Howling to the Moonlight on a Hot Summer Night : The Tale of the Stray Cats • book

Howling to the Moonlight on a Hot Summer Night : The Tale of the Stray Cats • book by Christopher McKittrick

When three young musicians from Massapequa, Long Island, set out to revive the raw energy of 1950s rockabilly, they could hardly have imagined the international success that awaited them. Howling to the Moonlight on a Hot Summer Night: The Tale of the Stray Cats by Christopher McKittrick tells the story of The Stray Cats, following guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom from their early days in New York to worldwide rock ’n’ roll fame.

After relocating to London in 1980, the trio took the music world by storm with their explosive performances and uncompromising rockabilly sound. Produced by Dave Edmunds, their run of hit singles included “Runaway Boys”, “Rock This Town”, “Stray Cat Strut” and “(She's) Sexy + 17”, returning rockabilly to the international pop charts. The book explores the band's complete history and musical catalogue, their impact during the early MTV era and their enduring influence on rockabilly culture, with 20 colour photographs.

This 232-page paperback is essential reading for Stray Cats fans, rockabilly enthusiasts and anyone interested in the worldwide revival of vintage rock ’n’ roll. Booklist praised it as an exhaustively researched account of the group's influential and lengthy career. A fascinating look at the band that helped bring rockabilly roaring back into the mainstream.