Kim Fowley
Encyclopedia
Kim Vincent Fowley is an American
record producer
, impresario
, songwriter
, musician
, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty
and cult
rock
pop
singles
in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways
in the 1970s. He has been described as "one of the most colorful characters in the annals of rock & roll" and as "a shadowy cult figure well outside the margins of the mainstream."
Douglas Fowley
and model Timara Pace. Various locations have been cited as his birthplace, including Red Bank, New Jersey
and Manila
, Philippines
. He was, in reality born in Los Angeles, California
where he attended University High School at the same time as singers Jan Berry, Dean Torrence, Nancy Sinatra
and Bruce Johnston
, and actors Ryan O'Neal
, James Brolin
and Sandra Dee
. In 1957 he was hospitalized with polio, but on his release became manager and publicist for a local band, The Sleepwalkers, who included Johnston, drummer Sandy Nelson
, and, occasionally, Phil Spector
. He spent some time in the armed forces, and by his own account also worked in the sex industry in Los Angeles in the late 1950s. In 1959 he began working in the music industry in various capacities for both Alan Freed
and Berry Gordy
. His first record as producer was "Charge" by The Renegades, a group comprising Johnston, Nelson, Nik Venet and Richard Podolor
. He also promoted records for Skip & Flip
- Clyde Battin and Gary Paxton - including the # 11 hit "Cherry Pie".
During the early 1960s Fowley was involved, as Co-Producer/Co-Publisher, with a string of successful records produced in Los Angeles. With Gary Paxton, he recorded the novelty song "Alley Oop
", which reached # 1 on the charts in 1960, credited to the non-existent group The Hollywood Argyles
. In 1961 he co-produced the instrumental "Like, Long Hair", arranged by Paxton, which became a # 38 hit for Paul Revere and the Raiders. He also wrote "Nut Rocker
", for B. Bumble and the Stingers
, which became a # 1 hit in the UK
in 1962; and talent scouted "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow
", a # 48 hit for The Rivingtons
. The following year, he produced "Popsicles and Icicles" by The Murmaids
, which reached # 3 in the charts in 1963 and which was written by a pre-Bread
David Gates
, then a session musician
and songwriter
who had met Fowley while Kim was hitchhiking
in Los Angeles.
During the mid-1960s Fowley publicized/consulted singer P.J. Proby and relocated for a time to London
, England. Fowley wrote the lyrics
for the song "Portobello Road", the B-side
of Cat Stevens
' first single
, "I Love My Dog
". He also produced a Them
spin-off band led by two ex-Them members, brothers Pat and Jackie McAuley (who were only allowed to use the band name 'Other Them' in the U.K., but called themselves Them on the European continent, releasing an album called Them Belfast Gypsies and a single "Let's freak out" under the name 'Freaks of Nature'); an early incarnation of Slade
known as the N'Betweens; Soft Machine
(he produced their first single); and the Lancasters, an instrumental
rock group featuring a young Ritchie Blackmore
.
Fowley also worked on occasion as a recording artist in the 1960s, issuing albums such as Love Is Alive and Well. In 1965, he wrote and produced a song about the psychedelic
experience, "The Trip". He appeared on hypephone on Frank Zappa
's first album Freak Out!
. Other singles by Fowley as a recording artist included "Animal Man" (1968). All of his efforts as a solo artist since 1970 have become cult items, both in re-issue and bootleg formats.
In 1969 Fowley produced the album I'm Back and I'm Proud for Gene Vincent
. He co-wrote for Warren Zevon
's first solo album
, Wanted Dead or Alive
Fowley collaborated with his friend Skip Battin, during Battin's membership as bassist
with The Byrds
on a number of songs. Several appeared on the group's 1970 album, Untitled; and one from the 1971 LP
, Byrdmaniax, Farther Along, was released as a single: "America's Great National Pastime".
In 1973, Fowley produced three recordings by Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids
, for the film
American Graffiti
(1973). These songs were "At the Hop
", "Louie Louie
" and "She's So Fine
". He also co-wrote songs for KISS
, Helen Reddy
, Alice Cooper
, Leon Russell
and Kris Kristofferson
. He also made recordings with Jonathan Richman
and The Modern Lovers
, which were eventually released in 1981 as The Original Modern Lovers; Fowley's tracks were not included on the original versions of The Modern Lovers
album, but some were included on later CD reissues.
