Happy Birthday Kid Congo Powers!

Cheers to Kid Congo Powers on his 67th birthday! Here are a few interviews, some performances and videos worth checking.  

Happy Birthday Poison Ivy!

Raising a glass to Poison Ivy – The Cramps guitarist, composer and producer – with some interview & performance footage.

Here's a bonus shot of Poison Ivy with The Cramps featuring Miriam Linna on drums circa 1976. 

Midweek Mixdown: Lux & Ivy's Favorites – Halloween Edition

Just in time for Halloween, Kogar the Swinging Ape compiled a special creepy cool edition of his Lux & Ivy tribute series. 

Here's the scoop from Kogar the Swinging Ape...

I’ve resisted doing this for years, but here is a “best of” volume of Lux and Ivy’s Favorites for Halloween. Who doesn’t need something good to focus on these days?

Here are 40 tracks taken from LAIF volumes 1-20 of songs with a “creepy” bent to them. I made a playlist of them for myself, but then said “what the hell,” let’s make it so other folks don’t have to go through the hassle of making their own playlists.

I reached out to JR Willaims, who did a cover for one of the other volumes of LAIF, and he agreed and we teamed up for this cool cover from one of my favorite (non EC) pre-code horror comics called WEIRD MYSTERIES. I thought it would be perfect because Here Lies My Love by the Undertakers is among the set of songs. Thanks JR!

Happy Halloween everyone! - Kogar tSA

Listen right here. Check the track listing below. 

Lux & Ivy's Favourites – Halloween Edition

01 Anton LaVey - Satan Takes a Holiday

02 Ken Nordine - Strollin' Spooks

03 Jan Davis - Watusi Zombie

04 The Symbols - Do the Zombie

05 The Del-Airs - Zombie Stomp

06 Ralph Neilson and the Chancellors – Scream

07 Jackie Morningstar - Rockin' In The Graveyard

08 Joe Wallace - Leopard Man

09 Lee Ross - The Mummy's Bracelet

10 Kip Tyler - She's My Witch

11 Zacherle - Dinner With Drac

12 The Electro-Tones - Ghost Train

13 Bill Carter -  Baby Brother

14 The Five Blobs - The Blob

15 The Ran-dells - Martian Hop

16 The Invasion - The Invasion is Coming

17 Roy Brown - Butcher Pete part one

18 Roy Brown - Butcher Pete part two

19 Mr Undertaker - Here Lies Love

20 Revels - Dead Man's Stroll

21 Lord Luther & The Kingsmen Teenage Creature

22 Kay Starr - The Headless Horseman

23 The Five Jones Boys -  Mr Ghost Goes To Town

24 Bob and Jerry - Ghost Satellite

25 Deadly Ones - Monster Surfing Time

26 Hugh Barret and the Victors - There Was a Fungus Among Us

27 Richard Delvy - Green Slime Theme

28 Albert Elias - King Kong

29 The Gravestone Four - Rigor Mortis

30 Sickidz - Night of the Living Dead

31 Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You

32 Social Outcasts – Mad

33 The Deadly Ones - The Mad Drummer [pt. 1]

34 Cab Calloway - The Ghost of Smokey Joe

35 Jim Wolfe and the T-Towners – Innersanctum

36 The Ventures - The Bat

37 Jack Hammer and the Pacers - Black Widow Spider Woman

38 The Regal-aires -  It

39 Vampires' Sound Incorporation - The Lions and the Cucumber

40 Ghoulardi Surf

Remembering Lux Interior on his birthday

Raising a glass to Lux Interior of The Cramps on his birthday with two brilliant performances you may have missed. 

Happy Birthday Miriam Linna of Kicks/Norton Records!

Celebrating the birthday of Kicks.Norton Records co-founder Miriam Linaa with an interview and some performances.

Writes Miriam...

"Thank you, friends and fiends, for the excitable birthday greets. I'm a 20th century gal who is still hanging onto the old world for dear life, so bear with my antiquated mind, means and methods. News is coming very soon about projects that have been stewing for a very long time - and are now ready to share. It's peculiar how synchronicity plays with our daily doings. I was reading one of my favorite paperbacks from the old days, Fahrenheit 451, during the wee hours this morning, and recalled that I had seen a copy of the fireproof asbestos edition under glass at a book fair many years ago. Now making this post, I wanted to reshare a clip of Stay, complete with its teenage TV host, and what do I see on the wall behind the group- look/see. So anyway, all rambling aside, please stay just a little bit longer. Thank you to everyone who has helped me through the hard stuff and to those who share with the fun and laughter. That accounts for everybody!" - Miriam XXXX
 

Midweek Mixdown: Kogar's Jungle Juice

The latest episode of Kogar's Jungle Juice features a preview of Lux & Ivy's Faves Vol. 20 which should delight Cramps fans.

