Cat Mother and the All Night News Boys

Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys
Origin	New York, later Mendocino, California
Genres	Rock, country rock, alternative country
Years active	1967–1977
Labels	Polydor
Associated acts	The Belairs Au Go Go Singers The Conqueroo Jackson Heights Sha Na Na New York Rock Ensemble Lindisfarne The Surfaris Loy Bones The Band
Past members	Roy Michaels (a.k.a. Loy Bones) d. 2008 Bob Smith d. 1991 Michael Equine William David "Charlie" Chin Larry Packer Jay Ungar Paul Johnson Charlie Prichard Steve Davidson Charlie Harcourt RJ "Beans" Bellanca d. 2014

Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys was an American musical group, originally formed in New York and later based in Mendocino, California, most active in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Cat Mother and The All Night Newsboys was co-founded by Roy Michaels (b. February 25, 1942) and Bob Smith (b. July 7, 1942) in the fall of 1967. Michaels had previously been playing with Stephen Stills and Richie Furay in the Au Go Go Singers, prior to the formation of Buffalo Springfield. Initial members were Bob Smith on vocals, keyboards and drums, Roy Michaels on vocals and bass guitar, William David "Charlie" Chin on vocals and guitar, Larry Packer on guitar and violin, and Michael Equine on drums and guitar. Jay Ungar was also initially associated with the group, on violin, and rejoined the group for their second album. Core band membership consisted of Michaels, Smith and Equine.

The band's popularity in New York grew during 1967 and 1968, through regular appearances at the Cafe Wha?, which led to an engagement as the house band at New York's Electric Circus.

The band was particularly notable for its rock and roll "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll", a Top 40 hit in the summer of 1969, reaching no. 21 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Chart, and which also ranked Number 35 in the "Top 50 Songs from the Summer of 1969", just behind The Youngbloods' "Get Together" (No. 34) and ahead of Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay" (No. 41) and The Plastic Ono Band's "Give Peace a Chance" (No. 43). Number 1 on this list, reflecting an era before strict radio formatting, was Zager and Evans' "In the Year 2525". "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll" included cover versions of "Sweet Little Sixteen" by Chuck Berry, "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard, "Chantilly Lace" by The Big Bopper, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" by Jerry Lee Lewis, "Blue Suede Shoes" by Carl Perkins and "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox. "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll" was later covered by the Dave Clark Five in 1971.

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