Runaway Boys

Last updated
"Runaway Boys"
Single by Stray Cats
from the album Stray Cats/Built for Speed
B-side "My One Desire"
ReleasedNovember 21, 1980
Genre Rockabilly
Length2:57
Label Arista
Songwriter(s) Brian Setzer, Jimmy McDonnell
Producer(s) Dave Edmunds
Stray Cats singles chronology
"Runaway Boys"
(1980)
"Rock This Town"
(1981)

"Runaway Boys" is the debut single by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released November 21, 1980, by Arista Records in the UK, where it peaked at No. 9 on the Singles Chart. [1] Its biggest success was in Finland, where it reached number one. The song was later included on the band's 1981 self-titled debut album.

Contents

Its first US release, by EMI America, was on the June 1982 album Built for Speed .

Cover versions

"Runaway Boys" was later covered by Drake Bell on his 2014 album Ready, Steady, Go! , which was produced by Brian Setzer.

Charts

Weekly Charts

Chart (1980–81)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [2] 15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [3] 3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [4] 1
Ireland (IRMA) [5] 20
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [6] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [7] 4
UK Singles (OCC) [8] 9

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Runaway Boys"
Chart (1981)Position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [9] 91

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Making Your Mind Up</span> Song performed and recorded by Bucks Fizz. British entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 1981

"Making Your Mind Up" is a song by the British pop group Bucks Fizz. It was the winner of the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest, representing the United Kingdom, and was composed by Andy Hill and John Danter. Released in March 1981, it was Bucks Fizz's debut single, the group having been formed just two months earlier. Following its win in the contest, the song reached No. 1 in the UK and several other countries, eventually selling in excess of four million copies. It launched the career of the group, who went on to become one of the biggest selling acts of the 1980s and featured on their debut, self-titled album.

<i>Stray Cats</i> (album) 1981 studio album by Stray Cats

Stray Cats is the first studio album by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, first released in the United Kingdom by Arista Records in February 1981. It was produced by the band and Dave Edmunds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightshift (song)</span> 1985 song by the Commodores

"Nightshift" is a 1985 song by the Commodores and the title track from their album of the same name. The song was written by lead singer Walter Orange in collaboration with Dennis Lambert and Franne Golde as a tribute to soul/R&B singers Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye, both of whom died in 1984. The song was released as the album's first single in January 1985 by Motown Records. "Nightshift" was recorded in 1984 and became the Commodores' first hit after Lionel Richie's departure from the group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wild World (song)</span> 1970 single by Cat Stevens

"Wild World" is a song written and recorded by English singer-songwriter Cat Stevens. It first appeared on his fourth album, Tea for the Tillerman, recorded and released in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celebration (Kool & the Gang song)</span> 1980 single by Kool & the Gang

"Celebration" is a 1980 song by American band Kool & the Gang. Released as the first single from their twelfth album, Celebrate! (1980), it was the band's first and only single to reach No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Should Have Known Better (Jim Diamond song)</span> 1984 single by Jim Diamond

"I Should Have Known Better" is a song by Jim Diamond, released in 1984 as the lead single from his debut solo album Double Crossed (1985). It was a UK number one single for one week in December 1984. The song was displaced after one week by Frankie Goes to Hollywood's song "The Power of Love". Diamond publicly requested that people not buy his single, but instead buy the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woman in Love</span> 1980 single by Barbra Streisand

"Woman in Love" is a song performed by Barbra Streisand and taken from her 1980 album, Guilty. The song was written by Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees, who received the 1980 Ivor Novello award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. It is her fourth of four Platinum records, and is considered her greatest international hit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh Julie (Shakin' Stevens song)</span> 1982 single by Shakin Stevens

"Oh Julie" was a number one hit in the UK Singles Chart for one week for Shakin' Stevens in January 1982.

"Save Your Love" is a song which, when performed by duo Renée and Renato, was a UK number-one hit in December 1982. It remained at the top of the chart for four weeks before being overtaken by Phil Collins' cover of "You Can't Hurry Love". The song was written by Johnny Edward and his wife Sue. Edward also produced the song and released it on his own label, Hollywood Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock This Town</span> 1981 single by Stray Cats

"Rock This Town" is the second single by American rockabilly band Stray Cats, released January 30, 1981 by Arista Records in the UK, where it peaked at No. 9 on the Singles Chart. It was taken from the band's 1981 debut album, Stray Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Truly (Lionel Richie song)</span>

"Truly" is the debut solo single by American singer-songwriter Lionel Richie. Resuming where he left off with D-flat major tunes "Sail On" and particularly "Still" when he was lead for the Commodores, Richie wrote the song and co-produced it with James Anthony Carmichael.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Drive Me Crazy</span> 1981 single by Shakin Stevens

"You Drive Me Crazy" is a song by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens, released in April 1981 from his album Shaky. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart for four weeks behind Adam and the Ants' "Stand and Deliver".

"Heartbeat" is a 1982 song written by Eric Kaz and Wendy Waldman. It was first recorded by Waldman and released on her 1982 album Which Way to Main Street. That same year, Australian-American singer Helen Reddy recorded the song for her 1983 album Imagination, the song failed to chart.

"Do You Feel My Love" is a song by British reggae musician Eddy Grant from his album Can't Get Enough. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)</span> 1981 single by Ottawan

"Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" is a 1981 song by Ottawan. It was the band's second-biggest international hit single, after their 1979 hit "D.I.S.C.O.".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Airport (song)</span> 1978 single by The Motors

"Airport" is a single by English power pop/new wave band the Motors. Released on 2 June 1978 by Virgin Records, the song reached number four on the UK Singles Chart. On 1 July 1978, the single was awarded a silver certification by the BPI in the UK for sales of over 250,000 units. It also reached number 19 in South Africa on 24 November 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Non illuderti mai</span> 1968 single by Orietta Berti

"Non illuderti mai" is a song by Italian singer Orietta Berti, released as a single in April 1968 for the summer festival Un disco per l'estate. The song came in second place at the festival behind "Luglio" by Riccardo Del Turco. It has notably been covered in English as "My Little Lady" by the Tremeloes and in French as "Ma bonne étoile" by Joe Dassin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uno tranquillo</span> 1967 single by Riccardo Del Turco

"Uno tranquillo" is a song by Italian singer Riccardo Del Turco, released as a single in 1967. It was not as successful as his previous single, "Figlio unico", which was a top-ten hit in Italy, and "Uno tranquillo" only peaked at number 21. However, the song is notable for being covered in English as "Suddenly You Love Me" by the Tremeloes and in French as "Siffler sur la colline" by Joe Dassin.

This is the discography of American rockabilly band Stray Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over the Hills and Far Away (Gary Moore song)</span> 1986 single by Gary Moore

"Over the Hills and Far Away" is a song by Northern Irish musician Gary Moore, released in December 1986 by 10 Records as the first single from his sixth solo album Wild Frontier. The song peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, but was most successful in the Nordic countries, topping the charts in Finland and Norway.

References

  1. "STRAY CATS". The Official Charts Company . Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  2. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 297. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  3. "Stray Cats – Runaway Boys" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  4. Timo (13 August 2015). "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1960: Artistit STEP - SUE". Sisältää hitin. Retrieved 2020-10-29.
  5. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Runaway Boys". Irish Singles Chart.
  6. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Stray Cats" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  7. "Stray Cats – Runaway Boys" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  8. "Stray Cats: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  9. "National Top 100 Singles for 1981". Kent Music Report. 4 January 1982. p. 7. Retrieved January 11, 2022 via Imgur.