Three early albums by The Cramps are set to be reissued on vinyl just in time for Halloween. New LP editions of the seminal psychobilly band’s first two studio albums, Songs the Lord Taught Us (1980) and Psychedelic Jungle (1981), and the 1984 compilation Bad Music for Bad People will be released on Friday, October 24.
All three LPs will be available on black vinyl. Meanwhile, limited-edition LP versions Psychedelic Jungle and Bad Music for Bad People, pressed on fluorescent-green and glow-in-the-dark vinyl, respectively, will be sold exclusively at uDiscover Music. The colored-vinyl LPs also will come with a special art print.
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The Cramps first crept onto the rock scene in the mid-to-late 1970s. The group was led by the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior (Erick Purkhiser) and guitarist Poison Ivy Rorschach (Kristy Wallace). The band played a combination of originals and covers, delivered a raw, stripped-down sound influenced by rockabilly, garage rock, horror-film soundtracks, and trashy R&B and blues.
The Cramps continued recording and touring until 2009, when Lux Interior died of an aortic dissection at age 62.
Here’s a brief look at the albums being reissued:
Songs the Lord Taught Us
Songs the Lord Taught Us was the full-length follow-up to The Cramps’ debut 1979 EP, Gravest Hits. The EP and album both were produced by Alex Chilton of The Box Tops and Big Star fame.
Songs the Lord Taught Us was recorded at Phillips Recording studio in Memphis. The album’s standout original songs included “Garbageman” and “I Was a Teenage Werewolf.” Among the covers were The Sonics’ “Strychnine,” Johnny Burnette’s “Tear It Up,” and Little Willie John’s “Fever.”
Psychedelic Jungle
Psychedelic Jungle was a self-produced album the was released in May 1981. The album features The Cramps’ now-famous cover of “Goo Goo Muck,” a 1962 novelty song originally recorded by Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads.
The use of The Cramps’ version of “Goo Goo Muck” in a 2022 episode of Netflix’s Addams Family-spinoff series Wednesday helped bring wide attention to the band. The song was used in a scene where the title character, played by Jenna Ortega, does a quirky, unique dance to the tune during a school party.
Psychedelic Jungle also featured a mix of original songs and cover tunes. Among the noteworthy originals were “Don’t Eat Stuff Off the Sidewalk” and “Can’t Find My Mind.”
The covers included pro wrestling-themed 1965 parody tune “The Crusher,” originally recorded by The Novas; and revved-up rendition of “The Green Door,” a chart-topping 1956 pop hit for Jim Lowe.
Bad Music for Bad People
Bad Music for Bad People was a compilation released by I.R.S. Records in 1984, after The Cramps left the label. The 11-track collection is made up highlights and rarities from the band’s early days.
It includes “Garbageman,” a single mix of “Goo Goo Muck,” and the popular early original “Human Fly” from Gravest Hits.
(Courtesy of UMe)