Biography
Among the five Belfast ensembles featured on Ember Records’ 1966 LP anthology Ireland's Greatest Sounds: Five Top Groups from Belfast's Maritime Club were The Alleykatz. Their contribution was an undistinguished reading of “Chicago Calling,” the piano-driven blues composed by British blues pioneer Cyril Davies. Although the recording itself lacked sonic weight, the band deserves notice for choosing a domestic source, since nearly every British R&B cover drew instead from American material and “Chicago Calling” therefore stood out as one of the rare occasions when a British blues artist received interpretation. The track later surfaced on Big Beat’s anthology Belfast Beat Maritime Blues, a survey of mid-’60s recordings by Belfast groups.