External links
- Crypt Records official website
- Crypt Records discography at Discogs
| Crypt Records | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Tim Warren |
| Genre | garage rock |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Location | Morristown, NJ Hamburg |
| Official website | cryptrecords |
Crypt Records is an independent record label founded by American-born Tim Warren in 1983. The label has been headquartered variously in Hamburg, Germany and in several locations in the United States. Crypt is perhaps best known for issuing the ten-volume Back from the Grave series of 1960s garage punk compilations, although its other reissues and releases include surf, rockabilly, punk rock, exotica, garage punk, original rhythm and blues, and soul music.
Crypt Records was launched in August 1983 by the New York-born Tim Warren (b. 1960), who had spent his boyhood with his family in the Philippines and Greece. [1] The family moved back to the United States in 1974, when Warren was 14. [1]
Warren spent his first four years as a young adult working in a record store in Amherst, Massachusetts before moving to Maine to work in a gas station — a job which allowed him to save a modest amount of money. [1] In October 1980 Warren returned to his New York City birthplace to take a job in another record store. [1] It was at this time that Warren first became interested in garage punk and other underground music of the 1960s. [1]
The label's first release was Back from the Grave , a compilation LP dedicated to raw 1960s garage rock. [2] Over the next three years there would be a total of 17 releases, focusing on rare 1960s garage and 1950s rockabilly music. [2]
In the fall of 1986 the label moved towards the reissue of contemporary punk rock with a reissue of 1970s band DMZ. [2] A mix of releases followed including pioneering bands from the 1950s and 1960s as well as modern punk groups. [2]
Warren moved to Hamburg, Germany in January 1990, where he immediately began booking European tours for various bands on the Crypt label. [2] The label rented a seven-room space in the spring of 1991, in which it opened up a retail record store in addition to continuing its manufacturing operations. [2]
Although home to the commercially successful New Bomb Turks, the label found itself in financial difficulties owing to slow payments from dishonest distributors. [2] With punk exploding in popularity in the United States, plans were made for a resumption of manufacturing operations there. [2] Still hampered by cash flow problems resulting from distributor non-payment, a manufacturing and distribution deal was signed with major label-affiliated Matador Records in August 1994. [2]
In 1997 the building housing Crypt Records was sold to a new owner, leading to an escalation in rent which forced the shop's closure. [1]
In January 1999 Warren decided to return to the United States, briefly settling in the small town of Truckee, California. [1] He moved across country in June 2000 to Frenchtown, New Jersey, bringing his label in tow. [1] A Crypt presence was maintained in Germany, with a new shop opened at an alternate location in Hamburg in September 2005. [1]
The label remained in financial difficulties, hindered in particular by the bankruptcy of Crypt's European distributor. [1] Warren was unhappy in the United States and found himself spending an inordinate amount on the repair and maintenance of a New Jersey home he had purchased. [1] He managed to sell the house in 2007 and returned to New York, briefly opening a record store in Brooklyn called "Cool and Crazy." [1]
This New York chapter also proved to be a short one and a return was made to Germany, this time to Berlin. [1] The label continues in existence in 2015 and is best known for its series of Back from the Grave compilation albums.
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Garage punk is a rock music fusion genre combining the influences of garage rock, punk rock, and often other genres, that took shape in the indie rock underground between the late 1980s and early 1990s. Bands drew heavily from 1960s garage rock, stripped-down 1970s punk rock, and Detroit proto-punk, and often incorporated numerous other styles into their approach, such as power pop, 1960s girl groups, hardcore punk, blues, early R&B and surf rock.
Back from the Grave is a series compilation albums of 1960s garage rock created and compiled by Tim Warren and released by Crypt Records since 1983. Starting in 1993, the series was reissued on compact disc. Due to the longer playing times offered by CDs, the first seven volumes were contained on four discs, save for a few tracks that were omitted. And, while all of the songs on the first four CDs are included on first seven vinyl albums, they do not necessarily correspond to the individual LPs bearing their same titles. However, the Volume 8 CD corresponds almost directly its LP double-LP counterpart, but with the addition of four bonus tracks not included on the LP. The eight vinyl albums are titled consecutively "Back from the Grave, Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, Volume 5, Volume 6, Volume 7, Volume 8, Volume 9, and Voume 10". In similar fashion the five CDs are titled "Back from the Grave, Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4, Volume 8, and Volumes 9 & 10". There are no volumes 5, 6, or 7 for the CDs. Two separate LPs for Volume 9 and 10 were released in 2015 as well one CD, released the same year, which combines Volumes 9 and 10 onto one double-length disc.
