Stray Cats (album)

Stray Cats
Studio album by Stray Cats
Released February 1981
Recorded 1980-1981
Genre Rockabilly
Length 37:11
Label Arista
Producer Dave Edmunds
Stray Cats chronology

Stray Cats
(1981)		 Gonna Ball
(1981)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

Stray Cats is the first album from the American rockabilly band Stray Cats, first released in the UK by Arista in 1981. It was successful in Britain, peaking at No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart, and produced the UK Top 40 hits "Runaway Boys" (No. 9), "Stray Cat Strut" (No. 11) and "Rock This Town" (No. 9). The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later listed "Rock This Town" as one of the 500 most important songs in the history of rock and roll.[2]

The fifth track on the album, "Storm the Embassy", was written about the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-80.

The album was only later released in the United States after the success of Stray Cats' first American album, 1982's Built for Speed. However, six of the songs from Stray Cats, including "Stray Cat Strut" and "Rock This Town", were already included on Built for Speed.

Track listing

  1. "Runaway Boys" ~ (Brian Setzer, Jim McDonnell) - 3:03
  2. "Fishnet Stockings" ^ (Brian Setzer) - 2:25
  3. "Ubangi Stomp" ^ (Charles Underwood) - 3:14
  4. "Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie" ~ (George Motola, Ricky Page) - 2:21
  5. "Storm The Embassy" ^ (Brian Setzer, Slim Jim Phantom) - 4:08
  6. "Rock This Town" ~ (Brian Setzer) - 3:28
  7. "Rumble in Brighton" ^ (Brian Setzer, Slim Jim Phantom) - 3:16
  8. "Stray Cat Strut" ~ (Brian Setzer) - 3:16
  9. "Crawl Up and Die" (Brian Feli, Jim Feli) - 3:13
  10. "Double Talkin' Baby" ~ (Danny Wolfe) - 3:05
  11. "My One Desire" ~ (Dorsey Burnette) - 2:57
  12. "Wild Saxaphone" ^ (Roy Montrell, John Marascalco, Robert Blackwell) - 3:01

Personnel

Charts

Album - 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" appeared in the video games Guitar Hero II, Donkey Konga, Elite Beat Agents, Cars and in the TV show The Americans.

"Stray Cat Strut" is featured in the Nintendo DS game Guitar Hero: On Tour.

"Ubangi Stomp" was featured in the 1998 South Korean film The Quiet Family, and in the 2005 Russian film, Dead Man's Bluff (Жмурки).

References

  1. ↑ Sharon Mawer. "Stray Cats - Stray Cats | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-22.
  2. ↑ "Rocklist.net...Steve Parker...Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-10-24.