Cramps

A creature of the fertile mind of producer/graphic designer/art director Gianni Sassi, Cramps was born in 1973 with Area's great first album "Arbeit Macht Frei".
But Gianni Sassi had already been in the music business as an odd presence behind Franco Battiato's first production, both with his graphic studio "al.sa" (founded with Sergio Albergoni), and his work as lyric composer with the surname of Frankenstein, from which the Cramps logo derived.
Cramps was not strictly a progressive music label, more an alternative label several year before the "indies" boom, and they rarely cared about sales and success of their products. Most of these records were commercially unsuccessful and consequently can be hard to find nowadays.
Part of the label production was reissued on CD since 1989 by Artis who acquired the entire Cramps catalogue and also issued on CD some unreleased recordings by contemporary music composers.
After some years of silence, the name Cramps was revamped once again in the XXI century, with new reissues of the most important productions from the 70's.

Catalogue numbers: Cramps had one of the most difficult and hard to understand catalogue numbering system ever seen, with a first series of releases with CRSLP prefix.
The earliest production (at least five LP's in the "standard" series, six in Nova Musicha series and the first three singles) was distributed by Dischi Ricordi, later in the spring of 1975 the label passed under the distribution of Baby Records (that reissued some of the earlier records), that was replaced at the end of 1977 by Phonogram, which adopted a 4+3 digits numbering system similar to the Philips and Polydor releases, but apparently with no particular order. Phonogram reissued some of the previous releases with different numbers, sometimes using the Philips logo on the labels.
To understand their numbering method look at the last four digits, you'll see that each artist has a different numbering sequence (ie. Arti & Mestieri albums have nos. 5501 and 5502, Eugenio Finardi has 5151, 5152, etc...).

Another hard challenge, trying to compile a Cramps discography simply starting by the catalogue number order is impossible, so this is a small list of releases. Cramps were mainly aimed at LP market, so they produced a small number of singles.

Two different series, DIVerso and Nova Musicha, included contemporary avantgarde artists; these had similar cover designs and an independent numbering system along with the Cramps catalogue number (so Demetrio Stratos' first album Metrodora had number 5206 205 in Cramps catalogue and also was no.5 in DIVerso series).

An oddity in Cramps production was the release in 1980 of a series of singles by seven Italian new-wave bands (Dirty Actions, Kandeggina Gang, Kaos Rock, Skiantos, Take Four Doses, Windopen, X-Rated) called "Rock 80". Most singles came on coloured vinyl and were subsequently collected on the "Rock 80" compilation LP.
Moreover, in the years 1976-84, some avantgarde productions came out on the Multhipla label, created by Sassi along with Gino Di Maggio, among them a 2LP set called Musica futurista.

LP number	Band/Artist(s)	Title	year	notes
CRSLP 5101	Area	Arbeit macht frei	1973	gatefold cover with inner - gun insert - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 5102	Area	Caution radiation area	1974	single cover with inner - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 5501	Arti & Mestieri	Tilt (Immagini per un orecchio)	1974	single cover with inner - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 5103	Area	Crac!	1975	gatefold cover - sticker - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 5151	Eugenio Finardi	Non gettate alcun oggetto dai finestrini	1975	single cover with inner - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 5104	Area	Are(a)zione	1975	gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 5201	Antonietta Laterza	Alle sorelle ritrovate	1975	single cover with inner - pink label
CRSLP 5502	Arti & Mestieri	Giro di valzer per domani	1975	gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 2001	Electric Frankenstein	What me worry?	1976	single cover
CRSLP 5152	Eugenio Finardi	Sugo	1976	gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 5105	Area	Maledetti	1976	gatefold cover
CRSLP 5301	Alberto Camerini	Cenerentola e il pane quotidiano	1976	gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 5153	Eugenio Finardi	Diesel	1977	gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 5503	Venegoni & C.	Rumore rosso	1977	single cover with inner
CRSLP 5302	Alberto Camerini	Gelato metropolitano	1977	gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 5106	Area	Anto/logicamente	1977	single cover with inner
CRSLP 5351	Canzoniere del Lazio	Miradas	1977	gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 5401	Pino Masi	Alla ricerca della madre mediterranea	1977	gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 5451	Claudio Rocchi	A fuoco	1977	gatefold cover with inner
all the albums above have been reissued since 1978 with new catalogue numbers replacing CRSLP with 520 (ie. Area's first album was CRSLP 5101 and was reissued as 5205 101). Some of these reissues also exist with the Philips logo.
5205 303	Alberto Camerini	Comici cosmetici	1977	gatefold cover with inner
5205 154	Eugenio Finardi	Blitz	1978	single cover with inner
5205 601	Bella Band	Bella Band	1978	single cover
5205 651	Lucio 'Violino' Fabbri	Amarena	1978	single cover with inner
5205 701	Andrea Tich	Masturbati	1978	single cover with inner
5205 751	Roberto Ciotti	Super gasoline blues	1978	single cover with inner
5205 801	Skiantos	Mono Tono	1978	gatefold cover with inner - early copies in yellow vinyl
5204 001	Various artists	Futura - Poesia sonora	1978	7 LP box with insert including Demetrio Stratos & others - (LP's numbered 5206 301 to 307) - customs white labels
5203 001	Various artists	1979: Il concerto	1979	gatefold cover with inner
5205 107	Area	Event '76	1979	gatefold cover with inner
5205 155	Eugenio Finardi	Roccando rollando	1979	laminated gatefold cover with inner - custom blue label
5205 452	Claudio Rocchi	Non ce n'è per nessuno	1979	gatefold cover with inner
5205 504	Venegoni & C.	Sarabanda	1979	gatefold cover with inner
5205 505	Arti & Mestieri	Quinto stato	1979	gatefold cover - inner
5205 752	Roberto Ciotti	Bluesman	1979	gatefold cover
5205 802	Skiantos	Kinotto	1979	gatefold cover with inner
5205 901	Demetrio Stratos	Rock and roll exhibition	1979	single cover with inner
5207 301	Giancarlo Cardini	...a Cardini	1979	gatefold cover with inner
5207 302	Fedrigotti - Lorenzini	I fiori del sole	1979	single cover with inner
5207 303	Raul Lovisoni & Franco Messina	Prati bagnati dal monte analogo	1979	single cover with inner
5207 304	Giusto Pio	Motore immobile	1979	single cover with inner
5207 305	Donella Del Monaco	Schönberg kabarett	1979	single cover with inner
5207 306	Mario Schiano & Tommaso Vittorini	Un cielo di stelle	1979	single cover with inner
5202 002	Various artists	Rock 80	1980	single cover with inner - custom silver label
5202 003	Kaos Rock	WW 3	1980	single cover with inner
5205 803	Skiantos	Pesissimo	1980	single cover - early copies included a postcard
5206 501	Demetrio Stratos	Recitarcantando	1980	gatefold cover with inner
5207 307	Frances-Marie Uitti	The second bow	1980	single cover with inner
5207 308	Giancarlo Cardini	Giancarlo Cardini suona Erik Satie vol.1	1980	gatefold cover with inner
5208 002	Eugenio Finardi	Musica ribelle	1980	compilation - released in the Polygram "Successo" series
5208 004	Various artists	La musica dissennata degli anni '70	1980	compilation with Arti & Mestieri, Bella Band, Canzoniere del Lazio, Venegoni & Co. - released in the Polygram "Successo" series