The Grave Diggers were an American rockabilly, surf, jazz, punk band. They are notable due to their eclectic musical style, their early foreshadowing of subsequent music revival movements, and the musical careers of their members.
The Shames were a garage rock band from Ipswich, Massachusetts who were active in the mid-1960s. They are known amongst collectors for two songs which are highly regarded: "Special Ones" and especially "My World is Upside Down," which has been mentioned as a classic in the genre.
Back from the Grave Part One is the first installment in the Back from the Grave four compact disc-exclusive series of garage rock compilations put together by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released in February 1993 in Germany and on August 23, 1996 in the U.S. Its track listing differs from that of the LP version, which is part of the Back From the Grave LP-edition series, also on Crypt. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Raw 'n' Crude Mid-60s Garage Punk!," this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features a booklet containing well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which conveys basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The booklet also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting a revivified "rock and roll" zombie who, along with his macabre cohorts, has just emerged from the grave to "bury" all specimens of supposedly "heretical" pop and progressive music which have come to prominence over the years, such as disco music and MTV.
Back from the Grave Part 2 is the second installment in the Back from the Grave compact disc-exclusive series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released on August 23, 1996. Its track listing differs from that of the LP version, which is part of the Back From the Grave LP-edition series, also on Crypt. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Raw 'n' Crude Mid-60s Garage Punk!," this collection consists of many songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. Accordingly, the set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features a booklet containing well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which conveys basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides.
Back from the Grave Part Three is the third installment in the Back from the Grave compact disc-edition series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released on August 23 1996. Its track listing differs from that of the LP version, which is part of the Back From the Grave LP-edition series, also on Crypt. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Raw 'n' Crude Mid-60s Garage Punk!," this collection consists of many songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. Accordingly, the set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features a booklet containing well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which conveys basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The booklet also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting revivified "rock and roll" zombies who have just emerged from the grave to "drop in a pit" all adherents of supposedly "heretical" pop and progressive music which have come to prominence over the years.
Back from the Grave is the first installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations put together by Tim Warren of Crypt Records and released in 1983 on LP. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Rockin' 1966 Punkers," this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting a revivified "rock and roll" zombie who, along with his macabre cohorts, has just emerged from the grave to "bury" all specimens of supposedly "heretical" pop and progressive music which have come to prominence over the years, such as disco music and MTV.
Back from the Grave, Volume 3 is the third installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations put together by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released in 1984. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Mid 60s Garage Punkers," this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting revivified "rock and roll" zombies who have just emerged from the grave to "drop in a pit" all adherents of supposedly "heretical" pop and progressive music which have come to prominence over the years.
Back from the Grave, Volume 4 is the fourth installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released in 1984. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "Wild Mid-60s Garage Punk Screamers," this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd depicting revivified "rock and roll" zombies who, on this occasion, with the help of Batman's sidekick, Robin, have taken the 1966 TV series Batmobile out for a "wild joyride" and are intent on causing as much mayhem as possible and "lassoing" unsuspecting bystanders—only on this outing, their "victims" are more "randomly selected" than as customarily portrayed on Back from the Grave sleeves.
Back from the Grave, Volume 5 is the fifth installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released in 1985. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading that reads "16 Crazed Bone Crunchin' Mid-60s Garage Punkers", this collection consists of songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd which depicts revivified zombies, in customary fashion, returning to wreak havoc, this time exacting joyful revenge on whole chunks of the human race, by using a variety of noxious substances and even resorting to the nuclear option, while a handful of their victims wallow in a "hydroconformic acid hot tub."