In 1974, Fowley placed an advertisement in local fanzine, Who Put the Bomp
looking for female performers. He hoped to form an all girl group that he could produce and would perform his songs, but no one responded to the advert. In 1975, he met the teenage guitarist Joan Jett
who expressed interest in forming an all-girl band. Less than two weeks later, he met 15 year old drummer Sandy West
who introduced herself outside of the Rainbow Bar and Grill
in Hollywood, California. West told Fowley of her aspirations to form an all-girl band after playing in all male groups. This meeting led to Fowley giving West Jett's phone number. The two met and began playing together at West's home the following week. A short time later, Fowley recruited Lita Ford
, Cherie Currie
and Jackie Fox
. They eventually became The Runaways
. While he did produce some of their albums and contributed lyrics to songs, the band was primarily responsible for creating their own music. The group severed their ties with Fowley in 1977.
The 1980s saw Fowley travel to Australia where he announced that he was "looking for the new Beatles
or ABBA
". His search turned up power pop band 'Beathoven' who were still under a recording contract
with EMI
. Changing their name to The Innocents, he secured a new record deal with Trafalgar Records and produced several songs for the group. They too became a cult band in later bootlegs/re-issues. Fowley also produced the first demos for the iconic power pop band, Candy
, which featured Gilby Clarke
and Kyle Vincent
. Vincent was Fowley's personal assistant. Producer Kim Fowley and attorney David Chatfield recorded the first album for Steel Breeze
at Rusk studios in Hollywood and got Steel Breeze their recording contract with RCA. Casey Kasem, on the March 12, 1983 edition of American Top 40, describes how Fowley discovered Steel Breeze while going through approximately 1200 demo tapes that were about to be discarded by a local Hollywood night club, Madam Wongs. Chatfield and Fowley flew up to Sacramento and signed the band after Chrysalis Record executive Tom Trumbo told Chatfield he was looking for a band like Journey
. Chatfield left Trumbo's office and went to Fowley's home where Fowley pulled out the Steel Breeze
demo of "You Don't Want Me Anymore" which they both knew was a hit. It was the first single from the band's self-titled album and quickly jumped into the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 supported by a video that was a favorite of early MTV, and peaked at #16. The next single, "Dreamin' Is Easy," also made it into the Top 40.
In 1984, still owning rights to the name The Runaways, Fowley re-built the image around Gayle Welch, an unknown teenager from New Zealand
. Adding Denise Prior, Missy Bonilla (then a typist for Denny Diante at what was CBS Records
) and Cathy DiAmber (Catherine Dombrowski) with David Carr on keyboards, a Chicago guitarist Bill Millay and numerous session musician
s. Fowley, assisted by New Zealander Glenn Holland, sought to cash in on the fame of the former Runaways members who had gone on to significant success in their individual solo careers. In 1985 he returned to the United States and recorded further songs with The Innocents' David Minchin.
Fowley is featured in Mayor of the Sunset Strip
, a 2003 documentary
about the disc jockey
Rodney Bingenheimer
.
Kim became an experimental film maker after the DVD release of Mayor of the Sunset Strip
. His written and directed works include: Black Room Doom, Dollboy: The Movie, Satan Of Silverlake, The Golden Road To Nowhere, Frankenstein Goes Surfing, Trailer Park's On Fire and Jukebox California. Video clips/scenes from these movies can be seen on YouTube and Myspace, and feature a cast of regulars including but not limited to musical oddities such as The Fabulous Miss Wendy, Richard Rogers(Crazy White Man) & Clown Porn Queen Hollie Stevens.
In 2008, Fowley was reunited with Cherie Currie at Houdini's mansion in Los Angeles. He also played three dozen gigs between June 2007 and February 2009 as the act Crazy White Man, a duo featuring him on vocals and Richard Rogers on guitar. The bulk of the Crazy White Man shows took place during 2008 and included the Tribute to Gidget Gein which raised funds for Gidgets Hollywood forever memorial.
Capitol re-released several of his titles, and director Guy Ritchie
used his song "The Trip" in the 2008 film RocknRolla
. Although the movie was #1 in its first week of release in the UK, it dropped off quickly and grossed $25 million during its worldwide theatrical run. Fowley is currently to be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio
with a four hour show on Saturdays and Sundays.
