Kim Vincent Fowley was born on 21 July 1939 in Los Angeles, California, the son of character actor Douglas Fowley and actress Shelby Payne. Entirely coincidentally, when he attended University High School he was there at the same time as singers Jan Berry and Dean Torrence (later of Jan and Dean fame), Bruce Johnston (later of the Beach Boys), and Nancy Sinatra, as well as actors Ryan O'Neal, James Brolin, and Sandra Dee. In 1957 he was hospitalized with polio, and on his release he became manager and publicist for local band the Sleepwalkers, that included Johnston, drummer Sandy Nelson and, occasionally, Phil Spector. Following a spell in the armed forces, he started working in the music industry in 1959 in various capacities for both Alan Freed and Berry Gordy. He got his first producer's credit with 'Charge' by the Renegades, a group comprising Johnston, Nelson, Nik Venet and Richard Podolor, and by the early 60's he was involved as co-producer/co-publisher with a string of successful records produced in Los Angeles, including the novelty song 'Alley Oop', which reached number one in the charts in 1960 and which was credited to the non-existent group the Hollywood Argyles. In 1961 he co-produced the instrumental 'Like, Long Hair' for Paul Revere And The Raiders, and arranged 'Nut Rocker' for B. Bumble And The Stingers, which became a number one hit in the UK in 1962. The following year he produced 'Popsicles And Icicles' by The Murmaids, which reached number 3 in the charts in 1963, and which was written by a pre-Bread David Gates. During the mid-60's he wrote the lyrics for the song 'Portobello Road', which was the b-side of Cat Stevens' first single 'I Love My Dog', and he also produced the Them spin-off band led by two ex-Them members, brothers Pat and Jackie McAuley, as well as records by the pre-Slade N'Betweens, Soft Machine (he produced 'Love Makes Sweet Music'), and The Lancasters, an instrumental rock group featuring a young Ritchie Blackmore. On occasion he worked as a recording artist in the 60's, issuing albums such as 'Love Is Alive and Well', and in 1965 he wrote and produced a song about the psychedelic experience called 'The Trip'. He was credited for 'hypophone' on the Mothers Of Invention's first album 'Freak Out!', and when asked about this Frank Zappa later said "The hypophone is his mouth, 'cause all that ever comes out of it is hype." In 1968, Fowley joined forces with a young band from Topanga Canyon, California called St John Green, and produced their only album, which contained songs, musical soundtracks, comedy and dark poetry, and in 1969 he produced 'I'm Back And I'm Proud' for Gene Vincent, as well as co-writing Warren Zevon's first solo album, collaborating with his friend Skip Battin during his membership as bassist with the Byrds, and launching The Runaways onto the world in 1976. Alongside all of this he was constantly releasing weird and wonderful singles under his own name in the 60's, and this collections contains some of the best of them, showing the wayward genius that was Kim Fowley.
Track listing
01 Astrology (single 1963)
02 Mr. Responsibility (single 1965)
03 My Foolish Heart (b-side of 'Mr. Responsibility')
04 The American Dream (single 1965)
05 Underground Lady (single 1965)
06 Pop Art '66 (b-side of 'Underground Lady')
07 The Trip (single 1965)
08 Big Sur, Bear Mountain, Ciros, Flip Side, Protest Song (b-side of 'The Trip')
09 Gypsy Canyon (single 1966)
10 Music Is The Magic (b-side of 'Gypsy Canyon')
11 Lights (single 1966)
12 Something New And Different (b-side of 'Lights')
13 Strangers From The Sky (single 1967)
14 Don't Be Cruel (To A Heart That's True) (b-side of 'Strangers From The Sky')
15 Beautiful People (b-side of 'The Trip' EP 1967)
16 Curiosity (b-side of 'The Trip' EP 1967)
17 Fluffy Turkeys (single 1968)
18 Young America - Saturday Night (b-side of 'Fluffy Turkeys')
