| Alley Cat | |
| Cover: | Alley_Cat_-_Bent_Fabric.jpeg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Bent Fabric |
| Album: | Alley Cat |
| B-Side: | "Markin' Time" |
| Released: | 1962 |
| Genre: | Pop |
| Length: | 2:24 |
| Label: | Metronome (Denmark) Atco (US/Canada) Columbia (other countries) |
| Next Title: | Chicken Feed |
| Next Year: | 1963 |
"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. The song has notably been the main theme of most Mexican ice cream trucks for an undefined amount of time.
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 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[1] 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, "Våran katt", in Danish, "Vores kat" and in German, "Schwarzer Kater Stanislaus" (1962).
The song received generally positive reviews. Matt Dennis of the Windsor Star said it had an "infectious, toe-tapping tempo."[3]
| Chart (1962) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 2 |
| Canada (CHUM Hit Parade)[4] | 4 |
| Germany | 49 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[5] | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[6] | 7 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening[7] | 2 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100[8] | 6 |
| Chart (1962) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 37 |
| US Cash Box [10] | 40 |
The song has appeared in numerous films, including:
