Alley Cat (song)
| "Alley Cat" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Bent Fabric | ||||
| from the album Alley Cat | ||||
| B-side | "Markin' Time" | |||
| Released | 1962 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:24 | |||
| Label | Metronome (Denmark) Atco (US/Canada) Columbia (other countries) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bent Fabric | |||
| Bent Fabric singles chronology | ||||
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"Alley Cat", also known as "Alleycat" and "The Alley Cat," is a popular instrumental song made most famous by the Danish pianist and composer Bent Fabric, released in 1962.[1] Fabric (born Bent Fabricius-Bjerre) wrote the tune under the pseudonym Frank Björn.
History[]
The song was originally released in November, 1961, under the Danish title "Omkring et flygel," which means "Around a Piano."[2] In 1962, the Bent Fabric composition reached number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[3] In Australia, it went to number 2 and in Germany it went to number 49. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Rock & Roll Recording during the 5th Grammy Awards. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc. Siw Malmkvist recorded the song in Swedish, "Våran katt", in Danish, "Vores kat" and in German, "Schwarzer Kater Stanislaus" (1962).
Critical reception[]
The song received generally positive reviews. Matt Dennis of the Windsor Star said it had an "infectious, toe-tapping tempo."[4]
Chart history[]
Weekly charts[]
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Year-end charts[]
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Notable recordings[]
- Ray Conniff
- Bent Fabric
- Chet Atkins
- Al Hirt
- Peggy Lee
- Siw Malmkvist (in German)
- and the Berl Olswanger Orchestra (1964)
- Bobby Rydell
- Kidsongs
Popular culture[]
The song has appeared in numerous films, including:
- The 1989 film Shag, starring Phoebe Cates and Bridget Fonda
- The 1994 film Cabin Boy, starring Chris Elliott and Andy Richter
- The 1999 film Just Looking, starring Ryan Merriman
- The 2000 film Duets, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis
- The 2004 film Imaginary Heroes, starring Sigourney Weaver and Emile Hirsch.[12]
- It was also used in multiple episodes of Get a Life, such as "Zoo Animals on Wheels."[13]
- The song appeared in the episode "The Wedding Affair" of season one of the American sitcom Mad About You and two episodes of Family Guy.[14][15]
- It is also frequently used by ice cream trucks in the US.[citation needed]
References[]
- ^ AllMusic.com
- ^ SongFacts.com
- ^ Charting
- ^ Dennis, Matt (November 21, 1962). "'Alley Cat' Prowls Again With Toe-Tapping Rhythm". The Windsor Star. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". CHUM Tribute. 1962-08-13. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
- ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 25 October 1962
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-1993. Record Research. p. 82.
- ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 6, 1962
- ^ Musicoutfitters.com
- ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1962". Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
- ^ IMDB.com
- ^ Joblo.com
- ^ "Bill and Peter's Bogus Journey". Family Guy. Season 5. Episode 13. March 11, 2007. FOX.
- ^ "The Peanut Butter Kid". Family Guy. Season 14. Episode 11. January 10, 2016. FOX.
External links[]
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- 1962 singles
- Al Hirt songs
- Atco Records singles
- Metronome Records singles
- Columbia Graphophone Company singles
- 1962 songs
- Pop instrumentals
- 1960s instrumentals