{"product_id":"the-cats-the-cats-lp-black-vinyl","title":"The Cats - The Cats (LP - Black Vinyl)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Cats made a small stack of records in London at the end of the 1960s, and most of them have been difficult to find ever since. This LP gathers twelve of those sides, from the group’s rocksteady version of “Swan Lake” to tough R\u0026amp;B instrumentals and the funkier recordings they made with singer Ray Pereira. Most were originally released as 7-inch singles on the band’s own BAF Records label. With clean copies becoming increasingly expensive, The Cats are finally getting their own compilation, and it is limited to 500 copies. Formed in East London in 1967, The Cats were Jamaican expat Tyrone Patterson on keyboards, John Kpiaye on guitar, Richard Archer on bass, and Michael Okoro on drums. Their music sat right where Jamaican ska and rocksteady were rubbing up against American soul, R\u0026amp;B, and funk. You can hear the influence of Booker T. \u0026amp; the M.G.’s and James Brown, but The Cats never sound like they’re simply copying anybody. The playing is lean, mean, and always built on a groove. Their biggest record, “Swan Lake,” was released independently and still managed to reach No. 48 on the national chart. By most accounts, it was the first UK reggae single to make the charts at all. The rest of the story is scattered across dusty singles kept alive by DJs and collectors worldwide. Finally heard together, the range of the band comes through: reggae, rocksteady, soul, R\u0026amp;B, and funk, all played with the same stripped-down feel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Selling Points:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- Features their rocksteady take on \"Swan Lake,\" the first UK reggae single to ever chart (No. 48)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- Reggae, rocksteady, soul, R\u0026amp;B, and funk, all in one set, including deep cuts with singer Ray Pereira\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- East London, 1967: Tyrone Patterson (keys), John Kpiaye (guitar), Richard Archer (bass), Michael Okoro (drums). Jamaican rocksteady meets Booker T. and James Brown grit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- Originals are scarce and pricey. This is the first time the catalog's been gathered in one place.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- NACC Reggae\/R\u0026amp;B campaign hitting 500+ stations\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- Backed by major Meta ad push\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- First-ever Cats LP compilation. Limited to 500 hand-numbered copies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e- 12 rare sides cut in London in the late 1960s, most only ever pressed on 7\" via the band's own BAF Records\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;\"\u003e- Available on Black Vinyl\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTracklist:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSwan Lake\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSherman\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Hog\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFunk Everything (feat. Ray Pereira)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhat Can I Do\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKnees Up Mother Brown\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThey Say (feat. Ray Pereira)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWilliam Tell\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFalling In Love\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLove Walk Right In\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHey Chick (feat. Ray Pereira)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBlues For Justice\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"SECRET STASH RECORDS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49254539165866,"sku":"L-SSR40","price":20.15,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0566\/0599\/9274\/files\/721755272152.jpg?v=1789578163","url":"https:\/\/b2b.fatbeats.com\/products\/the-cats-the-cats-lp-black-vinyl","provider":"Fat Beats Distribution","version":"1.0","type":"link"}