Jeffrey Lee Pierce was an influential songwriter and musician. He formed The Gun Club with Kid Congo Powers in 1979. Anyway Pierce was the head of the Blondie fan club, while Kid was the president of Ramones Fan Club in Los Angeles, and both of Mexican descent. The band was a pioneer of roots based punk rock. Kid Congo left the band before the recording of the first album to join The Cramps, but later came back more times. Later both joined Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. Gun Club had lots of line-up change because of Pierce drug abuse and alcoholism. Nick Cave said: „He looked increasingly ill, I mean, we all did, but Jeffrey looked particularly so.” He died from brain hemorrhage at the age of 37 in 1996. He was HIV positive, and also suffering from cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis.

Cypress Grove was one of his collaborators of his delta blues influenced album which was released in 1992. After Pierce’s death Grove found a cassette containing unfinished song skeletons that he and Jeffrey had recorded. These were given out to some artists – friends, former band members and fans – to make own versions. On the first album We Are Only Riders (2010) and second one The Journey Is Long (2012, LISTEN!): Ravenoettes, Mark Lanegan, Debbie Harry, Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch, Mick Harvey, Kid Congo Powers, David Eugene Edwards (16 Horsepower), Sadies, Isobel Campbell, Barry Adamson, Warren Ellis (The Dirty Three), Tex Perkins, Tav Falco, Hugo Race and many others.

Now here is the ultimate album Axels & Sockets on Glitterhouse Records

Tracklist:  1. Nobody’s City – Iggy Pop with Nick Cave (feat. Thurston Moore)  2. Kisses For My President – The Amber Lights with Debbie Harry  3. Mexican Love – Black Moth 4. Weird Kid Blues – Julie Christensen  5. Ain’t My Problem Baby – Slim Cessna’s Auto Club  6. Constant Limbo (Constant Rain) – Crippled Black Phoenix and Cypress Grove (feat. Mark Lanegan & Bertrand Cantat)  7. Into The Fire – Nick Cave and Debbie Harry  8.Thunderhead – Kris Needs Presents…Honey  9. Desire By Blue River – Mark Lanegan and Bertrand Cantat  10. Kitty In The Moonlight – The Amber Lights with Xanthe Waite  11. Secret Fires – Ruby Throat  12. Kisses For My President – Andrea Schroeder  13. Body And Soul – James Johnston  14. Goodbye Johnny (Andrew Weatherall’s Mix) – Primal Scream  15. Break ‘Em Down – Hugo Race  16. My Cadillac – Cypress Grove  17. The Journey Is Long – Lydia Lunch and Jeffrey Lee Pierce  18. Shame And Pain – Mark Stewart And Jeffrey Lee Pierce (feat. Thurston Moore)

Iggy Pop & Nick Cave feat. Thurston Moore + Black Moth

The Jeffrey Lee Pierce Sessions Project