Currie wrote a memoir of her time in the Runaways, and it was turned into a film, The Runaways
, which was released on March 19, 2010. It featured Kristen Stewart
playing Jett, and Dakota Fanning
portraying Currie. Michael Shannon
played the part of Fowley.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
and cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways
The Runaways
The Runaways were an American all-girl rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among its best known songs: "Cherry Bomb", "Queens of Noise", "Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin", "California Paradise"...
in the 1970s. He has been described as "one of the most colorful characters in the annals of rock & roll" and as "a shadowy cult figure well outside the margins of the mainstream."
Life and career
Fowley is the son of the character actorActor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Douglas Fowley
Douglas Fowley
Douglas Fowley was an American movie and television actor.Fowley was born Daniel Vincent Fowley in The Bronx, New York. The 5'11" actor is probably best remembered for his role as the movie director Roscoe Dexter in Singin' in the Rain . The actor appeared in over 240 films and later in dozens of...
and model Timara Pace. Various locations have been cited as his birthplace, including Red Bank, New Jersey
Red Bank, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,844 people, 5,201 households, and 2,501 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,639.1 people per square mile . There were 5,450 housing units at an average density of 3,055.0 per square mile...
and Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He was, in reality born in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
where he attended University High School at the same time as singers Jan Berry, Dean Torrence, Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
and Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Arthur Johnston is a member of The Beach Boys and a songwriter, remembered especially for composing "I Write the Songs". Johnston was not one of the original members of the band...
, and actors Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
, James Brolin
James Brolin
James Brolin is an American actor, producer and director, best known for his roles in soap operas, movies, sitcoms, and television. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin and husband of singer/actress Barbra Streisand.-Early life:...
and Sandra Dee
Sandra Dee
Sandra Dee was an American actress. Dee began her career as a model and progressed to film. Best known for her portrayal of ingenues, Dee won a Golden Globe Award in 1959 as one of the year's most promising newcomers, and over several years her films were popular...
. In 1957 he was hospitalized with polio, but on his release became manager and publicist for a local band, The Sleepwalkers, who included Johnston, drummer Sandy Nelson
Sandy Nelson
Sandy Nelson is an American drummer. Nelson, one of the best-known rock drummers of the early 1960s, had several solo instrumental Top 40 hits and was a session drummer on many other well-known hits, and released over 30 albums.-Career:His first recording, with a band called The Renegades Sandy...
, and, occasionally, Phil Spector
Phil Spector
Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
. He spent some time in the armed forces, and by his own account also worked in the sex industry in Los Angeles in the late 1950s. In 1959 he began working in the music industry in various capacities for both Alan Freed
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll...
and Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy
Berry Gordy, Jr. is an American record producer, and the founder of the Motown record label, as well as its many subsidiaries.-Early years:...
. His first record as producer was "Charge" by The Renegades, a group comprising Johnston, Nelson, Nik Venet and Richard Podolor
Richard Podolor
Richard Podolor was a record producer.Richard Podolor, who is also known as Richie Podolor or Richard Allen, produced hits including "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night and "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf. His early hits were as guitarist and co-writer on the drummer Sandy Nelson's records...
. He also promoted records for Skip & Flip
Skip & Flip
Skip & Flip was a U.S. pop duo, consisting of Skip Battin and Flip aka Gary S...
- Clyde Battin and Gary Paxton - including the # 11 hit "Cherry Pie".
During the early 1960s Fowley was involved, as Co-Producer/Co-Publisher, with a string of successful records produced in Los Angeles. With Gary Paxton, he recorded the novelty song "Alley Oop
Alley Oop (song)
"Alley Oop" is a song written by Dallas Frazier. The song, heavily inspired by the V. T. Hamlin-created comic strip of the same name, was first recorded by Frazier as a country tune in 1957.-The Hollywood Argyles:...
", which reached # 1 on the charts in 1960, credited to the non-existent group The Hollywood Argyles
The Hollywood Argyles
The Hollywood Argyles were an American musical ensemble, assembled for studio recordings by the producer and songwriter Kim Fowley and his friend and fellow musician Gary Paxton...
. In 1961 he co-produced the instrumental "Like, Long Hair", arranged by Paxton, which became a # 38 hit for Paul Revere and the Raiders. He also wrote "Nut Rocker
Nut Rocker
-External links:**...
