Kim Fowley : classic or dud?

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What did he do that was either?

― duane zarakov, Friday, 22 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

he helped the bmx bandits in making a fantastic record. classic.

― keith, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

"I luv rock'n'roll — put another dime in the jukebox, baybeh!"

― mark s, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

"I phoned my mom to tell her I ain't coming home...she started cryin', y'know, like all mothers do..."

― tarden, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

looked like my grandfather
produced jonathan richman
acted superior to people much richer and more influential than him
believed he was the future of music
was the future of music
couldn't compromise - because he didn't understand how to, despite trying
namedrops incessantly
doesn't realise his namedropping sounds desperate and endearing

― maryann, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Kim Fowley lives in New Orleans now, and has an ad in the local music monthly, Offbeat. I don't have a copy here at work, but it's a truly sad advertisement.

The best thing I ever read about Kim Fowley was a one-sentence review of that horrid BMX Bandits record: "Remember, kids: if Kim Fowley comes knocking, don't answer."

― adam, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i'd answer.

― keith, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I like his 60s stuff. There's also a rarities LP that I listen to quite a bit. He had his hand in a lot of things. There's a surf track on the rarities LP on Dionysus that's killa. If you like garage, girl group and other 60s pop underground phenomena, chances are you've come across something he's done. I don't care if people hate him, I find him entertaining. Plus he made "The Worst Record Ever Made" back in the 60s when he pulled some random girls off the street to sing over a "Louie Louie" backing, so everyone else who's trying to make the world's worst record should just quit.

― Kerry Keane, Saturday, 23 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Well,classic for introducing Joan Jett to Cherie Currie, of course. But also for "Alley Oop"; for writing songs for the Byrds, Kiss *and* Helen Reddy; for the Orchids goofball punk feminist anthem "If Boys Had Babies"; for the incessant namedropping Maryann mentioned; for "Animal Man" and "Bubblegum" off of Outrageous; and,. most of all (for me at least), for the great lost American glam single "Motorboat". And tons of records I haven't even heard, I'm sure.

Dud for his kneejerk misogyny. And most of the stuff he's done in the Eighties and Nineties.

There are actually two rarities comps on Dionysus--Outlaw Superman and Underground Animal. I think Creation put one ou too.

― Arthur, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I once interviewed him for a radio show and he was enormously entertaining. However, he brought his latest record. It was shocking. A nice man, but for creating that record he needs to be shot.

― Joss, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

one month passes...

As I see it, Kim Fowley is a nothing more than a con-artist. In the mid 80's he seduced a band I had into having him produce a 5 song EP that ended up costing thousands of dollars. The result of his "production" was laughable and totally unusable.

― Howie Lucero, Wednesday, 8 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

two weeks pass...

The guy reports in the Summer 2001 "Ugly Sounds" mag that he don't get royalties from those Dionysus comps... everybody's eating each other nowadays even in the D.I.Y. department. Kim Fowley will be iconized at last by the majority after his death by some techno shit drum'n'bass grandparents!!!!

― Name Full jr., Friday, 24 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Erratum: You should read "Ugly Things". Sorry about that.

― Full Name Jr., Monday, 27 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

thirteen years pass...

Yesterday on Facebook from Cherie Currie:

Life is ironic. Kim Fowley was moved into my home a week ago Friday. I have been a 24/7 caregiver for him. Funny, I have not been a fan of this man for decades but time is the great equalizer. It has been an honor to be there for him. He is ill so please send prayers to him. He is as brilliant now as he has ever been. Caring for him keeps me from FB. Know I love you all and please send positive thoughts his way.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 1 September 2014 14:57 (nine years ago) link

wow

― Trip Maker, Monday, 1 September 2014 16:28 (nine years ago) link

99% of everyone wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire. My hat's off to Cherie.

― SEEMS TO ME (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 1 September 2014 17:12 (nine years ago) link

ten months pass...

http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/the-lost-girls/

Completely harrowing article

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 9 July 2015 19:52 (eight years ago) link

horrible guy

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 9 July 2015 19:56 (eight years ago) link

harrowing stuff

http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/the-lost-girls/

mark e wrote this at 2015-07-09 09:47:46.000

That's what mark e said over on the runaways thread.

― how's life, Thursday, 9 July 2015 20:21 (eight years ago) link

Apologies, didn't see that the article was already being discussed

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 9 July 2015 20:26 (eight years ago) link

I ranted about him on fb already, but hey, there's always time to rant more

We've always known he was a creep from the stories going around but now everyone can see without equivocation that he TRULY is a motherfucking piece of shit

Burn, asshole

― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 9 July 2015 21:15 (eight years ago) link

I'm not reading this story cuz I don't need anymore ugliness at the moment but can anybody really say this is surprising

― Οὖτις, Thursday, 9 July 2015 21:18 (eight years ago) link

it's not surprising

but it's Jackie's story from Jackie herself, something that took 30+ years for her to tell and that's what matters

tbh I'd rather this was on the Runaways thread than having this just be 100% about him

― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 9 July 2015 21:25 (eight years ago) link

hence why ...

― mark e, Thursday, 9 July 2015 21:28 (eight years ago) link

three years pass...

Finally just read that old but pretty damn definitive Ugly Things interview. Wow, what a life!! He's something of an underdog, so my instincts say "Root for him", however as mentioned upthread his "kneejerk misogyny" is appalling. Just when i'm thinking right on, Kim. He comes out with a reference to "fucking dirty bitches". Really gross and tacky. And when asked if he has any regrets says "I should've been meaner". I literally yelled No! to noone in particular, upon reading that. Such a shame. Well, in truth his solo records almost uniformly suck so....

― VyrnaKnowlIsAHeadbanger, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 14:57 (five years ago) link

Lucky for him he left when he did. He never would've made it through the #metoo era. And rightfully so.

― VyrnaKnowlIsAHeadbanger, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 14:59 (five years ago) link

Would be interested to know what if anything Miriam at Norton thinks about him now.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 16:31 (five years ago) link

Indeed, me too. No pun intended. 😳

― VyrnaKnowlIsAHeadbanger, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 16:44 (five years ago) link

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