The Cramps Unearthed: Lost 1977 Recordings with Alex Chilton to See Light on 'Gravest Gravy'

The world of garage-punk is about to get a whole lot wilder. The Cramps, who officially disbanded in 2009 after the untimely death of their iconic co-founder Lux Interior, are set to release a treasure trove of unheard material. Despite the surge of interest following Jenna Ortega’s viral dance to “Goo Goo Muck” in Wednesday, the band has remained silent—until now.

Gravest Gravy, a collection of lost recordings made with the legendary Alex Chilton of Big Star back in 1977, is slated for release on August 21 via Vengeance. Fans can get a taste of what’s to come with the previously unreleased track “TV Set.”

In October 1977, The Cramps laid down the tracks for their first two 7" singles—“Surfin’ Bird” with “The Way I Walk,” and “Human Fly” with “Domino”—with Chilton at the helm. These were released the following year on their own label. By 1979, they compiled these four songs with a cover of Ricky Nelson’s “Lonesome Town” into the Gravest Hits EP. However, during these prolific sessions, The Cramps recorded numerous other songs that remained in the vault.
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Nearly a decade later, Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy revisited these sessions with the intent of releasing the recordings. However, as the press release states, “for reasons lost to time,” the project was shelved. Now, these reels, found in “pristine condition,” have been transferred by Brian Kehew. Longtime friends of The Cramps, Henry Rollins and Ian MacKaye, meticulously reviewed multiple mixes of each song to determine the final versions. MacKaye also volunteered to handle EQ and level adjustments on two tracks with Don Zientara at Virginia’s Inner Ear Studios, while Pete Lyman mastered the final versions at Nashville’s Infrasonic Sound, with Poison Ivy giving the final seal of approval.

“This new chapter for the band is a combined effort of people whose lives were changed by the music of The Cramps,” Rollins stated. "I first saw The Cramps on April 20, 1979, in a small bar in Washington, DC, and I’ve never recovered. Ian was standing next to me. We still talk about that show. The opportunity to bring this music to fellow Cramps fans is beyond a thrill. It is an absolute honor to be a part of."

Furthermore, Poison Ivy has established The Cramps, Inc. with In the Red Records owner Larry Hardy and the band’s former producer-turned-film catalog owner Jimmy Maslon. Together, they are relaunching the Vengeance imprint to reissue the band’s classic records and introduce official merch. This is significant, considering much of the current Cramps merchandise is bootlegged. According to the press release, Poison Ivy is the primary beneficiary, with Larry and Jimmy managing the logistics.

Here's the tracklist for Gravest Gravy:

01 Weekend on Mars
02 Twist & Shout
03 Jungle Hop
04 Can’t Hardly Stand It
05 Hungry
06 The Natives Are Restless
07 Domino
08 Can’t Find My Mind
09 Rockin’ Bones
10 Problem Child
11 Rocket in My Pocket

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