Back from the Grave, Volume 6 is the sixth installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. It was released in 1986. In keeping with all of the entries in the series, and as indicated in the subheading which reads "17 Loud Unpsychedelic Wild Mid-60s Garage Punkers," this collection generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll, usually consisting of songs displaying the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. The packaging features well-researched liner notes written by Tim Warren which convey basic information about each song and group, such as origin, recording date, and biographical sketches, usually written in a conversational style that includes occasional slang, anecdotes, humorous asides. The liner notes are noticeably opinionated, sometimes engaging in tongue-in-cheek insults directed at other genres of music. The packaging also includes photographs of the bands, and the front cover features a highly satirical cartoon by Mort Todd which depicts the customarily vengeful deeds of revivified zombies, but this time, in a version of the future based on a retro-vision from the past, replete with flying saucers, these defiantly "earthly" creatures have taken Crypt records' makeshift fighter-plane for a joyride into orbit for the purpose of not-so-safely depositing their "musically heterodox" victims into the outer reaches of space.
Back from the Grave, Volume 9, released on LP and CD in 2015, is the ninth installment in the Back from the Grave series of garage rock compilations. Like all the entries in the series it was assembled by Tim Warren of Crypt Records. As indicated in the subheading which reads "Raw Blastin' Mid 60s Punk," this collection consists of many songs which display the rawer and more aggressive side of the genre and are often characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals. In typical fashion, the set generally excludes psychedelic, folk rock, and pop-influenced material in favor of basic primitive rock and roll.
Propaganda Records company and Propaganda label are an independent Finnish record company and a record label established in 1981. Since the beginning Helsinki-based Propaganda specialized in independent punk music and hardcore. The label dominated the Finnish hardcore punk and underground scene from the early 1980s until 1986. Releases were soon distributed in West Germany, Brazil and the United States. They soon began reissues in West Germany.
Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns, Volumes 1 & 2: American Garage Teenage Hoot 1965-1967 is a compilation album of 1960s garage rock available on compact disc and is the first installment in the CD version of the Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns series created and compiled by Tim Warren for Crypt Records. It was released and 2015 and combines volumes 1 and 2 of the LP counterparts in the series. As indicated on the front sleeve, most of the songs were recorded by American groups between 1965 and 1967. Packaging includes detailed liner notes that include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. The albums also include photographs of included groups, and cover artwork reflects the mid-1960s style graphic presentation popular on record sleeves of the time.
Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns is a series compilation albums of 1960s garage rock created and compiled by Tim Warren and released by Crypt Records in 2015 and 2016. The series consists of a total of eight LP's and four CD's which each combine each of the corresponding LP's onto one compact disc. Like Crypt Records' Back from the Grave series, the Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns entries include the raw and aggressive numbers characterized by the use of fuzztone-distorted guitars and rough vocals, yet the songs tend to be more melodic and inclusive of the diversity of the genre. As indicated on the front sleeves, most of the songs were recorded by American groups, between 1965 and 1967. The series tends to follow the packaging format established by the Back from the Grave series in that each volume includes detailed liner notes that include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. The albums also include photographs of included groups, and cover artwork reflects the mid-1960s style graphic presentation popular on record sleeves of the time.
The Dagenites were an American garage rock a band from Oxon Hill, Maryland near Washington, DC, who were active in the 1960s. They shared management and frequent billing with noted guitarist and performer Link Wray. In recent years their work has become highly regarded amongst garage rock enthusiasts and collectors and has been included on several compilations. The Dagenites are especially known for their proto-punk anthems, "I Don't Want to Try it Again" and "I'm Gone Slide", both of which have been mentioned as garage rock classics.
The Tamrons were an American garage rock band from Concord, North Carolina, near Charlotte who were active in the 1960s. They became one of the most popular bands in Concord and the Charlotte area during the mid-1960s and enjoyed a regional hit with their single, "Wild-Man" backed with "Stop, Look, Listen" recorded at Arthur Smith's studio in Charlotte and released on his Pyramid label. They broke up in 1968. In the intervening years their work has become highly regarded by garage rock enthusiasts and has appeared on several compilations.
Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns, Volumes 7 & 8: Heartbroken American Garage Jangle Misery 1965–1967 is a compilation album of 1960s garage rock available on compact disc and is part of the Last of the Garage Punk Unknowns series created and compiled by Tim Warren for Crypt Records. It was released and 2015 and combines volumes 7 and 8 of the LP counterparts in the series. Most of the set focuses on downcast and moody rock songs and ballads. Several of the tracks display folk rock influence. Packaging includes detailed liner notes that include basic information about each song and group, such as origin and recording date. The album also includes photographs of musical groups, and cover artwork reflects the mid-1960s style graphic art popular on record sleeves of the time.