9279 594	Area	Area '70	1980	compilation - released in the Polygram "Successo" series
Nova Musicha series LP's (all having similar design covers, some of the early albums were later reissued with 7-digit catalogue numbers - the first 6 LP's were distributed by Ricordi, but CRSLP 6106 also exists with Baby Records distribution credit)
CRSLP 6101	John Cage	John Cage	1974	Nova Musicha n.1 - gatefold cover with inner - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 6102	Juan Hidalgo	Tamaran (Gocce di sperma per dodici pianoforti)	1974	Nova Musicha n.2 - gatefold cover with inner - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 6103	Robert Ashley	In Sara, Mencken, Christ and Beethoven there were men and women	1974	Nova Musicha n.3 - gatefold cover with inner - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 6104	Walter Marchetti	La caccia (Da Arpocrate seduto sul loto)	1974	Nova Musicha n.4 - gatefold cover with inner - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 6105	Paolo Castaldi	Finale (1971-1973)	1975	Nova Musicha n.5 - gatefold cover with inner - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 6106	Cornelius Cardew	Four principles on Ireland	1975	Nova Musicha n.6 - gatefold cover with inner - distributed by Ricordi
CRSLP 6107	Costin Miereanu	Luna cinese	1975	Nova Musicha n.7 - gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 6108	Martin Davorin Jagodic	Tempo furioso	1975	Nova Musicha n.8 - gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 6109	Gruppo Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza	Musica su schemi	1976	Nova Musicha n.9 - gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 6110	Miguel Angel Coria	En rouge et noir	1975	Nova Musicha n.10 - gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 6111	Alvin Lucier	Bird and person dying	1976	Nova Musicha n.11 - gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 6113	Juan Hidalgo	Rrose selavy	1976	Nova Musicha n.13 - gatefold cover with inner
CRSLP 6114	Petr Kotik	First record	1977	Nova Musicha n.14 - gatefold cover with inner
5206 115	Walter Marchetti	In terram utopicam	1977	Nova Musicha n.15 - gatefold cover with inner
5206 116	David Tudor	Microphone	1978	Nova Musicha n.16 - gatefold cover with inner
5206 117	John Cage	Cheap imitations	1978	Nova Musicha n.17 - gatefold cover with inner
5206 118	Horacio Vaggione	La maquina del cantar	1978	Nova Musicha n.18 - gatefold cover with inner
5206 119	Demetrio Stratos	Cantare la voce	1978	Nova Musicha n.19 - gatefold cover with inner and booklet
DIVerso series LP's (all having similar design covers, some of the early albums were later reissued with 7-digit catalogue numbers)
CRSLP 6201	Arza Anaiak	Txalaparta '75 irailia	1975	DIVerso n.1 - single cover
CRSLP 6202	Derek Bailey	Improvisation	1975	DIVerso n.2 - single cover with inner
CRSLP 6203	Fernando Grillo	Fluvine	1975	DIVerso n.3 - single cover with inner
CRSLP 6204	Jesus Villa Rojo	Clarinettissimo	1976	DIVerso n.4 - single cover with inner
CRSLP 6205	Demetrio Stratos	Metrodora	1976	DIVerso n.5 - single cover with inner
CRSLP 6206	Steve Lacy	Straws	1976	DIVerso n.6 - single cover with inner
CRSLP 6207	Patrizio Fariselli	Antropofagia	1977	DIVerso n.7 - single cover with inner
CRSLP 6208	Paolo Tofani	Indicazioni	1977	DIVerso n.8 - single cover with inner
5206 209	Mario Schiano	And his all stars	1978	DIVerso n.9 - single cover with inner
5206 210	Cristina Kubisch & Fabrizio Plessi	Tempo liquido	1978	DIVerso n.10 -gatefold cover
5206 211	Luigi Cinque	Note di atemporalità	1979	DIVerso n.11 - single cover with inner
5206 212	Schiaffini-Iannaccone	Memo from	1980	DIVerso n.12 - single cover with inner
Cramps/Multhipla - LP
N.1	Petr Kotik/S.E.M. Ensemble	The entire musical work of Marcel Duchamp	1976	gatefold cover
N.2	Christina Kubisch & Fabrizio Plessi	Two and two	1976	laminated gatefold cover
N.3/4	Alberto Savinio	Savinio, musicien 1914 - Récital Mi-scénique par Luigi Rognoni	1978	2 LP - gatefold cover + booklet
N.5	Milan Knizak	Broken music	1979	gatefold cover
5204 002	Various artists	Musica futurista	1980	2 LP album released with Multhipla label and Cramps catalogue number - also in ltd.edition box set of 100 copies
M 20137	Wolf Vostell	Dé-coll/Age musik	1982	gatefold cover with inner
M 20138	Artisti vari	"Polyphonix 1" - Premiere anthologie sonore	1982	gatefold cover with inner
M 20139	Wolf Vostell	Il giardino delle delizie - Garden der Luste	1984	2LP - box with paste-on colour picture and booklet