", for B. Bumble and the Stingers
B. Bumble and the Stingers
B. Bumble and the Stingers were an American instrumental ensemble in the early 1960s, who specialized in making rock and roll arrangements of classical melodies. Their biggest hits were "Bumble Boogie" and "Nut Rocker", which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1962...
, which became a # 1 hit in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1962; and talent scouted "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow
Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow
"Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" is a 1962 novelty nonsensical doo-wop song by The Rivingtons. The song peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #35 on the Cashbox charts.-Cover versions:...
", a # 48 hit for The Rivingtons
The Rivingtons
The Rivingtons were a 1960s doo-wop group. The group members were:lead vocalist Carl White , tenor Al Frazier , baritone Sonny Harris, and bass singer Turner "Rocky" Wilson Jr.. Frazier was replaced by Madero White for a period in the late 1970s.-History:Their first hit was "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow"...
. The following year, he produced "Popsicles and Icicles" by The Murmaids
The Murmaids
The Murmaids were a one-hit wonder all-female vocal trio composed of sisters Carol and Terry Fischer; and Sally Gordon from Los Angeles, California who, in January 1964 reached #3 with "Popsicles and Icicles".-Background:...
, which reached # 3 in the charts in 1963 and which was written by a pre-Bread
Bread (band)
Bread was a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977 and were a prime example of what later was labeled soft rock....
David Gates
David Gates
David Gates is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which reached the tops of the musical charts in Europe and North America on several occasions in the 1970s. The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame...
, then a session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
who had met Fowley while Kim was hitchhiking
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking is a means of transportation that is gained by asking people, usually strangers, for a ride in their automobile or other road vehicle to travel a distance that may either be short or long...
in Los Angeles.
During the mid-1960s Fowley publicized/consulted singer P.J. Proby and relocated for a time to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England. Fowley wrote the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
for the song "Portobello Road", the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of Cat Stevens
Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
' first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "I Love My Dog
I Love My Dog
I Love My Dog is a song written by Cat Stevens, and it was his first single , showing up on his debut album, Matthew and Son...
". He also produced a Them
Them (band)
Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career...
spin-off band led by two ex-Them members, brothers Pat and Jackie McAuley (who were only allowed to use the band name 'Other Them' in the U.K., but called themselves Them on the European continent, releasing an album called Them Belfast Gypsies and a single "Let's freak out" under the name 'Freaks of Nature'); an early incarnation of Slade
Slade
Slade are an English rock band from Wolverhampton, who rose to prominence during the glam rock era of the early 1970s. With 17 consecutive Top 20 hits and six number ones, the British Hit Singles & Albums names them as the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles...
known as the N'Betweens; Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
(he produced their first single); and the Lancasters, an instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
rock group featuring a young Ritchie Blackmore
Ritchie Blackmore
Richard Hugh "Ritchie" Blackmore is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was known as one of the first guitarists to fuse Classical music elements with rock. He fronted his own band Rainbow after leaving Deep Purple where he was unhappy because his favourite musical style wasn't adequately...
.
Fowley also worked on occasion as a recording artist in the 1960s, issuing albums such as Love Is Alive and Well. In 1965, he wrote and produced a song about the psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
experience, "The Trip". He appeared on hypephone on Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's first album Freak Out!
Freak Out!
Freak Out! is the debut album by American band The Mothers of Invention, released June 27, 1966 on Verve Records. Often cited as one of rock music's first concept albums, the album is a satirical expression of frontman Frank Zappa's perception of American pop culture...
. Other singles by Fowley as a recording artist included "Animal Man" (1968). All of his efforts as a solo artist since 1970 have become cult items, both in re-issue and bootleg formats.
In 1969 Fowley produced the album I'm Back and I'm Proud for Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
. He co-wrote for Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
's first solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
, Wanted Dead or Alive
Wanted Dead or Alive (Warren Zevon album)
Wanted Dead or Alive is the first album by singer/songwriter Warren Zevon, released by Imperial Records in 1970 under the moniker "Zevon." The album was a commercial and critical failure....
Fowley collaborated with his friend Skip Battin, during Battin's membership as bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
with The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
on a number of songs. Several appeared on the group's 1970 album, Untitled; and one from the 1971 LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, Byrdmaniax, Farther Along, was released as a single: "America's Great National Pastime".
