The Cramps

THE CRAMPS
 
 
The Cramps  were an American punk band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009.  The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior.  Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist and occasional bass guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members.  The addition of band members guitarist Bryan Gregory and drummer Pam Ballam comprised the first complete lineup in April 1976.  The Cramps are noted as influencing a number of musical styles:  not only were they one of the first garage punk bands, they are also widely recognized as one of the prime innovators of psychobilly.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 
One of my favorite rock bands is the Cramps, founded in New York in the mid-1970’s.  They loved finding weird, obscure songs from the 1950’s and 1960’s and reintroducing them to the world in their albums and concerts, though their own original songs that were filtered through this sensibility are just as enjoyable.  A series of CD’s on Born Bad Records called Born Bad – a/k/a Songs the Cramps Taught Us (actually that might be two different CD series; I’ve never been able to tell for sure) – brought the original songs to the masses (as did a popular radio show by the band called The Purple Knif Show that was later released as an album also).  I have the first six volumes of Born Bad  (and were they expensive, too, at $18 a pop); but the price has come down recently, so I might see about getting some more.  (More about that another time).  At any rate:  Highly recommended.
 
Another cool thing about the Cramps is that they were always about half women, half men.  One of their drummers, Miriam Linna met Billy Miller at a record show in 1977; and their common musical interests led them to form a fanzine called Kicks, dedicated to obscure rock, soul and rockabilly.  They are now married.
 
(May 2011)
 
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Last edited: March 22, 2021