The Cramps : Lonesome Town
On June 20, 1979, as The Cramps wrapped up a U.K. tour with The Police, IRS Records released Gravest Hits, a 12" EP compiling both sides of their first two 1978 Vengeance singles, "Surfin' Bird" and "Human Fly", with an added fifth track, a cover version of "Lonesome Town".
The U.K. tour had been a critical smash with Max Bell of NME writing:
Everything about The Cramps is perfect, from their swinging light bulb and voodoo incantations right down to their backline rockabilly maelstrom.London has not witnessed a classier New York export since The Ramones.
After a June 8 show at Manchester Free Trade Hall, future Smiths frontman Stephen Morrissey wrote to Sounds :
The Cramps are worth their weight in gold for making The Police seem like a great big sloppy bowl of mush. The Police, hardly dabbling in degrees of the unexpected, presented a farcical imitation of their Rock Goes To College thing--several people clapped, but then, I suppose someone has to. The Cramps were enough to restore faith in the most spiritless. They have it all, and their drummer is the most compelling in rock history. Back to The Cramps or perish.
When the Cramps returned to New York in July they signed with IRS and began recording their debut album with Alex Chilton producing.
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