Format 7", 12" Length 3:15 | Genre Rockabilly | |
B-side "Drink That Bottle Down" (UK)
"You Don't Believe Me" (US)
"What's Goin' Down (Cross That Bridge)" (Japan) Released April 16, 1981 (UK)
June 11, 1982 (US) Label Arista (UK)
EMI America (US) | ||
"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 No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, over a year after it had reached its No. 11 peak in the UK. The music video for the song received extensive airplay on MTV during the channel's early days. The video consisted of band members (and extras) performing in an alley while an irate resident throws things at them. It also featured scenes from the 1949 MGM cartoon Bad Luck Blackie.
Contents
In the October 1998 issue of Guitar World magazine, Brian Setzer's solo from "Stray Cat Strut" ranked No. 92 on the "Top 100 Guitar Solos of All Time" list.
Cover versions
Setzer later played this song with his subsequent band, the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and released live recordings on Jumpin' East of Java, The Ultimate Collection, Don't Mess with a Big Band (Live!) and Christmas Comes Alive!.
In 1989, Spanish rockabilly band Los Renegados covered the song in Spanish as Gato de callejón, which in turn was later covered in 2006 by Jack y Los Daniels.
In 2006, the ska punk band Reel Big Fish covered the song for a compilation titled Go Cat Go! A Tribute to Stray Cats.
It was also featured as a playable track in the music video game Guitar Hero: On Tour, and was released as downloadable content for Rock Band (though credited to Setzer as a solo artist).
Appearances
On the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars, Rocco DiSpirito and Karina Smirnoff danced a foxtrot to this song. William Levy and Cheryl Burke also danced a foxtrot to this song on the 14th season of the show.