In 1973, Fowley produced three recordings by Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids
Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids
Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids, now known as Flash Cadillac, are an American retro rock 'n' roll band. They are best known for their portrayal of the group Herbie and the Heartbeats in the film American Graffiti, to which they contributed three songs: cover versions of "At the Hop" and...
, for the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
American Graffiti
American Graffiti
American Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
(1973). These songs were "At the Hop
At the Hop
"At the Hop" is a hit rock 'n' roll song written by Arthur Singer, John Medora and David White and originally released by Danny & the Juniors. The song was released in the fall of 1957, and reached number one on the US charts on January 6, 1958, thus becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958...
", "Louie Louie
Louie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
" and "She's So Fine
He's So Fine
"He's So Fine" is a recording by The Chiffons which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in the spring of 1963. One of the most instantly recognizable Golden Oldies with its doo-lang doo-lang doo-lang background vocal, "He's So Fine" is also renowned as the plaintiff song in the now-infamous...
". He also co-wrote songs for KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy
Helen Reddy , often referred to as "The Queen of 70s Pop", is an Australian-American singer and actress. In the 1970s, she enjoyed international success, especially in the United States, where she placed fifteen singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six of those 15 songs made the Top 10...
, Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
, Leon Russell
Leon Russell
Claude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
and Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
. He also made recordings with Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Michael Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing...
and The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison...
, which were eventually released in 1981 as The Original Modern Lovers; Fowley's tracks were not included on the original versions of The Modern Lovers
The Modern Lovers (album)
The Modern Lovers is the first album recorded by the Boston-based band The Modern Lovers. It was released on Beserkley Records in 1976, although the original nine tracks had been recorded in 1972 . Six of the original tracks were produced by John Cale...
album, but some were included on later CD reissues.
In 1974, Fowley placed an advertisement in local fanzine, Who Put the Bomp
Who Put the Bomp
Who Put The Bomp was a rock music fanzine edited and published by Greg Shaw from 1970-79. Later its name was shortened to "Bomp!". Shaw was one of the first and best known rock fanzine editors. Active in science fiction fandom as a young man, he became familiar with fanzines...
looking for female performers. He hoped to form an all girl group that he could produce and would perform his songs, but no one responded to the advert. In 1975, he met the teenage guitarist Joan Jett
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
who expressed interest in forming an all-girl band. Less than two weeks later, he met 15 year old drummer Sandy West
Sandy West
Sandy West was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and drummer. She was hailed by fans and critics alike to be a groundbreaking musician, as a drummer. She was one of the founding members of The Runaways, the very first teenage, all-girl hard rock band in the 1970s.-Early life:Sandy was...
who introduced herself outside of the Rainbow Bar and Grill
Rainbow Bar and Grill
The Rainbow Bar and Grill is a bar and restaurant on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States adjacent to the border of Beverly Hills, California. Its address is 9015 Sunset Boulevard....
in Hollywood, California. West told Fowley of her aspirations to form an all-girl band after playing in all male groups. This meeting led to Fowley giving West Jett's phone number. The two met and began playing together at West's home the following week. A short time later, Fowley recruited Lita Ford
Lita Ford
Lita Ford is a British-born, American rock musician and singer who was the lead guitarist for The Runaways and achieved popularity for her solo career between the 1980s and late 2000s.-Early life:...
, Cherie Currie
Cherie Currie
Cherie Currie is an American singer, actress and chainsaw artist. Currie was the lead vocalist of The Runaways, a hard rock band from Los Angeles in the mid-to-late 1970s.-Life and career:...
and Jackie Fox
Jackie Fox
Jacqueline Louise Fuchs is an entertainment attorney in Los Angeles, CA. Under her former stage name of Jackie Fox, she was best known as bassist for the teenage, American all-girl rock band, The Runaways...
. They eventually became The Runaways
The Runaways
The Runaways were an American all-girl rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among its best known songs: "Cherry Bomb", "Queens of Noise", "Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin", "California Paradise"...
. While he did produce some of their albums and contributed lyrics to songs, the band was primarily responsible for creating their own music. The group severed their ties with Fowley in 1977.
