When Lux Interior and Poison Ivy, founder members and mainstays of the legendary Cramps, were invited onto a New Jersey radio station in 2004 to discuss the recent release of their ‘How To Make A Monster’ rarities collection, they barely mentioned the product in question and instead, over the 50 or so minutes of air time they were allocated, they sang the virtues of the records they had both accumulated during a lifetime of collecting and listening to scarce and obscure 45s, all of which, we were told, had ‘a sound to die for’.
This 2CD set includes 1 disc containing thirty original recordings of the songs that this fiendish duo either gave mention of during this interview, or covered, sang the praises of or otherwise made public during their delightfully colorful career – albeit one tragically ended by the untimely death of Lux in 2009. But as ‘Chop Suey Rock’, ‘Do You Mean Jelly Bean’ and‘Caterpillar Crawl’ rub shoulders with twenty seven other gems from an oeuvre it’s difficult to name but easy to recognise, a rare glimpse of the music which informed the work of one of America’s finest ever acts, is presented here for all to enjoy and learn from.
Disc 2 of the set includes the full recording of the very interview mentioned above, plus a variety of other discussions with the pair, made throughout the golden age of The Cramps.
Tracklist
Disc 1
1. Versatones – Bila
2. The Shades – Strollin’ After Dark
3. Paul Peek – Olds Mo William
4. Jack Scott – The Way I Walk
5. The Flamingoes – I Only Have Eyes For You
6. The Riptides – Machine Gun
7. The Playboys – Jungle Fever
8. Ray Harris – Come On Little Mama
9. Jimmie Heap & His Orchestra – Gismo
10. Don Covay – Switchin In The Kitchen
11. Ronnie Dawson – Rockin Bones
12. Jan & Arnie – Jennie Lee
13. Johnny Kidd & The Pirates – Shakin’ All Over
14. The Strangers – Caterpiller Crawl
15. The Caps – Red Headed Flea
16. The Crescents – Pink Dominoes
17. Ron Thompson – Switchblade
18. The Fleetwoods – Unchained Melody
19. The Enchanters – Café Bohemian
20. Ersel Hickey – Hangin’ Around
21. Ivan – Real Wild Child
22. Sheriff & The Ravels – Shombolar
23. The Instrumentals – Chop Suey Rock
24. Roland Janes – Guitarville
25. Jimmy Lloyd – Rocket In My Pocket
26. Kenny Owen – I Got The Bug
27. Portuguese Joe – Teenage Riot
28. Joe Clay – Did You Mean Jelly Bean
29. Gene Maltais – Crazy Baby
30. Glenn Glen – Everybody’s Movin’
Disc 2
Interviews With Lux Interior and Poison Ivy
