostage crisis
of 1979-80 and may be the only time the Stray Cats recorded a political song.
This album has never been released in the United States. Six of the songs from it, including the hits "Stray Cat Strut
" and "Rock This Town
", were issued on the band's first American album Built for Speed
.
~ produced by Dave Edmunds and ^ produced by Brian Setzer & Stray Cats
(United Kingdom)
Singles
, the Nintendo GameCube
game Donkey Konga
, the Nintendo DS
game Elite Beat Agents
, and the PS2 version of the Disney Pixar
game Cars
. "Stray Cat Strut" is featured in the Nintendo DS
game Guitar Hero: On Tour.
"Ubangi Stomp" was featured in the 1998 South Korea
n film The Quiet Family
and in the 2005 Russian film Dead Man's Bluff (Жмурки)
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
band Stray Cats
Stray Cats
Stray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
. It was released in the UK and was very successful, with hits such as "Runaway Boys," "Stray Cat Strut
Stray Cat Strut
"Stray Cat Strut" is the eighth track on the Stray Cats' debut album, Stray Cats, released in 1981 in the UK. In the US, the song was first released in 1982 on Built for Speed. The song became a hit in the US, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, over a year after it had reached its...
," and "Rock This Town
Rock This Town
"Rock This Town" is a song by the Stray Cats from their UK debut album Stray Cats. Its first U.S. release was on the 1982 album Built for Speed. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, becoming the first of the band's three top ten hits in the U.S...
."
"Storm the Embassy" is about the Iran hostage crisis
Iran hostage crisis
The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students and militants took over the American Embassy in Tehran in support of the Iranian...
of 1979-80 and may be the only time the Stray Cats recorded a political song.
This album has never been released in the United States. Six of the songs from it, including the hits "Stray Cat Strut
Stray Cat Strut
"Stray Cat Strut" is the eighth track on the Stray Cats' debut album, Stray Cats, released in 1981 in the UK. In the US, the song was first released in 1982 on Built for Speed. The song became a hit in the US, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, over a year after it had reached its...
" and "Rock This Town
Rock This Town
"Rock This Town" is a song by the Stray Cats from their UK debut album Stray Cats. Its first U.S. release was on the 1982 album Built for Speed. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, becoming the first of the band's three top ten hits in the U.S...
", were issued on the band's first American album Built for Speed
Built for Speed
Built for Speed is the first American album from the rockabilly band Stray Cats. It was the most successful record for the band, with the videos for songs such as "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" reaching MTV regular rotation status. This album is a compilation of 12 songs taken from the...
.
Track listing
- "Runaway Boys" ~ (Brian SetzerBrian SetzerBrian Setzer is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He first found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly revival group The Stray Cats, and revitalized his career in the late 1990s with a jazz-oriented big band.-Career:Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York...
, Jimmy McDonnellSlim Jim PhantomSlim Jim Phantom is the drummer for Stray Cats. Alongside band mates Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker, he spearheaded the neo-rockabilly movement of the early 1980s.-Biography:...
) - 3:03 - "Fishnet Stockings" ^ (Brian Setzer) - 2:25
- "Ubangi Stomp" ^ (Charles Underwood) - 3:14
- "Jeanie, Jeanie, JeanieJeannie Jeannie JeannieThe Stray Cats recorded a version of "Jeanie Jeanie Jeanie" which was released on their first UK album Stray Cats in 1981. The song was also released on their debut US album Built for Speed...
" ~ (George MotolaGeorge MotolaGeorge Motola was a record producer, songwriter, and sound engineer during the 1950s till his death.-Early life and career:...
, Ricky Page) - 2:21 - "Storm The Embassy" ^ (Brian Setzer, Slim Jim PhantomSlim Jim PhantomSlim Jim Phantom is the drummer for Stray Cats. Alongside band mates Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker, he spearheaded the neo-rockabilly movement of the early 1980s.-Biography:...
