I remember it well. It was our "Beatles on Ed Sullivan" moment that the older folks always talk about. I was into Robert Gordon before that but Stray Cats took it to another level. I am so glad they got the success they deserved.
Same story with me. At 16/17 I have already heard some rockabilly music like early Elvis and a few tapes of Jerry lee Lewis, R’n R compilations or even some British Rockabilly but when I heard the Stray Cats the impact was enormous. In fact it was 1982/83 and their second album Gonna Ball was already out so I started hearing both albums but the song Runaway Boys was something else. Not only the guitar and the sound, the singing, the attitude, the looks, everything made me a huge fan of the trio.
Lee Rocker is classically trained. His dad, Stanley Drucker was the principal clarinetist for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and played with Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland.
Man - you nailed it! Felt and still feel the same way. I watch these Fridays clips on RUclips every so often to get a dose of raw rock n roll. I am going to see the Stray Cats in Denver next week - will be my 8th time seeing these legends! Thanks for the video.
Thx! I’d like to see them this Summer. The first album was 43 years ago. They still have the energy, just better musicians, but honestly they were good enough for me back in 81.
Yep! Born in '65, listened to the Beatles a lot in my pre-teens, then BOOM the Stray Cats showed up outta nowhere and I was hooked. You summed it up, it was the music, the attitude, the minimalist setup and the huge, yet melodic sound with those crazy solos. I kept wondering if there was one guitar player or two (I knew nothing of Setzer's finger picking lol). My next gut punch was Motörhead a year or 2 later but I never lost my love of rockabilly. I just saw the Stray Cats in Denver on their Summer '24 tour and they torched the place down. I started playing guitar in my mid-50's. One of my guitars is an orange Gretsch, go figure...
Yea, I was big into the Beatles as a kid too. I never did get my Orange Gretch though. And I missed seeing the Stray Cats this Summer. I heard that they are killing it.
Glad you were watching the Stay Cats instead of somebody like Air Supply! Haha I saw the SC last Saturday and they haven't lost it one bit. Brian Setzer is a RnR treasure!
@@westcoastramble What happened from lets say 1988 / 1999 onward. How many are still in to Rockabilly today, Interests, what did they do in the 1990s, where are they all today, etc.
Similar tales for a lot of us I think! After hearing them I also wanted to have the look at about age 15/16. Can remember being obsessed w/watching old 50’s TV & movies to figure out how to style my pompadour.
Ha! Yea, music was hurting at that time. In Southern California we had KROQ radio station that educated us on all the new bands coming out. I first heard the Stray Cats on KROQ
!["Fridays TV Show" (1981) [Show M-15] Pretenders - "Message of Love" [15 of 16]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NcuvfnOBMlU/mqdefault.jpg)
These are the guys that got me into the rockin scene in the UK.
I was also 15 in 1981. Born and raised in Gloucester, England. Rock this town is one of my favourite tracks.
Seems like our scene in So Cal was just as robust as it was in the UK. A lot of Rockabilly guys ended up in LA like Levi Dexter
I remember it well. It was our "Beatles on Ed Sullivan" moment that the older folks always talk about. I was into Robert Gordon before that but Stray Cats took it to another level. I am so glad they got the success they deserved.
Yea, the “Ed Sullivan moment” is a good way to describe it.
Great when started but so young. Still play their stuff.
They were rocking pretty well at 20/22 years old.
I was 14 in 81 and was hooked as soon as I heard Runaway Boys on radio 1 in uk.
Same story with me. At 16/17 I have already heard some rockabilly music like early Elvis and a few tapes of Jerry lee Lewis, R’n R compilations or even some British Rockabilly but when I heard the Stray Cats the impact was enormous. In fact it was 1982/83 and their second album Gonna Ball was already out so I started hearing both albums but the song Runaway Boys was something else. Not only the guitar and the sound, the singing, the attitude, the looks, everything made me a huge fan of the trio.
Where were you from at that time? It was huge out in Southern California back then.
Lee Rocker is classically trained. His dad, Stanley Drucker was the principal clarinetist for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and played with Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland.
I’m sure he can pluck it with best of them, but I love to hear him slap.
Been a fan since Runaway Boys on Top of the Pops. That's the reason i play a Gretsch 6120.
Yes, Setzer put Gretch on the map for a whole generation of pickers.
Snap I was 13 couldn't digest what I was seeing but knew it was Brilliant...1981 life changer !!!
Man - you nailed it! Felt and still feel the same way. I watch these Fridays clips on RUclips every so often to get a dose of raw rock n roll. I am going to see the Stray Cats in Denver next week - will be my 8th time seeing these legends!
Thanks for the video.
Thx! I’d like to see them this Summer. The first album was 43 years ago. They still have the energy, just better musicians, but honestly they were good enough for me back in 81.
Huge influence on me. Love the Cats
❤️🎙🖤
Yep! Born in '65, listened to the Beatles a lot in my pre-teens, then BOOM the Stray Cats showed up outta nowhere and I was hooked. You summed it up, it was the music, the attitude, the minimalist setup and the huge, yet melodic sound with those crazy solos. I kept wondering if there was one guitar player or two (I knew nothing of Setzer's finger picking lol). My next gut punch was Motörhead a year or 2 later but I never lost my love of rockabilly. I just saw the Stray Cats in Denver on their Summer '24 tour and they torched the place down. I started playing guitar in my mid-50's. One of my guitars is an orange Gretsch, go figure...
Yea, I was big into the Beatles as a kid too. I never did get my Orange Gretch though. And I missed seeing the Stray Cats this Summer. I heard that they are killing it.
We played at Billy Barties Roller Fantasy in Fullerton. Also Radio City in Anaheim (which was like an earlier version of Lindas Doll House.
I was in The Moondawgs. We played Radio City, Concert Factory ( cookoos nest) etc.
Billy Barties???? Were you in The Copy Cats? Or punk….Almost 21?
FLAT
DUO
JETS
Glad you were watching the Stay Cats instead of somebody like Air Supply! Haha
I saw the SC last Saturday and they haven't lost it one bit. Brian Setzer is a RnR treasure!
Ha! Air Supply! Yes The SC still do it right.
We need a Part 2 of the 1980s SoCal Podcast
Hmmmm. We ended part1 with a gang fight between rival Rockabilly clubs. Have to figure out where to pick up the story…..paladins in North Hollywood?
@@westcoastramble What happened from lets say 1988 / 1999 onward. How many are still in to Rockabilly today, Interests, what did they do in the 1990s, where are they all today, etc.
Excellent.
Many thanks!
Similar tales for a lot of us I think! After hearing them I also wanted to have the look at about age 15/16. Can remember being obsessed w/watching old 50’s TV & movies to figure out how to style my pompadour.
Yea, I watched old movies looking for ideas on how to look. Go Johnny go, rock baby rock it, the girl can’t help it
@@westcoastramble or Wally Cleaver’s jelly roll haircut that played crazy Lois Jordan jump tunes in his parents heads whenever they saw it!
Idem in Paris ! ! ! !
What do you think of rock pile? Dave Edmonds? Nick Lowe?
I liked their solo work more than Rockpile, Cruel to be kind and Crawling from the wreckage. And I love Dave Edmund’s version of Run run rudolf.
First time in the Netherlands on tv. Late 1980. I was floored. All other bands back then sucked to me.
Ha! Yea, music was hurting at that time. In Southern California we had KROQ radio station that educated us on all the new bands coming out. I first heard the Stray Cats on KROQ
You didn't say who you're band was?