Here's the scoop...

Another week means another NEW episode of Kogar’s Jungle Juice! 2 hours of instrumentals, group sounds, rockabilly, rhythm and blues and a special preview of Lux and Ivy’s Favorites Volume 20! This show features artists like: Bob Taylor, The Eden Rocs, The Lamplighters, Don and Dewey, The Five Quails, Bo Diddley, Hasil Adkins (that's Hasil flipping through some 45s at home below), Kip Tyler, Otis Blackwell, Cousin Leroy, The Godz, Calico Wall, and Jack Hammer and the Pacers! Full playlist at the Boss Radio 66 Blogspot! Have a listen via Mixcloud right here. 

For more info about Lux and Ivy's Favorites Volume 20, check the Boss Radio 66 blog site: https://www.bossradio66.com/2025/10/lux-and-ivys-favorites-volume-20.html

Painting attributed to Erick Lee Purkhiser aka Lux Interior up for eBay auction

From the signature, the painting appears to date from 1970, prior to Lux Interior meeting Poison Ivy and forming The Cramps.

 

According to the eBay seller...

This is an auction for a

RARE ONE OF A KIND PIECE OF ARTWORK PAINTED BY "LUX INTERIOR" OF THE Band The CRAMPS, OR AS HE WAS KNOW AT THE TIME,  ERICK LEE PURKHISER

Size 37 x 29 Inches

Erick Lee Purkhiser (October 21, 1946 – February 4, 2009), better known by the stage name Lux Interior, was an American singer and a founding member of the American rock band the Cramps from 1976 until his death in 2009 at age 62

He met his wife Kristy Wallace, better known as Poison Ivy, a.k.a. Ivy Rorschach, in Sacramento in 1972, when he and a friend picked her up when she was hitchhiking. The couple founded the band after they moved from California to Ohio in 1973, and then to New York in 1975, where they soon became part of the flourishing punk scene.

The painting is a fascinating mix of eroticism and nightmare, surreal and vivid in style. It is not especially Cramps typical look– but then again, it is, if that makes sense. You might not immediately see it as the obvious work of Lux Interior, but when you know that it is , it doesn’t seem all that surprising. Lux always gravitated towards women who would bring out his inner creativity – with Ivy, of course, he found a soul mate who was as creative as he was and the pair of them built an insular, unique artistic universe together until his death in 2009.

Painting was done in 1970 (see signature detail at right), before Lux met Posion Ivy during art classes at California State University, Sacramento where the text book I believe was the infamous book "The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross"  by John M. Allegro. 

When someone has such a defined and iconic public persona as the late, great Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, it’s hard to remember that he didn’t come out of the womb already attached at the hip to Cramps cohort and life partner, Poison Ivy Rorschach. But Lux did indeed have a life before he became Lux – he was 30 when the band formed and although it has been barely mentioned in any Cramps biographies or his Wikipedia page, he had a previous marriage and a son, both of which were so effectively wiped out of history. This painting would have been done during that time I believe. 

Clean pre-owned condition. Signature on top of ERICK in lower right corner is the previous owners, he was a young man in his 20s when he purchased it in HOUSTON TX in the 80s. He believed he would never get rid of it, that is why he put his name on it . Times and priorities for the previous owner changed and he decided to sell the painting to me a few years ago, Ive had it ever since.

Looking for a new good home for the is one of a kind painting.

Could Be The Crown Jewel of someones CRAMPS collection

Any questions, please email before bidding.

selling as is!

"Buy It Now" price: $14,000 US or best offer. Check it out right here. 

Watch the documentary Turn Blue: The Short Life Of Ghoulardi

Phil Hoffman's Turn Blue doc tells the story of influential Cleveland TV personality Ghoulardi aka Ernie Anderson. 

Here's the scoop...

For northeast Ohioans who grew up in this area in the 1960s, the new TV production Turn Blue: The Short Life of Ghoulardi is an entertaining blast from the past. Ernie Anderson, who played Cleveland's counter-culture media celebrity Ghoulardi, hosted WJW-TV's late-night horror movies from 1963 to 1966 and was an incredible influence locally.

Turn Blue is the work of award-winning producer/director Phil Hoffman, Ed.D., who also teaches radio and television courses at The University of Akron. It is the latest in a series of local history productions that Hoffman has created in cooperation with Western Reserve Public Media.  The program has also aired on WGTE Public Media in Northeast Ohio.