The 1980s saw Fowley travel to Australia where he announced that he was "looking for the new Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
or ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
". His search turned up power pop band 'Beathoven' who were still under a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. Changing their name to The Innocents, he secured a new record deal with Trafalgar Records and produced several songs for the group. They too became a cult band in later bootlegs/re-issues. Fowley also produced the first demos for the iconic power pop band, Candy
Candy (band)
Candy were a rock band featuring the future Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke and singer-songwriter Kyle Vincent. Original members were Vincent on lead vocals, bassist Jonathan Daniel, drummer John Schubert, and guitarist Geoff Siegel. Clarke replaced Siegel after 6 months...
, which featured Gilby Clarke
Gilby Clarke
Gilbert "Gilby" Clarke is an American guitarist and record producer best known for a 3-year tenure as the rhythm guitarist of Guns N' Roses, replacing Izzy Stradlin in 1991 during the Use Your Illusion Tour...
and Kyle Vincent
Kyle Vincent
Kyle Vincent is an American singer-songwriter/entertainer, labeled as the "crown prince of soft pop," by Goldmine.Vincent was born and raised in Berkeley, California, U.S.A..-Musical career:...
. Vincent was Fowley's personal assistant. Producer Kim Fowley and attorney David Chatfield recorded the first album for Steel Breeze
Steel Breeze
Steel Breeze is an American album-oriented rock group that had a popular video on MTV with "You Don't Want Me Anymore" in 1982, followed by "Temperance Dreams" the following year.-Career:...
at Rusk studios in Hollywood and got Steel Breeze their recording contract with RCA. Casey Kasem, on the March 12, 1983 edition of American Top 40, describes how Fowley discovered Steel Breeze while going through approximately 1200 demo tapes that were about to be discarded by a local Hollywood night club, Madam Wongs. Chatfield and Fowley flew up to Sacramento and signed the band after Chrysalis Record executive Tom Trumbo told Chatfield he was looking for a band like Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
. Chatfield left Trumbo's office and went to Fowley's home where Fowley pulled out the Steel Breeze
Steel Breeze
Steel Breeze is an American album-oriented rock group that had a popular video on MTV with "You Don't Want Me Anymore" in 1982, followed by "Temperance Dreams" the following year.-Career:...
demo of "You Don't Want Me Anymore" which they both knew was a hit. It was the first single from the band's self-titled album and quickly jumped into the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 supported by a video that was a favorite of early MTV, and peaked at #16. The next single, "Dreamin' Is Easy," also made it into the Top 40.
In 1984, still owning rights to the name The Runaways, Fowley re-built the image around Gayle Welch, an unknown teenager from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Adding Denise Prior, Missy Bonilla (then a typist for Denny Diante at what was CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
) and Cathy DiAmber (Catherine Dombrowski) with David Carr on keyboards, a Chicago guitarist Bill Millay and numerous session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s. Fowley, assisted by New Zealander Glenn Holland, sought to cash in on the fame of the former Runaways members who had gone on to significant success in their individual solo careers. In 1985 he returned to the United States and recorded further songs with The Innocents' David Minchin.
Fowley is featured in Mayor of the Sunset Strip
Mayor of the Sunset Strip
Mayor of the Sunset Strip is a 2004 documentary film on the life of Rodney Bingenheimer directed by George Hickenlooper, and produced by Chris Carter.-Interviews:...
, a 2003 documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
about the disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Rodney Bingenheimer
Rodney Bingenheimer
Rodney Bingenheimer, born December 15, 1947, is a radio disc jockey on the long-running Los Angeles rock station KROQ who is notable for helping numerous iconic bands become successful in the American market. His contribution to the music business has been described as important...
.
Kim became an experimental film maker after the DVD release of Mayor of the Sunset Strip
Mayor of the Sunset Strip
Mayor of the Sunset Strip is a 2004 documentary film on the life of Rodney Bingenheimer directed by George Hickenlooper, and produced by Chris Carter.-Interviews:...
. His written and directed works include: Black Room Doom, Dollboy: The Movie, Satan Of Silverlake, The Golden Road To Nowhere, Frankenstein Goes Surfing, Trailer Park's On Fire and Jukebox California. Video clips/scenes from these movies can be seen on YouTube and Myspace, and feature a cast of regulars including but not limited to musical oddities such as The Fabulous Miss Wendy, Richard Rogers(Crazy White Man) & Clown Porn Queen Hollie Stevens.
