Formed Long Island, New York, 1979; disbanded, 1984; reformed several times since. If Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and Carl Perkins engaged in a drunken menage a trois and produced a musical offspring, the Stray Cats would be it. Formed in Long Island, New York during the late 70s, the band consisted of three high school friends. With Brian Setzer on guitar, Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell) on drums and Lee Rocker (born Lee Drucher) on standup bass, the Stray Cats plowed some of the same fertile ground as their influences. The unit's sound was not some reanimated zombie from the '50s, though. There was a punk/new wave insurrection happening in New York at the time. The Stray Cats threw this into the mix and the resultant voodoo stew of neo-rockabilly was distilled into pure pop. The trio soon relocated to the United Kingdom, where pre-Buddy Holly rock n roll has never quite gone out of style. Some well received gigs brought them quick notoriety. Soon they were taken under Dave Edmund's wing. Roots rocker Edmunds would produce much of their subsequent work. In 1981 they released their debut album Stray Cats in Britian. Dusting off some rockabilly chestnuts and brewing up a batch of strong originals, the Stray Cats served notice that they delivered the real McCoy. Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker were an adequate rhythm section, but Brian Setzer's crackling guitar was defenitely the focus. Further, Setzer was capable of conjuring every rockabilly vocal trick in the book, from hiccups to growls. The Stray Cats soon issued another LP of classy songs and they returned to their homeland to crack the all-important American market, gaining exposure by opening for the Rolling Stones on their "Tattoo You" tour. The trio also appeared on the American television show, Fridays.Finally in 1982, the trio released their first album in the States, Built For Speed....
01. Rock This Town
02. Look At That Cadillac
03. Bring It Back Again
04. Stray Cat Strut
05. Gene And Eddie
06. Race With The Devil
07. (She's) Sexy + 17
08. I Won't Stand In Your Way
09. You Can't Hurry Love
10. Baby Blue Eyes
