Description
The Cats and the Fiddle were one of the many African American vocal groups who sprang to fame following the breakthrough of The Ink Spots and The Mills Brothers during the 1930s. Their signature hit, "I Miss You So" is considered to be a classic of the genre and must have sold considerable numbers to have been covered and revived so many times over the years.
The group were different to many of the same period especially on their up-tempo material which was almost frenetic by comparison. Their harmonies were incredibly tight and their overall sound signalled what was to come when doo wop arrived in the early 1950s. They were also adept at blues based material and their version of "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water" holds its own with any of the later bluesier versions as does "I'm Gonna Pull My Hair".
If there was ever an outfit that could be said to epitomize the genre loosely known as jump and jive this is the one. Hip and then some!