In 2008, Fowley was reunited with Cherie Currie at Houdini's mansion in Los Angeles. He also played three dozen gigs between June 2007 and February 2009 as the act Crazy White Man, a duo featuring him on vocals and Richard Rogers on guitar. The bulk of the Crazy White Man shows took place during 2008 and included the Tribute to Gidget Gein which raised funds for Gidgets Hollywood forever memorial.
Capitol re-released several of his titles, and director Guy Ritchie
Guy Ritchie
Guy Stuart Ritchie is an English screenwriter and film maker who directed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, Revolver, RocknRolla and Sherlock Holmes.-Early life:...
used his song "The Trip" in the 2008 film RocknRolla
RocknRolla
RocknRolla is a 2008 British crime film written and directed by Guy Ritchie, and starring Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Strong, Toby Kebbell, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Karel Roden, and Thandie Newton...
. Although the movie was #1 in its first week of release in the UK, it dropped off quickly and grossed $25 million during its worldwide theatrical run. Fowley is currently to be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
with a four hour show on Saturdays and Sundays.
Currie wrote a memoir of her time in the Runaways, and it was turned into a film, The Runaways
The Runaways (film)
The Runaways is a 2010 American biographical film about the 1970s all-girl rock band of the same name. The film was written and directed by Floria Sigismondi, who based the screenplay on the book Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by the band's original lead vocalist Cherie Currie...
, which was released on March 19, 2010. It featured Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Jaymes Stewart is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga. She has also starred in films including Panic Room , Zathura , In the Land of Women , The Messengers , Adventureland and The Runaways .- Early life :Stewart was born and raised in Los...
playing Jett, and Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning
Hannah Dakota Fanning , better known as Dakota Fanning, is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in I Am Sam in 2001. As a child actress, she appeared in high-profile films such as Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, and Charlotte's Web...
portraying Currie. Michael Shannon
Michael Shannon (actor)
Michael Corbett Shannon is an American stage, film, and television actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Revolutionary Road...
played the part of Fowley.
Selective discography (as producer and/or writer)
- 1959 The RenegadesThe RenegadesThe Renegades was a short-lived ABC TV show from 1982 about a gang that is given the option of going to jail for their crimes or becoming a special police undercover unit. The star of The Renegades, and leader of the gang, was The Bandit played by Patrick Swayze. The gang's police handler is...
: "Charge b/w Geronimo" - 1960 The Hollywood ArgylesThe Hollywood ArgylesThe Hollywood Argyles were an American musical ensemble, assembled for studio recordings by the producer and songwriter Kim Fowley and his friend and fellow musician Gary Paxton...
: "Alley OopAlley OopAlley Oop is a syndicated comic strip, created in 1932 by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the popular and influential strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association...
" - 1961 Paul Revere and the Raiders: "Like Long Hair"
- 1962 B. Bumble and the StingersB. Bumble and the StingersB. Bumble and the Stingers were an American instrumental ensemble in the early 1960s, who specialized in making rock and roll arrangements of classical melodies. Their biggest hits were "Bumble Boogie" and "Nut Rocker", which reached number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in 1962...
: "Nut RockerNut Rocker-External links:**...
" - 1963 The MurmaidsThe MurmaidsThe Murmaids were a one-hit wonder all-female vocal trio composed of sisters Carol and Terry Fischer; and Sally Gordon from Los Angeles, California who, in January 1964 reached #3 with "Popsicles and Icicles".-Background:...
: "Popsicles and Icicles" - 1964 The Hellions (featuring Dave MasonDave MasonDavid Thomas "Dave" Mason is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic...
& Jim CapaldiJim CapaldiNicola James "Jim" Capaldi was an English musician and songwriter. His musical career lasted more than four decades. He co-founded Traffic in Birmingham with Steve Winwood, and the band's psychedelic rock was influential in Britain and the United States...
) - 1965 Kim Fowley - "The Trip"
- 1966 Kim Fowley: "They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha-Haaa!"They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" is a 1966 novelty record by Jerry Samuels, recorded under the name Napoleon XIV. Released on Warner Bros...
" - 1967 Elf Stone: "Louisiana Teardrops"
- 1968 The SeedsThe SeedsThe Seeds were an American rock band. The group, whose repertoire spread between garage rock and acid rock, are considered one of the pioneers of punk rock.-History:...
