The Swinging Cats has been played on NTS in shows including The Guardian Radio Hour, featured first on 4 March 2016. Songs played include Away.

During the height of 80's Ska revival, The Swinging Cats were signed, for a short period, to the 2 Tone label. The line-up changed constantly over the short period the band was in existence (pratically on a weekly basis). For a while there was also a girl on backing vocals, Val, who was going out with Jerry Dammers of The Specials at one point.

The Swinging Cats were a Coventry based Ska band, formed at the end of 1979 and after replacing Holly and the Italians on The Selecter's March 1980 tour, 2 Tone offered them a one off single recording deal. The eventual release, "Mantovani", appeared and disappeared quickly even though the first 20,000 copies were being sold at the giveaway price of 50p.

Paul Heskett later toured with The Specials and played saxophone on "Sock It To 'Em J.B" & "Braggin' And Tryin' Not To Lie" on the More Specials album and also played the flute on "Ghost Town / Why? / Friday Night, Saturday Morning".

Members Toby Lyons (keyboards) John Shipley (guitar) Jane Bayley (vocals) Paul Heskett (saxophone) Billy Gough (drums) Chris Long (percussion) Steve Vaughan (guitar)