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Alley Cat (song)
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Wikipedia article
"'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.[http://allmusic.com/artist/bent-fabric-p25202/charts-awards/grammy-awards AllMusic.com] Fabric (born Bent Fabricius-Bjerre) wrote the tune under the pseudonym Frank Bjrn.
History
The song was originally released in November, 1961, under the Danish title "Omkring et flygel," which means "Around a Piano."[http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1831 SongFacts.com] In 1962, the Bent Fabric composition reached number 7 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart and number 2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[http://allmusic.com/artist/bent-fabric-p25202/charts-awards/billboard-singles Charting] 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, "Vran 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."
Chart history
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Notable recordings
* Ray Conniff
* Bent Fabric
* Chet Atkins
* Al Hirt
* Peggy Lee
* Siw Malmkvist (in German)
* Berl Olswanger and the Berl Olswanger Orchestra (1964)
* Bobby Rydell
* David Thorne (reached #76 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 in November 1962)
* 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.[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006065/#Soundtrack IMDB.com]
*It was also used in multiple episodes of 'Get a Life', such as "Zoo Animals on Wheels."[http://www.joblo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70582 Joblo.com]
*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'.
*It is also frequently used by ice cream trucks in the US.
References
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