"The process of creating this film began with my discovery of a book 'Ghoulardi: Inside Cleveland TV's Wildest Ride,'" Hoffman said. "Authors Rich Heldenfels and Tom Feran do an excellent job of making the case for Ghoulardi's place in the pantheon of local TV hosts who had an impact on a generation of young minds weaned on TV during the 1960s." 

At WJW-TV 8, Ernie Anderson was working as an announcer when the station asked him to don a fright wig and serve as the host of a late-night horror movie series. Ghoulardi was born. Within just a few short weeks, Clevelanders were shouting phrases including "knif," "Oxnard" and " blue." Anderson's Ghoulardi would begin a local TV tradition that would continue with Hoolihan and Big Chuck and Little John Rinaldi well into the first decade of the new millennium.  

Turn Blue chronicles Anderson's wild ride on Cleveland TV and includes interviews with Heldenfels, Feran, "Big Chuck" Schodowski, Dick Goddard, Mark Dawidziak and many other colleagues and witnesses to the Ghoulardi phenomenon. 

The world premiere of the production was held in 2009 at the annual Ghoulardifest, and the one-hour production was first broadcast on Western Reserve PBS that same year. It earned two Emmy Awards, for directing and editing for producer Phil Hoffman. Check it out below. 

Happy Birthday Lux Interior of The Cramps!

Remembering Lux Interior on his birthday with an interview at home with Poison Ivy and a few stellar Cramps performances. 

One For The Weekend: Michael Purkhiser's 3-D

Akron's Michael Purkhiser – Lux Interior's brother – knocked out a cool surf/spy soundtrack-inspired instrumental record 3-D, 

LINKS

Akron Beacon Journal Rock guitarist Michael Purkhiser enters new dimension with '3-D' 

Bang Bang Band Girl vs. The Cramps

Walter Daniels' snarling sax enhances Bang Bang Band Girl's crack at Dave Day's "Blue Moon Baby" also covered by The Cramps.

Calvin Johnson previews new Gallows Wine album with "Pink Cadillac"

Calvin Johnson's new album Gallows Wine isn't out till April but you can hear his Crampsy shaker "Pink Cadillac" below.

Here's the scoop...

The first digital single from the Calvin Johnson album Gallows Wine [KLP287], "Pink Cadillac" was written by a fifteen year old Calvin, months before witnessing Tav Falco's Panther Burns open for The Cramps at Irving Plaza. The inspiration for "Pink Cadillac" is rockabilly from the Midwest and mid-south. The execution, by Calvin (and members of Hartle Road at Pompeii Studio in Columbus, Mississippi), is classic tear-down threnody. You can get a digital copy of "Pink Cadillac" and pre-order the Gallows Wine album via Bandcamp right here. Listen to "Pink Cadillac" below. 

 

Watch The Cramps rock San Francisco's I-Beam in 1984

Sure, it is a bit dark, but hey, where else are you gonna see The Cramps with Chris "Click Mort" Doran on second guitar. 

Happy Birthday Lux Interior of The Cramps!

Remembering my old pal Lux Interior with a shopping trip with Poison Ivy to Toronto's Kops Records and a couple of interviews. 

Steve Wynn vs. Hasil Adkins

Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon knocked out a fine version of the Hasil Adkins whumper "She Said" in a salute to The Cramps. 

Happy Halloween!

Listen to music publicist/collector Randy Haecker play 3 hours of creepy classics from his own stash right here. 

Playlist

Part 1:

1) INTRO - "Welcome to the Party!" (Mondo Party 2000 / 2000)

2) JANIE JONES - "Witches Brew" (UK 7" single / 1965) 

3) THE CRAMPS - "Human Fly" (File Under Sacred Music / 1978)

4) DEADBOLT - "Billy’s Dead" (Voodoo Trucker / 1999)

5) VINCENT PRICE - "Witch Tortures" (Witchcraft: An Adventure in Demonology / 1969) 

6) THE FLESHTONES - "Screamin’ Skull" (Hexbreaker / 1983) 

7) THE SONICS - "The Witch" (Introducing The Sonics / 1967) 

8) BOBBY BARE - "Vampira" (Tender Years / 1965) 

9) REDBONE - "Witch Queen of New Orleans" (U.S. 7" single / 1971) 

10) FRANK SINATRA - "Witchcraft" (Sinatra’s Sinatra / 1957) 

11) LYN CORNELL - "Demon Lover" (UK 7" single / 1960)

