Editing The Cramps (section)

=== 1970s ===
[[File:Luxinterior.jpg|thumb|right|Lux Interior in 2004]]
[[Lux Interior]] (born Erick Lee Purkhiser) and [[Poison Ivy (musician)|Poison Ivy]] (born Kristy Marlana Wallace) met in [[Sacramento, California]], in 1972.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/ticket/archives/019288.html|title=Cramps singer Lux Interior dies at 60|last=Leibrock|first=Rachel|date=February 4, 2009|website=[[The Sacramento Bee]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208152157/http://sacbee.com/static/weblogs/ticket/archives/019288.html|archive-date=February 8, 2009|access-date=December 18, 2012}}</ref> In light of their common artistic interests and shared devotion to record collecting, they decided to form the Cramps. Lux took his [[stage name]] from a car ad, and Ivy claimed to have received hers in a dream (she was first Poison Ivy Rorschach, taking her last name from that of the inventor of the [[Rorschach inkblot test|Rorschach test]]). In 1973, they moved to [[Akron, Ohio]], and then to New York in 1975, soon entering into [[CBGB's]] early punk scene with other emerging acts like [[Suicide (band)|Suicide]], the [[Ramones]], [[Patti Smith]], [[Television (band)|Television]], [[Blondie (band)|Blondie]], [[Talking Heads]],  [[Mink DeVille]], and fellow Ohio transplants [[Dead Boys]]. The lineup in 1976 was Poison Ivy Rorschach, Lux Interior, [[Bryan Gregory]] (guitar), and his sister Pam "Balam" (drums).

In a short period of time, the Cramps changed drummers twice; [[Miriam Linna]] (later of [[Nervus Rex]], the Zantees, and [[the A-Bones]] and co-owner of [[Norton Records]]) replaced Pam Balam, and [[Nick Knox]] (formerly with the [[Electric Eels (band)|Electric Eels]]) replaced Linna in September 1977. In the late 1970s, the Cramps briefly shared a rehearsal space with [[the Fleshtones]], and performed regularly in New York at clubs such as [[CBGB]] and [[Max's Kansas City]], releasing two independent singles produced by [[Alex Chilton]] at [[Ardent Studios]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]] in 1977 before being signed by [[Miles Copeland III]] to the young [[IRS Records|I.R.S. Records]] label. Their first tour of Great Britain was as supporting act to [[the Police]] on that band's first UK tour promoting ''[[Outlandos d'Amour]]''.

In June 1978, they gave a landmark free concert for patients at the [[Napa State Hospital|California State Mental Hospital]] in Napa, recorded on a [[Sony]] [[Portapak]] [[video camera]] by the San Francisco collective [[Target Video]] and later released as ''Live at Napa State Mental Hospital.'' Once back to the east coast, they played the revamped 1940s [[Swing music|swing]] club "The Meadowbrook" in New Jersey, which had a huge stage and dance floor. Next they recorded two singles in New York City, which were later re-released on their 1979 ''[[Gravest Hits]]'' EP, before Chilton brought them back that year to Memphis to record their first full-length album, ''[[Songs the Lord Taught Us]]'', at [[Phillips Recording]], operated by former [[Sun Records]] [[record label|label]] owner [[Sam Phillips]].