) - 4:08 - "Rock This TownRock This Town"Rock This Town" is a song by the Stray Cats from their UK debut album Stray Cats. Its first U.S. release was on the 1982 album Built for Speed. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, becoming the first of the band's three top ten hits in the U.S...
" ~ (Dave EdmundsDave EdmundsDavid 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...
, Brian Setzer) - 3:28 - "Rumble in Brighton" ^ (Brian Setzer, Slim Jim Phantom) - 3:16
- "Stray Cat StrutStray Cat Strut"Stray Cat Strut" is the eighth track on the Stray Cats' debut album, Stray Cats, released in 1981 in the UK. In the US, the song was first released in 1982 on Built for Speed. The song became a hit in the US, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, over a year after it had reached its...
" ~ (Brian Setzer) - 3:16 - "Crawl Up and Die" * - 3:13
- "Double Talkin' Baby" ~ (Danny Wolfe) - 3:05
- "My One Desire" ~ (Dorsey BurnetteDorsey BurnetteDorsey Burnette was an early Rockabilly singer. With his younger brother, Johnny Burnette, and a friend named Paul Burlison, he was a founder member of The Rock and Roll Trio.-Background and early career:Dorsey Burnett was born on December 28, 1932 to Willie May and Dorsey Burnett Sr...
) - 2:57 - "Wild Saxophone" ^ (Brian Setzer) - 3:01
~ produced by Dave Edmunds and ^ produced by Brian Setzer & Stray Cats
Personnel
- Brian SetzerBrian SetzerBrian Setzer is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He first found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly revival group The Stray Cats, and revitalized his career in the late 1990s with a jazz-oriented big band.-Career:Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York...
- guitar, vocals - Slim Jim PhantomSlim Jim PhantomSlim Jim Phantom is the drummer for Stray Cats. Alongside band mates Brian Setzer and Lee Rocker, he spearheaded the neo-rockabilly movement of the early 1980s.-Biography:...
- drums - Lee RockerLee RockerLee Rocker is an American rockabilly double bass player. He is the son of the classical clarinetists Stanley Drucker and Naomi Drucker. His sister Roseanne is a country music singer-songwriter...
- bass - Gary BarnacleGary BarnacleGary Barnacle is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work Gary Barnacle (born 1959, Dover, England) is a saxophonist/flautist, brass instrument arranger, composer and producer, primarily noted for session work, live work...
- saxophone
Charts
Album - UK Albums ChartUK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
(United Kingdom)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | UK Albums | 6 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 1980 | "Runaway Boys" | UK Top 40 | 9 |
| February 1981 | "Rock This Town" | UK Top 40 | 9 |
| April 1981 | "Stray Cat Strut" | UK Top 40 | 11 |
In other media
The song "Rock This Town" is featured in the multiplatform game Guitar Hero IIGuitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
, the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
game Donkey Konga
Donkey Konga
is a GameCube rhythm video game starring the ape Donkey Kong, developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. Instead of the standard GameCube controllers, the game is intended to be played with a special controller called the DK Bongos that resemble two small bongo drums.Donkey Konga was developed...
, the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
game Elite Beat Agents
Elite Beat Agents
Elite Beat Agents is a music video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It was first released in North America, and has since been released in Europe and South Korea . It is the spiritual sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, a Japanese rhythm game...
, and the PS2 version of the Disney Pixar
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
game Cars
CARS
Cars, or automobiles, motor cars, are wheeled motor vehicles used for transporting passengers.Cars or CARS may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Cars , a Disney/Pixar film series...
. "Stray Cat Strut" is featured in the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
game Guitar Hero: On Tour.
"Ubangi Stomp" was featured in the 1998 South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n film The Quiet Family
The Quiet Family
The Quiet Family is a 1998 South Korean comedy horror film. It was director Kim Ji-woon's feature film debut. The story centers around a family who owns a hunting lodge in a remote area, whose customers always happen to end up dying...
and in the 2005 Russian film Dead Man's Bluff (Жмурки)