SINGLES number	Band/Artist	Title	year	notes
CRSNP 1701	Area	L'abbattimento dello Zeppelin Arbeit macht frei	1973
CRSNP 1702	Electric Frankenstein	The land of the magic wizard Moon walk	1973
CRSNP 1703	Area	L'internazionale Citazione da G.L.Jackson	1974
CRSNP 1901	Arti & Mestieri	Valzer per domani Saper mentire	1975
CRSNP 1801	Eugenio Finardi	Soldi Voglio	1975
CRSNP 1802	Eugenio Finardi	Musica ribelle La radio	1976
CRSNP 1803	Eugenio Finardi	Non è nel cuore Giai Phong	1976
CRSNP 1601	Alberto Camerini	Pane quotidiano In giro per le strade	1976
CRSNP 1804	Eugenio Finardi	Affetto Op.29 in Do maggiore	1977
CRSNP 1805	Eugenio Finardi	Cuba Extraterrestre	1977
CRSNP 1602	Alberto Camerini	Gelato metropolitano Il diavolo in corpo	1977
5201 603	Alberto Camerini	Sciocka Siamo tanti	1977
5201 401	Skiantos	Io sono un autonomo Karabigniere blues	1978
5201 806	Eugenio Finardi	15 bambini La canzone dell'acqua	1979
5202 251	Kaos Rock	Basta basta La rapina	1980	Rock 80 series - red or black vinyl - custom silver label
5202 252	X Rated	Blockhead dance Routine	1980	Rock 80 series - clear or brown vinyl - custom silver label
5202 253	Kandeggina Gang	Sono cattiva Orrore	1980	Rock 80 series - coloured vinyl - custom silver label
5202 254	Windopen	Sei in banana dura La testa	1980	Rock 80 series - yellow vinyl - custom silver label
5202 255	Take Four Doses	Vita di strada La notte che inventarono gli eroi	1980	Rock 80 series - blue vinyl - custom silver label
5202 256	Dirty Actions	Rosa shocking Figli del demonio (dirty actions s-ha)	1980	Rock 80 series - pink vinyl - custom silver label
5202 257	Kaos Rock	Oh caro amore Policeman	1980	Rock 80 series - custom silver label
5201 402	Skiantos	Fagioli Mi piaccion le sbarbine	1980	Rock 80 series - green vinyl - custom silver label
5201 604	Inno dello S.P.A. (Male)	Il lavoro ci fa senso...più ci penso, più ci penso... Discorso del Presidente dello S.P.A. Donato Sannini alla specie	1980

All the albums and singles have the same label design, a green/brown label with the distinctive Frankenstein logo on the upper side.
Label design has never been changed despite a distributor change in 1975 from Ricordi to Baby Records and in late 1977 from the latter to Phonogram.
The DIVerso and Nova Musicha albums have a standard label carrying the series name and record number in large type over the LP title.

A notable exception to what's been said above is Eugenio Finardi's Roccando e rollando album from 1979 (no.5205 155), sporting an unusual label with the usual Cramps design but replacing the classic green/brown colours with dark and pale blue. The 1975 album Alle sorelle ritrovate by Antonietta Laterza (CRSLP 5201), a feminist songs album, had a pink label.
The Rock 80 series, launched to promote young Italian new wave groups, had a distinctive silver label.

Thanks to Francesco Zocchi, Giuliano Medei, Valerio D'Angelo, Alessandro Ciuti, Roberto Marinelli and Mario Rambaldi for scans and info on the whole Cramps production.
An excellent reconstruction of the whole life of Cramps can be found on Maurizio Marino's book Gianni Sassi fuori di testa (see Books section).