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The key group of the early-'80s rockabilly revival, the Stray Cats scored several big hits on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to a striking
visual style tailor-made for the early days of MTV, as well as genuine musical chops that evoked the best players of rockabilly's original
heyday. The Stray Cats were formed by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer in the Long Island town of Massapequa, NY, in 1979. At first, Setzer
played rockabilly covers in a band called the Tom Cats with his drumming brother Gary and bassist Bob Beecher; however, Setzer soon
abandoned that group to join up with new ...read more
The key group of the early-'80s rockabilly revival, the Stray Cats scored several big hits on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to a striking
visual style tailor-made for the early days of MTV, as well as genuine musical chops that evoked the best players of rockabilly's original
heyday. The Stray Cats were formed by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer in the Long Island town of Massapequa, NY, in 1979. At first, Setzer
played rockabilly covers in a band called the Tom Cats with his drumming brother Gary and bassist Bob Beecher; however, Setzer soon
abandoned that group to join up with newly rechristened school friends Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (born James
McDonnell). However, their retro '50s look and sound didn't go over well around Long Island, and in the summer of 1980 the group headed to
England, where a rockabilly revival movement was just beginning to emerge.
After one of their gigs in London, the Stray Cats met producer Dave Edmunds, well known as a roots rock enthusiast for his work with
Rockpile and as a solo artist. Edmunds offered to work with the group, and they entered the studio to record their self-titled debut album,
released in England in 1981 on Arista. They were popular right out of the box, scoring three straight hits that year with "Runaway Boys,"
"Rock This Town," and "Stray Cat Strut." The follow-up, Gonna Ball, wasn't as well received, and stung by the negative reviews, the
Stray Cats decided to return to the States and make a go of it. They signed with EMI America and in 1982 released their U.S. debut, Built
for Speed, which compiled the highlights from their two British LPs. Helped by extensive airplay on MTV at the height of the anything-goes
new wave era, "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" both hit the American Top Ten, over a year after their British chart peaks. As a result,
Built for Speed was a left-field smash, and the Stray Cats were seen as avatars of retro style. Their second American album, Rant n'
Rave With the Stray Cats, appeared in 1983 and produced another Top Ten hit in "(She's) Sexy + 17," as well as "I Won't Stand in Your
Way," a minor Top 40 entry in the doo wop-styled ballad.
Personality conflicts began to emerge in the ways the individual members handled their newfound success; Phantom married actress (and
former Rod Stewart paramour) Britt Ekland, while Setzer made guest appearances with stars like Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks and became the
concert guitarist for Robert Plant's Honeydrippers side project. In late 1984, Setzer broke up the band amid much bad blood. Rocker and
Phantom immediately teamed up with guitarist Earl Slick and recorded an album as Phantom, Rocker & Slick, while Setzer waited a couple of
years before releasing his roots rock solo debut, The Knife Feels Like Justice. By 1986, fences had apparently been mended enough for
the Stray Cats to reconvene in Los Angeles and record the covers-heavy Rock Therapy, which didn't sell that well. The trio returned to
their respective post-Stray Cats projects, which both released albums that performed disappointingly. In 1989, they reunited once again for
the album Blast Off, which was accompanied by a tour with Stevie Ray Vaughan. No longer with EMI, the Cats entered the studio with
Nile Rodgers for the lackluster Let's Go Faster, issued by Liberation in 1990. 1992's Dave Edmunds-produced Choo Choo Hot Fish
also attracted little attention, and after another covers album, Original Cool, the group called it quits again. They have since reunited
periodically for live performances. Setzer, of course, went on to spearhead the '90s swing revival with his Brian Setzer Orchestra, which
performed classic big band swing and jump blues tunes, as well as Setzer originals. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide « hide |
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