Posted on 02/04/2009 10:31:57 PM PST by lainie
Lux Interior, lead singer of influential garage-punk act the Cramps, died Wednesday morning (February 4) due to an existing heart condition, according to a statement from the band's publicist. He was 62.
Born Erick Lee Purkhiser, Interior started the Cramps in 1972 with guitarist Poison Ivy (born Kristy Wallace, later his wife) — whom, as legend has it, he picked up as a hitchhiker in California. By 1975, they had moved to New York, where they became an integral part of the burgeoning punk scene surrounding CBGBs.
Their music differed from most of the scene's other acts in that it was heavily steeped in camp, with Interior's lyrics frequently drawing from schlocky B-movies, sexual kink and deceptively clever puns. (J.H. Sasfy's liner notes to their debut EP memorably noted: "The Cramps don't pummel and you won't pogo. They ooze; you'll throb.") Sonically, the band drew from blues and rockabilly, and a key element of their sound was the trashy, dueling guitars of Poison Ivy and Bryan Gregory (and later Kid Congo Powers), played with maximal scuzz and minimal drumming.
Because of that — not to mention Interior's deranged, Iggy Pop-inspired onstage antics and deep, sexualized singing voice (which one reviewer described as "the psychosexual werewolf/ Elvis hybrid from hell") — the Cramps are often cited as pioneers of "psychobilly" and "horror rock," and can count bands like the Black Lips, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, the Reverend Horton Heat, the Horrors and even the White Stripes as their musical progeny.
(Excerpt) Read more at mtv.com ...
Rock and Roll PING!
A term they got from Johnny Cash (in On Piece At A Time a song by Wayne Kemp, where he mentions "This is the Cotton-Mouth in the psychobilly Cadillac...")
From recording their debut album at Sun Studios (with Alex Chilton on the knobs) to imbedded references to their vast record and movie collection, Lux and Ivy lived the life.
If ever a couple were soul mates, these fit the description. At least they weren’t bank robbers or thrill killers like some couples...
RIP
Wow. Saw them at CBGB’s in the 70’s and again at the Whisky in 80’s. Always a great show with an interesting audience. I had no idea he was that old. Time does fly. RIP Goo Goo Muck.
Bummer....I must have seen the Cramps 6 or 7 times over the years. Always put on a great show.
Goo goo muck forever!
RIP.
I always liked the double entandre of that line...
Pure in your face rock’n’roll without silly artistic or political pretensions, with nonsense lyrics and stinging rockabilly guitars, what more do you want?! They don’t make them like that any more (or if they do, I’d like to hear the sounds.)
Lux was a collector of rare rock’n’s roll 45s, and he was the one who discovered (or at least popularized) for the world the great Hasil Adkins (also deceased.)
I was at Urgh! show at the Santa Monica Civic Center. Discovered some great bands I still listen to today...Pere Ubu, Magazine, among others. Those were the days, indeed.
I didn’t know they were a string trio with someone playing an empty bottle.
Still waiting for URGH to come out on DVD (with extra band footage that was shot).
IRS is owned by one of the big corporations now. They have just announced that they will FINALLY be reissuing some long out of print albums (by the Fleshtones, among others) as mp3s.
The Cramps managed to own everything else they ever did (including the artwork) and eventually reissued all that they could on their own label and worked up an large “unreleased” package but had to omit all of the IRS tracks they wanted to use.
The Urgh concerts looked interesting.
The Cramps were on one of my favorite concert lineups I’ve seen listed (I did not go to the show, it was before my time) “The Cramps, Bo Diddley, and The Clash”.
Fool’s Paradise with Rex
Lux and Ivy of the legendary Cramps drop by for some Orangeade and a round of platter chatter. From October 23, 2004.
Listen to the whole show: http://www.wfmu.org/listen.ram?show=12963
ping
These guys come close (and they toured with the Cramps)
http://www.livemusiccapitol.com/2008/11/drinking-with-wolves/
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