STRAY CATS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

• 16th Oct 2004

After a 12 year hiatus, The Stray Cats toured Europe this summer to overflow audiences and amazing acclaim. Now, Surfdog Records will release 'Rumble in Brixton' on CD and DVD, featuring a rollicking live set from London's Brixton Academy. Both releases also contain “The Mystery Train Kept A Rollin',” their first original studio track since 1992. The Brixton set highlights down-and-dirty versions of signature hits such as “Rock This Town,” “(She's) Sexy & 17,” “Rumble in Brighton,” “Runaway Boys,” and “Stray Cat Strut.”

An exhilarating Brian Setzer original, “The Mystery Train Kept A Rollin' ” pays homage to the Stray Cats' early influences: Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley. The band recorded “The Mystery Train Kept A Rollin' ” August 19th at the Village Recorder in Los Angeles, the same studio where the triple Grammy-winning Setzer recorded 1998's multi-platinum 'The Dirty Boogie.' DVD viewers, who get an audio-only track of the tune, can view exclusive twenty-minute peek of Brian Setzer teaching original bandmates Lee Rocker (upright bass) and Slim Jim Phantom (drums) the new song.

The DVD also includes over forty minutes of behind the scenes footage from throughout the European tour, a montage of historical photos, album and single covers, posters and magazine covers mixed with vintage television appearances.

The Stray Cats, who gained popularity in the U.K. before the U.S. caught on, come full circle with 'Rumble in Brixton.' Igniting the early '80s rockabilly revival, the band scored several major hits around the world. Their in-your-face and over-the-top visual appeal with sky-high pompadours, tattoos, and flashy teddy-boy suits got the public's attention, but its kick-ass musical chops and timeless songs that have kept them viable to this day.