For most people, it will have been a long time since they last heard the name The Gun Club, but this week we celebrate the anniversary of the release of their innovative debut album 'Fire of Love' exactly 37 years after it was first released on Ruby Records.

The Gun Club - Fire of LoveThe Gun Club - Fire of Love

A few years after the Punk movement first kicked off, the genre was branching out into various sub-genres from the extremely popular post-punk to the more niche cowpunk. When The Gun Club came along, they started playing around even more, becoming pioneers in the punk blues movement.

Formed in Los Angeles, the Gun Club became the first to combine American roots music with visceral punk rock and it was this raw sound that made way for the garage rock revival bands of the mid-80s and early 90s. Their influential sound has made this record one of the most important records in history.

Five of the tracks were produced by Chris D. of the band's then label mates The Flesh Eaters ('Sex Beat', 'Preaching the Blues', 'Fire Spirit', 'Ghost on the Highway' and 'Jack on Fire'), while Tito Larriva of The Plugz produced the other six.

The band's influence is proven by the numerous covers that have come after 'Fire of Love'. 'Sexbeat' was covered by both Enon and Some Girls in 2003, and also appeared on the 'Scarface' video game 'The World Is Yours' three years later.

One of the most famous champions of their legacy is Jack White, who played 'For the Love of Ivy' and 'Jack on Fire' with the White Stripes on a number of occasions and even once commented that 'Sex Beat', 'She's Like Heroin to Me' and 'For the Love of Ivy' ought to be taught in schools.

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As with many legendary bands of the past, the Gun Club ended in tragedy when frontman Jeffrey Lee Pierce died of a brain hemorrhage at the age of 37 in 1996 - just three years after the release of their last album, 'Lucky Jim'.