Blue Eyes & Fishnets. Canada Broadcast 1983

EARLY NORTH AMERICAN BROADCAST FROM A YOUNG STRAY CATS Although a phenomenon in the UK, Europe (notably France), Japan and Australia to begin, following the release of 1982 s Built For Speed - a North American only compilation of the Stray Cats first two albums, previously unreleased in that continent - the Rockabilly maestros earned huge recognition and success at home too. Heavy rotation on the newly formed MTV music channel drove the message home to American audiences and it wasn t long before their US debut hit the number two spot on the billboard chart and, over the following 18 months, sold in excess of two million copies making it, ironically, their bestselling record of all. Regular touring in America now became essential and it was on one such tour that the Cats first live broadcast was aired. The show in question was played at Massey Hall in Toronto and was broadcast live on both radio and TV. The set features 16 tracks, largely from Built For Speed but also including non-album b-side Drink That Bottle Down and three covers not at that stage featured on any album; Eddie Cochran s Something Else and C Mon Everybody and Buddy Holly s Oh Boy . As bonus cuts, two further cover versions from a radio only broadcast made the year before (31st July 1982) at Stages Music Hall, Chicago, completes this remarkable CD - Stray Cats hero Gene Vincent s Important Words and, surprisingly, a strong version of The Supremes You Can't Hurry Love . With a running time of almost 80 minutes, and containing some of the finest rockabilly music made since Elvis, Scotty and Bill first arrived at Sun Studios, the pure energy, musicianship, strength of composition and performance here displayed, equally makes for some of the very finest music of the 1980s.