Shting-Shtang

Arnold Stang (1918-2009)

I'm indebted to Twitter for pointing me in the direction of this charming vinyl oddity from the late 50s. Released on the Fontana label it featured the vocal stylings of Arthur Stang, best known as the guy who voiced Top Cat; albeit Stang doing an impersonation of Phil Silvers doing a wisecracking alley cat who lived in a dustbin. Sorry, trash can.

Arnold Stang - Where Ya Callin' From, Charlie? (1959)

Hard to believe Hanna Barbera only ever made 30 episodes of Top Cat (originally airing between September 1961 & April 1962). It was a ratings failure - forcing HB, after less than a year, to consign it to the, er, trash can; all the episodes we saw when we were growing up (in the 70s and beyond), would have been at least ten years old - reruns that were syndicated around the world again (and again).