Satan has a coffin, and he has L.A. in the coffin, and he's almost finished hammering it shut . . . Hollywood will finally end for the same reason that the Roman and British empires ended--for the same reason that all movies and symphonies end. Because there has to be an end.
---Kim Fowley
Kim Fowley was born July 27, 1942, son of the actor Douglas Foley (Singin’ in the Rain). He’s worked as a poet, promoter, songwriter and producer.
Fowley’s first success was co-producing #1 novelty hit “Alley Oop” by The Hollywood Argyles in 1960. He went on to work with numerous rock, pop, folk and heavy metal performers.
Always an oddball character on the Hollywood scene, he’s recorded his own novelty rock songs such as “The Trip,” “Animal Man,” and "The Worst Record Ever."
In my view, his most significant contribution to popular music was his creation of The Runaways, proto-riot grrl girl-group of the 1970s featuring Joan Jett and Lita Forde. During rehearsals, he would throw tubs of margarine at them in order to prepare them for rowdy rock'n'roll audiences.
The following are a few (probably incomplete) lists of people he’s worked with over the years. Please message me if any glaring omissions are noticed!
Kim co-wrote songs with (or co-wrote songs that were performed by):
The Runaways
Paul Revere and The Raiders
Kiss
Alice Cooper
Slade
Cat Stevens
The Seekers
Manfred Mann
Warren Zevon
The Seeds
Fabian
Sir Douglas Quintet
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Flying Burrito Brothers
Leon Russell
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
The Dead Boys
Van Halen
Steppenwolf
Wayne Newton
Sonic Youth
Nirvana
Leo Kottke
Kim produced:
The Hollywood Argyles
B. Bumble and the Stingers
The Murmaids
The Seeds
The Runaways
The Germs
Paul Revere and The Raiders
Them
Slade
The Family
Soft Machine
Gene Vincent
The Modern Lovers
The Leather Nun
Helen Reddy
Kim performed with:
Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention (sang on “Help, I’m a Rock”)
John Lennon and The Plastic Ono Band (announcer on Live Peace in Toronto, 1969 album)
The Leather Nun
Gram Parsons (background noise on “Grievous Angel”)
Leo Kottke
Discography of Kim Fowley album releases:
(these are albums released under Kim's name; in many cases they are compilations of music written/produced by him)
1966 Good Clean Fun
1967 Love is Alive and Well
1968 Born to be Wild
1968 Outrageous
1968 In the Underground
1970 The Day the Earth Stood Still
1971 Outlaw Superman
1972 I’m Bad
1973 International Heroes
1974 Automatic
1974 Visions of the Future
1975 Animal God of the Street
1978 Sunset Boulevard
1979 Legendary Dog Duke Sessions
1979 Snake Document Masquerade
1970s(?)
Vampires from Outer Space
1980 Hollywood Confidential
1984 Frankenstein & Monster Band
1994 White Negros In
1995 Bad News from the Underworld
1995 Kings of Saturday Night (Kim Fowley and
Ben Vaughn)
1995 Let the Madness in
1996 Mondo Hollywood: The Phantom Jukebox Compilation
1996 Worm Culture (
Kim Fowley and the Rubbertown Freaks)
1997 Hidden Agenda (live)
1998 Trip of a Lifetime
1998 Michigan Babylon Glam
1999 Underground Animal
???? Hotel Insomnia
???? Hollywood on the Danube (Kim Fowley and
Kryseck)
???? Zombies are Everywhere