: "Falling Off The Edge of My Mind" b/w Wild Blood - 1969 Gene VincentGene VincentVincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
: I'm Back and I'm Proud! - 1970 WigwamWigwam (progressive rock)Wigwam is a Finnish progressive rock band formed in 1968.Wigwam was founded after the split of the seminal Blues Section, with whom drummer Ronnie Österberg had played before. He formed the band as a trio, but soon brought in British expatriate singer/songwriter Jim Pembroke and organist Jukka...
: Tombstone ValentineTombstone ValentineTombstone Valentine is a studio album released by Wigwam in 1970. While the previous album Hard 'n' Horny was more of a jazz influenced album, Tombstone Valentine in one of their more pop-ish albums... - 1971 ScorpionScorpionScorpions are predatory arthropod animals of the order Scorpiones within the class Arachnida. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by the pair of grasping claws and the narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back, ending with a venomous stinger...
(Swedish Band) - Album - 1972 The Modern LoversThe Modern LoversThe Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison...
: Some tracks included on 1981 album The Original Modern Lovers and on later CDCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
reissues of The Modern LoversThe Modern Lovers (album)The Modern Lovers is the first album recorded by the Boston-based band The Modern Lovers. It was released on Beserkley Records in 1976, although the original nine tracks had been recorded in 1972 . Six of the original tracks were produced by John Cale... - 1973 American GraffitiAmerican GraffitiAmerican Graffiti is a 1973 coming of age film co-written/directed by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips and Harrison Ford...
SoundtrackSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
- At the HopAt the Hop"At the Hop" is a hit rock 'n' roll song written by Arthur Singer, John Medora and David White and originally released by Danny & the Juniors. The song was released in the fall of 1957, and reached number one on the US charts on January 6, 1958, thus becoming one of the top-selling singles of 1958...
, Louie LouieLouie Louie"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
, & She's So Fine - 1974 Wide World of Entertainment (ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) - Music for Desi Arnaz, Jr.Desi Arnaz, Jr.Desi Arnaz, Jr. , is an American actor and musician and the son of entertainers Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.-Early life:...
Special - 1975 Blue CheerBlue CheerBlue Cheer was an American psychedelic blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009...
: "America Nights" and "Fighting Star" - 1976 KISSKISS (band)Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
DestroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
: "King of the Night Time World" and "Do You Love Me?" - 1976 The RunawaysThe RunawaysThe Runaways were an American all-girl rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among its best known songs: "Cherry Bomb", "Queens of Noise", "Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin", "California Paradise"...
: The RunawaysThe Runaways (album)The Runaways is the debut album by the American all-female rock band The Runaways, released in 1976.Website Allmusic has praised the record , comparing the band's music to material by Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Guns N' Roses.According to multiple sources including Cherie Currie , the... - 1977 The Runaways: Queens of NoiseQueens of NoiseQueens of Noise is the second studio album by the American rock band The Runaways, released in 1977. The album has been called "a pop-metal pinnacle" and the band's "outstanding sophomore effort"....
- 1977 The Runaways: Waitin' for the NightWaitin' for the NightWaitin' for the Night is the third studio album from The Runaways released in 1977. This is the first album to feature the group as a quartet, as rhythm guitarist Joan Jett took over lead vocals in the wake of the departure of Cherie Currie for a solo career and Vicki Blue replaced Jackie Fox on...
- 1977 Helen ReddyHelen ReddyHelen Reddy , often referred to as "The Queen of 70s Pop", is an Australian-American singer and actress. In the 1970s, she enjoyed international success, especially in the United States, where she placed fifteen singles in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Six of those 15 songs made the Top 10...
: Ear Candy - 1977 The Quick: Mondo Deco
- 1977 Vicky LeandrosVicky LeandrosVicky Leandros is a Greek singer with a long international career. She is the daughter of singer, musician and composer Leandros Papathanasiou...
: Vicky Leandros - 1978 Dyan Diamond: In The Dark
- 1979 Vampires From Album Space: Album
- 1981 Hollywood Confidential: Compilation (LP) and I-Tunes
- 2003 Various artists: Impossible But True - The Kim Fowley Story (Ace Records)
- 2011 - Next Year Fails : "Timaras Bitchn"
- 2011 With John York: "West Coast Revelation" (GRA Records)