It's not everyday you see a rockabilly song make the Top 100, much less the Top 10. But the New York trio known as the Stray Cats made rockabilly great again in the early 80s. They landed three consecutive Top 10 hits with "Rock This Town" (#9), "Stray Cat Strut" (#3), and "(She's) Sexy +17" (#5). But their heat quickly cooled, and in 1984 the Cats barely clawed their way onto the chart one last time with "Look At That Cadillac" (#68). Setzer would reemerge with his own orchestra in 1994 to bring swing back. He was back on the charts by 1998 with a remake of the Louis Prima tune, "Jump Jive An' Wail," which reached #23 and won a Grammy for Pop Vocal Group. After a long hiatus, the Cats reunited for a 40th anniversary record called "40" in 2019. After 26 years, fans finally heard new music by the Stray Cats and the boys proved that they haven't missed a beat. Sounding just as fresh and energetic as they did all those years ago, here's the lead-off track, "Cat Fight (Over A Dog Like Me)."
Louis Prima was a bandleader, singer, and trumpet player who be-bopped his way to fame in the 50s with his rambunctious style of New Orleans-inspired jazz and swing. He first scored a couple of chart hits while part of a duo with Keely Smith, most notably "That Old Black Magic," which went to #18 in 1958 and won a Grammy for Pop Vocal Duo. After going solo, he hit again with "Wonderland By Night," which peaked at #15 in 1960. He passed away in 1978 at the age of 67. "Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)" is an important reminder that life is too short, so have fun. It also has the distinction of being the last song played on the series finale of the popular medical drama, House M.D.
