Brian Robert Setzer, James Robert McDonnell and Leon Drucker were three neighbors of Massapequa, a small town in the county of Nassau, located  in the state of New York, who shared a disproportionate fondness for music playing and for the pioneer artists of the  r & r. They started an incredible adventure that will forever change their lives and that of many fans.

In June of 1980, after gaining a reputation in the local scene, they flied to London, attracted by the explosion of the rockabilly genre , with the intention of spending the summer and trying some luck. Surprisingly, a few weeks later they appeared on the cover of the influential New Musical Express magazine and some members of the most famous bands (The Clash, The Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, The Kinks) come to see them and were shocked by their music, their aesthetics and its explosives live concerts.

WHO OR WHO WAS BEHIND THIS SUCCESSFUL SUCCESS?

After conquering the European and Japanese market, they knocked out another heavyweight of the record industry, the American, getting placed  on the sales charts behind the unbeatable Thriller  by Michael Jackson, something unthinkable for a trio that plays rockabilly .

After almost forty years of the creation of the band their first biography is written. This is the fascinating story of Stray Cats, their first steps, their influences, their records, their mythical performances, their symbols, their instruments, their technique, their conflicts and relationships, It´s the story of an unexpected split and about an era where punk embers are still hot, where subculture youth rules in London´s streets, where the crazy Japanese fans assert their reputation and where Hell’s Angels escort them at their triumphal entry into Paris. This is the story of a track that still remains indelible … THE TRACK OF THE CAT.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I Massapequa days

h

THOSE MARVELLOUS YEARS

h

WHAT THEY CALL ROCK AND ROLL

h

FIRST STEPS ON LONG ISLAND

PART II New York, New York

h

NEW YORK, YEAR ZERO

h

MAX'S KANSAS CITY

h

THE MEETING

h

SLADE´S FASHION DESIGNER AND THE ROCKATS AMERICAN ADVENTURE

h

SIREN SONG

h

A CAT ON YOUR THE SKIN

PART III Stray Cat Strut

h

LONDON, JUNE 1980

h

TEDDY BOY CONNECTION

h

RUMBLE!

h

FIRST GIGS

h

AN ALBUM FOR THE AGES

h

THE PURISTS, THE PRESS AND A PLAN TO CONQUER AMERICA

h

AN ISLAND PARADISE, A SKILFULL CHEF AND A FENDER AMPLIFIER

h

THE EMPIRE OF THE RISING SUN

h

TV DEBUT IN THE UNITED STATES

h

THE ROLLING STONES: A DREAM COMES TRUE

h

IS PARIS BURNING?

h

STRAY CATS IN SPAIN

h

PATHS TO GLORY: BUILT FOR SPEED

h

WILLIE NELSON 4th JULY: AN APPROACH TO COUNTRY MUSIC

h

US FEST: OVER THE TOP

h

WILLIE NELSON 4th JULY: APPROACHING COUNTRY

h

A PERFECT ROCKABILLY ALBUM

h

THE OLD GUARD OF THE R & R

h

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

PART IV Six lifes

h

THE SPLIT UP

h

SEPARATE PATHS

h

MR. BLUE SUEDE SHOES

h

ROCK AND ROLL THERAPY

h

SOME CATS PROWL THROUGH HOLLYWOOD

h

NUDE GUITARS

PART V The Return

h

THE MEETING

h

RIDING THE SNAKE

h

THE LONG-AWAITED ALBUM

h

ON TOUR

h

LET'S GO FASTER. GOODBYE TO THE MULTINATIONALS

h

THE LOST TAPES

h

FISH & CHIPS, ELVIS ON MARS AND FRANK SINATRAS´S GUITAR

h

THE ORIGIN OF AN ORCHESTRA

h

A FAREWELL TRIBUTE

PART VI Other lives

h

2004 MEETING

h

2007 MEETING

h

2008 MEETING

h

THE FAREWELL TOUR IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

h

FINAL CONFESSIONS

SHOP NOW FOR THE BOOK!

 

This is a demo store for testing purposes — no orders shall be fulfilled. Dismiss

Pin It on Pinterest