Black (Turtleneck) Friday

.....If you have someone in your life who loves their music to be a little more thought provoking than the hit parade (or, if you read this blog often, are that person) you might be interested in this recent article from NPR's "All Songs Considered", the musical counterpart to their news magazine format show "All Things Considered". It includes a half hour audio interview with Will Hermes about his new book, "Love Goes To Buildings On Fire", about the New York art-rock scene in 1973-1977. It might make a good Christmas gift for somebody. And if you're really cheap, so would this link:

http://www.npr.org/2011/11/22/142550159/when-new-york-was-on-fire-a-mid-70s-musical-revolution#playlist

.....Someone in the comments keeps asking, "What? No Ramones?" repeatedly, which is confusing because (a) they never really professed to be or were considered to be an art-rock outfit; (b) they do appear in the book anyway because they were close contemporaries of the bands who were and staple performers at many of the same venues; and (c) they're explicitly mentioned in the interview. Yeesh. After this weekend I'll try to write about as many Christmas songs as I can on the "New Carolls For This Merry Time" blog (link on the right) and make the occasional spotty post here until New Year's Day, then switch priorities. I hope to finish the Checklist of Shame series by then (I'm doing 'S' now)so that I can get the blog back to its original purpose.

Cramps Box personnel key

.....The posts for October 20 and November 16 of this year are the two halves of a theoretical career retrospective boxed set for the band The Cramps. Each track is preceded by an alpha-numeric code that designates where it would be located on either tape or disc format and ends with a letter that stands for the line-up performing that particular track. Here is the key detailing those line-ups. I intended to include the real names of the band members when possible but I discovered that many of them also used different pseudonyms when playing in other bands, so what follows their Cramps performing name is my best guess as to their actual name. Bear in mind that some (or even all) may just be alternate pseudonyms that were chosen to sound more realistic. The dates of activity accompanying each line-up are also approximations. A few can be corroborated down to the day, others are shots in the dark.

.....A (Feb. 1976- Aug. 1976) Lux and Ivy were scenesters in New York at the time and had already gone through a blizzard of assumed names and identities before they had even started performing. Bryan and Pam were brother and sister.

• Lux Interior (Erick Lee Purkhiser): vocalist [continues through all line-ups]
• Poison Ivy Rorschach (Kristy Marlana Wallace): guitarist [continues through all line-ups]
• Bryan Gregory (Gregory Beckerleg): guitarist
• Pam Balam (Pamela Beckerleg): drums

.....B (Sep. 1976- Aug. 1977) Miriam has posted a blog about her experiences in New York before, during and since her year in the Cramps. The only official release to include recordings with her is HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER but numerous bootlegs claim to have demos and live recordings with her because collectors look for the earliest versions of songs and she is known to have left before the first official releases were recorded. Some of them do, some of them don't. As always with bootlegs, caveat emptor.

• Bryan Gregory (~): guitarist
• Miriam Linna: drums

.....C (Sep. 1977- Jun. 1980) This is the first line-up to release recordings.

• Bryan Gregory (~): guitarist
• Nick Knox (Nicholas Stephanoff): drums

.....D (Jun. 1980- Nov. 1980)

• Julien Griensnatch (Julien Hechtlinger): guitar
• Nick Knox (~): drums

.....E and F (Dec. 1980- Sep. 1983) This is the first line-up with an intentionally provisional member. Terry was a member of the Gun Club who sat in for much of 1982 while Nick had medical issues and returned to them when Nick had recovered.

• Kid Congo Powers (Brian Tristan): guitar
• Nick Knox (~): drums (E)
• Terry Graham: drums (F)

.....G (Oct. 1983- Jul. 1984 and Aug. 1984- Feb. 1986) The recordings used on the compilation come from the second period and are presumed to be studio recordings in which Lux and Nick perform their parts but Ivy plays additional guitars or bass in overdubs. During this period there were at various times three other musicians but it is not clear that they appear on any finished recordings.

• Ike Knox (Michael Metoff): guitar (Ga; Oct.1983- Jul. 1984 except for Gb)
• Click Mort (still using this pseudonym as an outsider fine artist): guitar (Gb;filled in Dec. 1983 or Jan. 1984)
• Touch Hazzard (Tim Maag): bass (Gc;briefly in studio, 1985)
• Nick Knox (~): drums

.....H (Mar. 1986- Jun. 1986) There are television appearances but no studio recordings released.

• Fur Stokes: bass
• Nick Knox (~): drums

.....I (Jul. 1986- May 1991) Technically they made only one live and one studio album together, plus about an LP's worth of other recordings that now live on as bonus tracks. But at nearly five years this was, I think, the longest consistent line-up. Touring on the strength of ALOHA FROM HELL and STAY SICK, they have their fair share of bootlegs as well.

• Candy Del Mar: bass
• Nick Knox (~): drums

.....J (Jun. 1991- Sep. 1991)

• Slim Chance (Victor Willden): bass
• Jim Sclavunos: drums

.....K (Oct. 1991- Dec. 1993)

• Slim Chance (~): bass
• Nikki Alexander: drums

.....L (Jan. 1994- Summer 1998?)

• Slim Chance (~): bass
• Harry Drumdini (Harry Misenheimer): drums

.....M (Sep. 1998- Feb. 1999)

• Doran Shelley: bass
• Harry Drumdini (~): drums

.....N (during 2000)

• Sugarpie Jones (Tim Ferris): bass
• Harry Drumdini (~): drums
• Jen Hanrahan: percussion (Jun. 2000- Aug. 2000)

.....O (2000?- Aug. 2003)

• Chopper Franklin (Scott Franklin): bass
• Harry Drumdini (~): drums

.....P (Sep. 2003- May 2004)

• Chopper Franklin (~): bass
• Jungle Jim (Jim Chandler): drums

.....Q (Jul. 2004- Aug. 2006) This line-up is the one on the live DVD released last year. That makes it the most recent recording I know of, perhaps the last authorized recording made.

• Chopper Franklin (~): bass
• Bill Bateman: drums

.....R (Aug. 2006- Sep. 2006) The same as O; Harry briefly returns.

.....S (Oct. 2006- Nov. 2006)

• Sean Yseult (Shauna Reynolds): bass
• Harry Drumdini (~): drums

.....T (Dec. 2006- Feb. 2009) The same as O; Lux passed away on February 4, 2009 and while Ivy is capable of assembling an exceptional touring unit it is not at all clear that she wants to. She would be in demand as a solo act instead, and certainly welcomed by many as a studio guest. She and Lux spent 33 years performing together and a few years more as partners in life. Losing him has to have had some impact on her. It would not have diminished her considerable, often underestimated skill with a guitar, nor the fervor of the Cramps' fan base. The only question is where she wants to go from here. Solo act? Recording mogul (she still owns Vengeance and has extensive producing experience)? Axe for hire? Grande dame of a demimonde subculture? All of the above?