Alley Cat (song)

"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.

"Alley Cat"
Single by Bent Fabric
from the album Alley Cat
B-side"Markin' Time"
Released1962
GenrePop
Length2:24
LabelMetronome (Denmark)
Atco (US/Canada)
Columbia (other countries)
Songwriter(s)Bent Fabric
Bent Fabric singles chronology
"Alley Cat"
(1962)		 "Chicken Feed"
(1963)

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 seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number two on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[3] In Australia, it went to number two 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).

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; and the 2004 film Imaginary Heroes, starring Sigourney Weaver and Emile Hirsch.[4] It was also used in multiple episodes of Get a Life, such as "Zoo Animals on Wheels."[5] 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.[6][7] It is also frequently used by ice cream trucks in the US.

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews. Matt Dennis of the Windsor Star said the song had an "infectious, toe-tapping tempo."[8]

Chart history

Notable recordings

References
  1. AllMusic.com
  2. SongFacts.com
  3. Charting
  4. IMDB.com
  5. Joblo.com
  6. "Bill and Peter's Bogus Journey". Family Guy. Season 5. Episode 13. March 11, 2007. FOX.
  7. "The Peanut Butter Kid". Family Guy. Season 14. Episode 11. January 10, 2016. FOX.
  8. Dennis, Matt (November 21, 1962). "'Alley Cat' Prowls Again With Toe-Tapping Rhythm". The Windsor Star. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  9. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". CHUM Tribute. 1962-08-13. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  10. Flavour of New Zealand, 25 October 1962
  11. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  12. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-1993. Record Research. p. 82.
  13. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, October 6, 1962
  14. Musicoutfitters.com
  15. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1962". Archived from the original on May 17, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
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