New York, NY (Top40 Charts) LEE ROCKER of The Stray Cats fame (October 30) has released a new self-written-and produced single and video, "Dog House Shuffle," via his label Upright Records (distributed through Orchard). The single and video premiered yesterday via Billboard.
"'Dog House Shuffle' is a song that I had a blast writing and thinking about," says the bassist, singer and songwriter. "It's just plain fun! It's really my tribute to the original rocking bass players that have influenced me so much. These guys are in a way the unsung heroes of rockabilly and early rock. We've incorporated these players into this video."
Elaborates ROCKER about the legendary musicians who are seen in the video: "Bill
Black was Elvis Presley's bassman-he drove the mystery train groove that helped break the king Elvis Presley. Also included in the video is the genius of bass players, Willie Dixon. Marshall Grant is in there as a member of the Tennessee Two with Johnny Cash. Dorsey 'Rockabilly Boogie' Burnette and my dear friend Carl Perkins with his bass slapping brother Jay— these were the architects of rock and roll. Me and the Stray Cats can trace parts of our sound back to these players. I just gotta say (quoting the song's lyrics), 'Put that old guitar right back in that case/Now it's the time I'm gunna slap the bass.' Let's have some fun with the 'Dog House Shuffle.'" The video also features ROCKER and his musicians recording the track and cool cartoon animation.
Musicians joining ROCKER (vocal, string bass) on the single are Buzz Campbell (guitar, backing vocal), Larry Mitchell (drums, percussion), Justin Rocker (acoustic guitar, backing vocal), and Joey Eight (piano, harmonica and backing vocal).
ROCKER recently revealed his 2020 U.K. dates following his previously announced 2019/2020 U.S. and Canada tour. Coming off this year's Stray Cats 40th anniversary tour with red-hot shows and their critically acclaimed album 40 (Surfdog Records), ROCKER and his band will perform Stray Cats hits including "Rock This Town," "Stray Cat Strut" and "Sexy and 17" as well as slamming renditions of songs from his many solo albums. See his full touring itinerary below.
This past summer, LEE ROCKER toured
America as part of The Stray Cats from August 2-September 1 (presented by SiriusXM) on the heels of the band's June and July overseas shows where he "muscled his double bass as he dropped, dragged, straddled, slapped and swung it with mastery" (Big Takeover, 8/19/19). In a multiple-page feature in the new Bass Player magazine (December 2019), ROCKER is asked about his ability to come up with fresh rockabilly bass-lines. He says: "I'm still discovering things. I still have revelations: 'how did I not think of this before?' There are a lot of different rhythms and slaps, and different ways to walk your bass-lines. There's only 12 notes but there's an infinite number of ways to play them."
2019: U.S. and Canada Tour
Fri 11/1 High Point, NC High Point Theatre
Sat 11/2 Buford, GA Buford Community Center, Town Park & Theatre
Sat 11/16 Gilbert, AZ Higley Center Performing Arts
Sat 11/23 Rancho Cucamonga, CA Lewis Family Playhouse at the
Victoria Gardens Cultural Center
Wed 12/11 St. Catharines, Ontario FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
Thu 12/12 Kingston, Ontario The Grand Theater
Fri 12/13 Oakville, Ontario Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts
2020: U.S. and Canada Tour
Thu 1/16 Columbus, GA RiverCenter for the Performing Arts
Thu 2/6 Akron, OH Edwin J.
Thomas Performing Arts Hall
Fri 2/7 Fairfield, OH Fairfield Community Arts Center
Sat 2/8 Bloomington, IL Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts
Sat 2/15 Ashwaubenon, WI Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center
Sat 3/21 Delray Beach, FL Old School
Square Pavillion
Sat 3/28 Longview, TX S.E. Belcher Jr. Performance Center
Fri 5/1 Monroe, WI Monroe Arts Center
Sat 5/2 Hartford, WI Ruth A. Knoll Theater (Schauer Presents)
Sat 5/9 Bel Air, MD Harford Community College
Fri 5/15 Wilmington, NC Thalian Hall
2020: U.K. Tour
Wed 11/4 Glasgow, U.K. Barrowland Ballroom
Thu 11/5 Newcastle, U.K. Northumbria Institute
Fri 11/6 Manchester, U.K. Manchester Academy 2
Sat 11/7 Bristol, U.K. The Anson Rooms
Sun 11/8 London, U.K. The Garage
Lee Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning and rocking his giant upright bass in the legendary music group The Stray Cats. Grammy-nominated, The Stray Cats have sold nearly 10 million albums and garnered an astounding 23 gold and platinum certified records worldwide. Founded by Rocker, Brian Setzer, and Slim Jim Phantom, The Stray Cats remain a radio staple, were music video pioneers at the infancy of MTV, and repeatedly brought rockabilly music to the top of the charts. From the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine, to appearing on Saturday Night Live, to headlining music festivals and touring with the Rolling Stones, Lee Rocker has seen and done it all. In addition to The Stray Cats and the Rolling Stones, Rocker has toured and performed with
George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, and John Fogerty. In 1982, Rocker and his father Stanley Drucker (classical clarinetist) both received Grammy nominations; this was something that has only occurred twice in the history of the Grammy Awards. In 2012 Lee appeared on Broadway in the hit musical "Million Dollar Quartet" and in 2014 he was inducted into the Bass Player Hall of Fame. Rocker has received numerous honors for his contributions to music and the arts, including being inducted to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Long Island
Music Hall of Fame and he is a recipient of the Visionary Artist Award by the City of Laguna Beach California. Currently Lee Rocker and his band are touring and performing Stray Cats hits including "Rock This Town," "Stray Cat Strut" and "Sexy and 17" as well as slamming renditions of songs from his many solo albums.
