Cramps collection of previously unissued recordings "Gravest Gravy " on the way

Gravest Gravy is a new compilation of 1977 studio recordings by the Cramps which is planned for release on August 21st. 

Here's the scoop...

In October 1977, the Cramps ventured into Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee with producer and Cramps translator extraordinaire, Alex Chilton. The band had planned on recording their song ‘TV Set,’ as an A side, along with another track or tracks. Mr. Chilton told them the way he liked to work was to have a band record a lot of songs and from that they would pick the best of the bunch.

Luckily for Cramps fans everywhere, the band did just that. The first evidence of these sessions was unleashed upon an “unsuspecting human world” in April 1978 on the band’s own Vengeance Records label. It was a two song 7-inch with a version of the Trashmen’s 1963 classic ‘Surfin’ Bird,’ pushed well beyond its breaking point, forcing it to mutate into a much higher form of lowdown, and Jack Scott’s 1959 cool burning ‘The Way I Walk,’ dragged back into the Stone Age...

After one listen, it was clear the Cramps had absolutely tapped into Rock ’n’ Roll’s mainline. In November of the same year, and again from the October 1977 sessions came another two song lesson in how it’s done, or undone, with easily one of the greatest A sides of all time: ‘Human Fly.’ The B side was held hostage by “Domino,” originally sung by Roy Orbison. The Cramps’ version swaggers with infinite confidence and is an absolute thrill to listen to. In the summer of 1979, young degenerates in England were treated to a 12-inch by the Cramps called Gravest Hits, which featured not only the aforementioned four tracks, but also a fifth, again from the October 1977 sessions...

“What happened to the rest of the tracks from those auspicious days in October 1977? In 2026, Larry Hardy, owner and operator of In The Red Records, rapelled down, deep into the vast, sunless vault of the Cramps tape collection, and resurfaced hours later, disoriented and out of breath, but overjoyed with what he’d returned to topside with: six ¼” reels of tracks, mixed by Lux [Interior] and [Poison] Ivy...

Gravest Gravy is one of the purest collections of unrestrained, wild music you’ll ever hear—like Jerry Lee Lewis unchained, like Elvis meets Tarzan—like it should be. The Cramps were one of the greatest bands in the history of recorded music, and anyone who heard or saw them, knows and abides by this groovin’ truth. From their inception to this day, the band has fans whose enthusiasm for their life-changing music never wavers. The Cramps made this music for the love of Rock ’n’ Roll. Lux and Ivy made this record for you.” – Henry Rollins

The Cramps – Gravest Gravy will be out in August but you can pre-order the LP, CD or digital files from Midheaven right here. Check out the video for "TV Set" by Jason Willis following the tracklisting below.  

 

The Cramps - Gravest Gravy 

TV Set (1977 Version)

Weekend On Mars (1977 Version)

Twist & Shout (1977 Version)

Jungle Hop (1977 Version)

I Can't Hardly Stand It (1977 Version)

Hungry (1977 Version)

The Natives Are Restless (1977 Version)

Domino (1977 Version)

Can't Find My Mind (1977 Version)

Rockin' Bones (1977 Version)

Problem Child (1977 Version)

Rocket In My Pocket (1977 Version)

LINKS
The Cramps www.thecramps.com

Happy Birthday Arto Lindsay!

Here's an interview from 2004, a performance with DNA at Irving Plaza in 1981 some Downtown '81 footage and much more. 

Whaddya mean you don't know The Malibu-Bu's

The mysterious Malibu-Bu's cut a bangin' version of "Caravan" with another instro "Pigtails" penned by Tommy Coe circa 1962. 

Remembering flautist/saxophonist Bud Shank on his birthday

Raising a glass to bossa-jazz innovator Bud Shank with some performances and recordings with longtime pal Joao Donato. 

That time Webb Pierce went rockabilly as "Shady Wall"

In 1958, country star Webb Pierce used the alias "Shady Wall" for a rockabilly rip through a version of the Bill Justis hit "Raunchy"

R.I.P. saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins, 1930-2026

Sadly, jazz great Sonny Rollins has passed away at 95. He'll be greatly missed. We're remembering Sonny with a few interviews and recordings. 