12) DUSTY SPRINGFIELD - "Spooky" (U.S. 7" single / 1970) 

13) JODY REYNOLDS - "Endless Sleep" (U.S. 7" single / 1958) 

14) TAV FALCO’S PANTHER BURNS - "She’s My Witch" (The World We Knew / 1987) 

15) NERVOUS NORVUS - "The Fang" (U.S. 7" single / 1956) 

16) SCREAMIN’ JAY HAWKINS - "Little Demon" (U.S. 7" single / 1956) 

17) ED TWILLEY & THE CREEPERS - "Halloween Shindig" (unknown) 

18) THE HAWAIIAN PUPS - "Spook Opera" (U.S. 7" single / 1982) 

19) COMATEENS - "Ghosts" (Comateens / 1981) 

Part 2:

20) WHODINI - "Freaks Come Out at Night" (12" singe / 1984) 

21) SHOCKING BLUE - "Deamon Love" (Scorpio’s Dance / 1970)

22) DOZY, BEAKY, MICK & TICH - "In the Coven" (7" single / 1980)

23) GIRLSCHOOL - "Race with the Devil" (UK 7" single / 1980) 

24) THE RATTLES - "Devil’s on the Loose" (German 7" single / 1971) 

25) BLUE ÖYSTER CULT - "Godzilla" (Spectres / 1977)

26) THE BAGS - "Survive" (U.S. 7" single / 1978) 

27) SUBURBAN LAWNS - "Flying Saucer Safari" (Suburban Lawns / 1981) 

28) GLOO GIRLS - "Witch Is Witch" (Attention Shoppers / 1993) 

29) THE FABULOUS POODLES - "Vampire Rock" (Think Pink / 1979) 

30) BOBBY "BORIS" PICKET & THE CRYPT-KICKERS - "The Sinister Stomp" (The Original Monster Mash / 1962) 

31) JOHNNY OTIS - "Casting My Spell" (Songs for Swinging Ghosts / 2015)

32) JOHN CARPENTER - "Halloween Theme" (Halloween OST / 1978)

33) SUICIDE - "Ghost Rider" (Suicide / 1977)

34) THE HORRORS - "Sheena Is a Parasite" (Strange House / 2007)

35) BAUHAUS - "Dark Entries" (UK 7" single / 1980)

36) THE BIRTHDAY PARTY - "Release the Bats" (UK 7" single / 1981)

37) TRUE WEST - "Lucifer Sam" (True West EP / 1983)

Part 3:

38) GUN CLUB - "Ghost on the Highway" (Fire of Love /1981) 

39) FLESH EATERS - "See You in the Boneyard" (A Minute to Pray, A Second to Die / 1981)

40) RAMONES - "I Don’t Wanna Go Down in the Basement" (Ramones / 1976)

41) MAD PARADE - "I’m a Monster" (Mad Parade / 1984) 

42) MISFITS - "Ghoul’s Night Out" (3 Hits From Hell EP / 1981) 

43) MISFITS - "Halloween" (U.S. 7" single / 1981) 

44) ADVERTS - "Gary Gilmore’s Eyes" (UK 7" single / 1977) 

45) PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN - "Nightmare" (Disintegrate Me / 2017)

46) THE ENDTABLES - "Trick or Treat" (The Endtables 12" / 1991)

47) 45 GRAVE - "Surf Bat" (Sleep In Safety / 1983) 

48) SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES - "Sin In My Heart" (Juju / 1981)

49) BAUHAUS - "Bela Lugosi’s Dead" (UK 12" single / 1979) 

50) THE CURE - "A Forest" (12" Mix / unknown) 

51) THEN COMES SILENCE - "She Loves the Night" (Nyctophilian / 2015)

52) VIRGIN PRUNES - "Baby Turns Blue" (If I Die, I Die… / 1982) 

53) THE VEIL - "Manikin" (UK 12" single / 1984) 

54) DREAM SYNDICATE - "Halloween" (The Days of Wine & Roses / 1982)

The Cramps vs. Freddie & The Hitch-Hikers

A shrewd use of theremin raised the creepy quotient of Freddie & The Hitch-Hikers' 1961 recording of "Sinners" which helped make it a Cramps fave. 

Happy Birthday Poison Ivy!

Celebrating Poison Ivy's birthday with a few interviews discussing The Cramps.

Listen to Lux & Ivy on KALX 97 FM in 1981

The Cramps' Lux Interior & Poison Ivy dropped by UC Berkeley's radio station to play some of their fave 45s, 

Watch Alex de Laszlo's 1978 short film for Human Fly by The Cramps