Feline Groovy: 24 Purrfect Tracks for Kool Kats

by N/A

Overview

Here's a concept bound to endear Ace Records to cat lovers around the world: two dozen songs that have something to do with the cats, even if it's just the use of the word "cat" in an instrumental, all from between the mid-'50s and mid-'60s. There might be more R&B here than anything else, but it's a canny mixture of blues, soul, rock & roll, folk, folk-rock, jazz, and even a bit of pop, country, and British Invasion. Just a couple of these were pretty big hits (Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat?" and Norma Tanega's "Walkin' My Cat Named Dog"), and though the Coasters' ultra-hip B-side "Three Cool Cats" and Little Willie John's "Leave My Kitten Alone" are pretty well known, you'd have to have an incredibly deep and eclectic collection to have heard all of these tunes. Of course if you like cats at all, you'll be predisposed to like much of this. But by any standard, these are pretty fun and good-humored songs, grin-raising even when the songs and performers themselves aren't all that hot. Some pretty estimable artists weigh in with their takes on the cat world via New Orleans soul legend Lee Dorsey's "The Kitty Kat Song," organ jazz maestro Jimmy Smith's "The Cat," country star Sonny James' "The Cat Came Back," Latin jazz great Mongo Santamaria's "El Pussy Cat," and bluesman Charles Brown's "If You Play with Cats." Yet some of the most fun songs are the more obscure and frivolous ones, like Rene Hall's strange exotica-cum-rock & roll on "Cleo"; LuAnn Simms' silly novelty "The Siamese Cat Song," a guilty pleasure co-written by none other than Peggy Lee; a vocal version of Bent Fabric's hit "The Alley Cat Song" (by David Thorne); and Noreen Corcoran's "Love Kitten," one of the best flop Phil Spector-styled girl group singles ever. The brief theme song from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon Top Cat tops off a comp you'd have to be a real die-hard dog person not to like. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	04/01/2008
Label:	Ace
UPC:	0029667030229
Rank:	100887

Tracks

1. Three Cool Cats  -  Coasters  - Jerry Leiber  - Mike Stoller
2. Cleo  - Rene Hall
3. Kitty Kat  - Paul Ott
4. El Pussy Cat  - Bobby Capers  - Mongo Santamaria
5. Cat Hop  -  Dodgers  - Paul Winley
6. The Siamese Cat Song  - LuAnn Simms
7. The Alley Cat Song  - Frank Bjorn  - David Thorne
8. Cat Nip  - David Clowney  - Dave "Baby" Cortez
9. Sweet Pussycat  - Cy Coleman  - Murray Grand  -  James
10. Leave My Kitten Alone  -  Little Willie John  - James McDougal  - Titus Turner
11. Sneakin' Up on You  - Ted Daryll  - Peggy Lee
12. The Cat  - Edgar Campbell  -  Eddie & Ernie  - Hadley Murrell
13. What's New Pussycat?  - Burt Bacharach  - Hal David  - Tom Jones
14. Walkin' My Cat Named Dog  - Norma Tanega
15. The Cat  - Lalo Schifrin  - Jimmy Smith
16. The Cat Came Back  - Sonny James
17. Love Kitten  - Noreen Corcoran  - Nino Tempo
18. House Cat  -  Romancers  - Alvin Thomas
19. The Kitty Kat Song  - Lee Dorsey  - Jimmy Roach  - Joe Spendel
20. That Darned Cat  - Buddy Greco
21. Let's Do the Cat  - Leo Gooden  -  Leo's Five  - Kenny Rice  -  Ross
22. If You Play with Cats  - Charles Brown
23. Tom Cat  - Erik Darling  -  Rooftop Singers  - Willard Hooker Svanoe  - Lynne Taylor
24. Top Cat Theme Song  - Joseph Barbera  - Hoyt Curtin  - William Hanna  -  Top Cat Orchestra & Chorus

Album Credits

Performance Credits

LuAnn Simms   Primary Artist
Norma Tanega   Primary Artist
Jimmy Smith   Primary Artist
Sonny James   Primary Artist
Eddie & Ernie   Primary Artist
Kenny Rice   Primary Artist
Little Willie John   Primary Artist
Noreen Corcoran   Primary Artist
David Thorne   Primary Artist
Buddy Greco   Primary Artist
Tom Jones   Primary Artist
Mongo Santamaria   Primary Artist
Dave "Baby" Cortez   Primary Artist
The Romancers   Primary Artist
Peggy Lee   Primary Artist
Rene Hall   Primary Artist
Leo's Five   Primary Artist
Top Cat Orchestra & Chorus   Primary Artist
Morgan James Duo   Primary Artist
The Dodgers   Primary Artist
Paul Ott   Primary Artist
The Coasters   Primary Artist
Rooftop Singers   Primary Artist
Lee Dorsey   Primary Artist
Charles Brown   Primary Artist
Jamie Ross   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

James McDougal   Composer
Edgar Campbell   Composer
Joseph Barbera   Composer
William Hanna   Composer
Joe Spendel   Composer
Hadley Murrell   Composer
Jools DeVere   Package Design
Willard Hooker Svanoe   Composer
Vicki Fox   Memorabilia,Liner Notes
Lynne Taylor   Composer
Murray Grand   Composer
David Clowney   Composer
Titus Turner   Composer
Lalo Schifrin   Composer
Hal David   Composer
Bobby Capers   Composer
Rob Shread   Audio Restoration
Burt Bacharach   Composer
Mike Stoller   Composer
Nino Tempo   Composer
Norma Tanega   Composer
Jerry Leiber   Composer
Alvin Thomas   Composer
Leo Gooden   Composer
Hoyt Curtin   Composer
Erik Darling   Composer
Frank Bjorn   Composer
Cy Coleman   Composer
Jimmy Roach   Composer
Sonny James   Composer
Paul Winley   Composer
Ted Daryll   Composer