While loitering with intent at the Bagging Area checking out the latest excellent instalment of Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night I remembered that a good while ago I promised to post the Cramps Peel session if I ever got my hands on it.
To be honest it wasn't that difficult getting hold of the session but it was certainly worth while. Although the session versions of two of the tracks from 1986's Big Beat release, A Date With Elvis aren't earth shatteringly different from the versions on the album they are great examples of a band who were unique and consistently on form. The session recorded on 23/12/1985 differs from most Peel sessions in that it was not recorded at Maida Vale but at Ocean Way Recording Studios, Hollywood. It was first broadcast on 10/02/1986.
The Cramps -What's Inside A Girl?
The Cramps - Cornfed Dames
The Cramps - Give Me A Woman
5 comments:
Woo hoo. Great post Drew.
Hey,
I'm not sure about this Cramps Peel session, it might be an internet mistake-myth. Far as I can tell, the tracks posted are the same versions as the officially released recordings to be found on the album and B-side. Peely might well have played them, but I don't think they were specially recorded for his show.
There is, however, another BBC session from the same Date With Elvis period, recorded for the Janice Long show. I wonder if this is the source for confusion? It's really great, all live, with Lux making snarky comments about the records she's been playing in between.
Should be available here:
http://www.guitars101.com/forums/f145/the-cramps-janice-long-show-xx-xx-1986-flac-113670.html
Thanks for the info Anon but the facts regarding the session didn't come from the internet but from Ken Garner's book The Peel Session which is regarded as the definitive guide to these sessions.
Hi Drew,
Actually... That very thought struck me just after I posted. And I do really appreciate you loading up the tracks here.
Still, I'm about 99.9 % sure that these (and all other version of the Cramps "Peel Session" I've managed to track down online) are indeed simply the same officially released recordings. I think if you listen to them back to back with the album versions you might agree - check out Ivy's feedback solo in "Cornfed Dames," it's exactly the same. (Indeed, Ocean Way was where the album was recorded.)
I've not yet managed to find a recording of the full Peel show in question to see if these were the tracks JP played. (I probably heard it at the time, but have no memory.)
So I'm wondering. Was there indeed a Cramps Peel session specially recorded that has yet to turn up online? Or did Lux and Ivy pull a fast one on JP by just sending over cuts from the record? Or... what?
A world of mystery.
All power to your elbow
Also is listed on http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/1980s/1986/Jun11thecramps/
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