From Sonny Rollins HQ...

It is with deep sorrow and profound love that we announce the passing of Sonny Rollins. The Saxophone Colossus died this afternoon at his home in Woodstock, NY at the age of 95. 

“I think when the creative person ends, he continues in the next existence. I’m a person who believes this life isn’t the be-all and end-all of everything. A spiritual person doesn’t feel like that.” – S.R. (2009) 

Sonny Rollins 48-Hour Memorial Broadcast 

on NYC's WKCR 89.9 FM 

May 29-30

This Friday and Saturday, May 29th and 30th, WKCR will air 48 hours of Sonny Rollins to honor the life and work of the renowned saxophonist, who passed away this Monday, May 15th, at the age of 95.

Hailing from Sugar Hill, Harlem, Rollins was immersed in the budding scene of hard bop right out of high school, collaborating with J.J. Johnson, Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Clifford Brown, and Miles Davis. In his autobiography, Davis writes, “People loved Sonny Rollins up in Harlem and everywhere else. He was a legend, almost a god, to a lot of the younger musicians. Some thought he was playing the saxophone on the level of Bird. I know one thing–he was close. He was an aggressive, innovative player who always had fresh musical ideas. I loved him back then as a player, and he could also write his ass off…”

Over his many years and broad influence, Rollins became a defining voice in his craft through landmark recordings such as Saxophone Colossus (1956), Way Out West (1957), and The Bridge (1962). Past his legendary improvisation, or lasting compositions such as “Oleo,” “St. Thomas”, and “Tenor Madness”, his dedication to this music manifested in pauses from the scene. Most famously, his two-year hiatus, where he took to practicing on the Williamsburg Bridge so as not to disturb his neighbors.

We invite you all to join us at WKCR 89.9 FM in celebrating the enduring legacy of Sonny Rollins through 48 hours of programming from one of the most transformative voices in the tradition of jazz.

Listeners in NYC can tune in at 89.9 FM or at wkcr.org.

 

Jimmy Scott's "Doesn't Love Mean More?" LP getting reissued by Modern Harmonic

Legendary singer Jimmy Scott's overlooked 1990 album Doesn't Love Mean More? is getting a welcome re-release from Modern Harmonic in July. 

Here's the scoop from Modern Harmonic...

Step into the Red Room with us... you may remember Jimmy Scott as the angelic voice in Twin Peaks. We're thrilled to announce the reissue of Doesn't Love Mean More? is coming to stores July 17th! 

Jimmy Scott's distinct high register, contralto voice has been heard in David Lynch's Twin Peaks, and on the turntables of his fans Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Madonna and more. Recorded in 1990, and previously only available directly from Jimmy at his shows, this album finally gets its due! Newly remastered and featuring a booklet chock full of photos and liner notes!

For a while, Jimmy was everywhere: performing on the final episode of Twin Peaks’ initial run, and at the wedding of super fans Kim Basinger and Alec Baldwin; attending the GRAMMYs when another one of his albums, All the Way, was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Performance; singing at Bill Clinton’s 1993 inaugural ball and on the soundtrack of huge 1994 film Philadelphia; appearing in the Ethan Hawke-directed Chelsea Walls alongside the likes of Uma Thurman and Kris Kristofferson, and in a video for Madonna, who described him as “the only singer who makes me cry.”

In Doesn’t Love Mean More? You can hear why Jimmy evokes such strong emotion from listeners.  Like a doting parent with a newborn infant, Scott cradles and caresses each note with emotional intention. Having learned bebop from the best as a young man, he was a master at subverting the tyranny of beats and bar lines, elongating or shortening his notes as his muse demanded. His phrasing was so advanced and exploratory that it could make others fearful, but every melody was under expert control. 

You can pre-order the reissue of Doesn't Love Mean More? right here: https://sundazed.com/scott-jimmy.aspx

Doesn't Love Mean More? – Jimmy Scott

You Were Right Next Door • Doesn’t Love Mean More • Itchy • How Can I Tell You • I’ll Love You Just The Same • Portrait of Family • To Say I Love You • Blues For Little ‘J’ • Another Side of Me