Gravest Gravy

In 1977, the Cramps entered Ardent Studios in Memphis with Alex Chilton, intending to record four songs. Chilton persuaded them to capture everything they had, documenting the early sound of a band that would become one of America’s most influential rock groups. The sessions produced their first two singles and the “Gravest Hits” EP, while much of the remaining material was later reworked or circulated on bootlegs.

Planned for release twice before being shelved, “Gravest Gravy” finally emerged after a cache of reel-to-reel tapes was discovered in Ivy’s garage. With Henry Rollins and Ian MacKaye helping prepare the archive, it became the first in a series of archival releases. The recordings capture the Cramps in their rawest form: primitive drums, distorted guitars, reverb, Lux Interior’s deranged vocals, and a twisted mix of rockabilly, garage punk, B-movie sleaze and trash culture. Early versions of “TV Set”, “Can’t Hardly Stand It” and “The Natives Are Restless” reveal a band already in complete control of its singular sound—feral, irreverent and unmistakably Cramps.

Available on black vinyl or on glow-in-the-dark vinyl!