Released in August 1983, critics generally viewed Rant N' Rave favorably, citing the band's tributes to 1950s rock 'n' roll legends such as Vincent and Bo Diddley. Unlike their previous studio albums, half the album was recorded in London with the rest recorded in New York. In 1983, the Stray Cats began recording their third (second U.S.) studio album Rant N' Rave with the Stray Cats. The record went on to sell a million copies ( Platinum) in the US and Canada and was the no. 2 record on the Billboard album charts for 15 weeks. Yet the combined sales of their first two albums were enough to convince EMI America to compile the best tracks from the two UK albums and issue an album ( Built for Speed) in the U.S. The UK follow-up to Stray Cats, Gonna Ball, was not as well-received, providing no hits. In addition to having three hits that year with "Runaway Boys", " Rock This Town", and " Stray Cat Strut", they would also perform on the eighth day of the Montreux Jazz Festival. Edmunds offered to work with the group, and they entered the studio to record their self-titled debut album, Stray Cats, released in Britain in 1981 on Arista Records. After a gig in London, Stray Cats met musician and producer Dave Edmunds, well known as a roots rock enthusiast for his work with Rockpile and as a solo artist. Word quickly spread and soon members of The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Led Zeppelin were at their shows. In the middle of 1980, the Cats found themselves being courted by record labels including Virgin Records, Stiff Records, and Arista Records. They met the Clash and they used to see Siouxsie and the Banshees, and also Charlie Harper and the UK Subs. They also went to many concerts and enjoyed the punk scene. The band name "Stray Cats" had already earlier appeared in the 1973 rock 'n' roll film That'll Be the Day and its 1974 sequel Stardust. Since 1983, they have used only "Stray Cats" as their name. The three later realized they were from the same neighborhood and enjoyed punk and rockabilly music. Setzer joined up with Phantom, and they soon added Phantom's schoolmate and friend, Lee Rocker. According to Brian Setzer, the band changed names to fool club owners (who would not hire the same band for consecutive nights), but kept the "Cats" moniker in their various names so the audience would know they were the same band. The band first appeared in the middle of 1979 performing under a number of names including the Tomcats, the Teds, and Bryan and the Tom Cats. In terms of visual style, the Stray Cats also blended elements of 1950 rockabilly clothes, such as wearing drape jackets, brothel creepers, and western shirts with punk clothes, such as tight black zipper trousers and modern versions of 1950s hair styles. They then spearheaded the nascent rockabilly revival, by blending the 1950s Sun Studio sound with modern punk musical elements. When the Cats heard a rumor that there was a revival of the 1950s Teddy Boy youth subculture in England, the band moved to the UK. The Stray Cats quickly developed a large following in the New York music scene playing at CBGB and Max's Kansas City as well as venues on Long Island. The group, whose style was based upon the sounds of Sun Records artists and other artists from the 1950s, was heavily influenced by Eddie Cochran, Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent, and Bill Haley & His Comets. including " Stray Cat Strut", " (She's) Sexy + 17", "Look at That Cadillac", "I Won't Stand in Your Way", "Bring It Back Again", and " Rock This Town", which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has listed as one of the songs that shaped rock and roll. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York.
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