Kim Fowley: The Street Talk Connection

Rip It Up, Issue 19, 1 February 1979, Page 18

Kim Fowley: The Street Talk Connection

BY W. DART

Kim Fowley. 6 foot 5, a walking definition of American affability. Two weeks of Fowley’s highly organised life have been spent in New Zealand, divided between a bedroom at the Big I and the Mandrill Recording Studios where he has produced an album with Auckland's Street Talk.

Who is Kim Fowley then? His name crops up in the most amazing places he produced Alley Oop" by the Hollywood Argyles in 1960 and "You're My World" and "We'll Walk in the Sunshine" for Helen Reddy in 1977/78. You will see him in the grandstand scene of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and he co-

wrote the new Leon Russell album Americana. He was the brain behind such punk novelties as Venus and the Razorblades and the Runaways, and yet worked for a year as an office boy in the Doris Day publicity machine. In the last ten years he has worked with such diverse figures as Steppenwolf, the Seeds, Leo Kottke, George Lucas, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Alice Cooper, Steve Miller and Jefferson Starship. And it is even possible that Fowley was the notorious Napoleon XIV of "They're Coming to Take Me Away Ha Ha” fame. Fowley has been combing Australia and New Zealand for the new Beatles to come out of the bush and throw themselves at him. He found very little in Australia apart from a Tasmanian band of Beatle clones called Beathoven and David Warner and the Suburbs who are into a Tom Robinson thing in Perth. Street Talk are the lucky Kiwis who made the Fowley connection. Like Fowley's other proteges. Street Talk are just "a group of boys who dreamed of being international stars", and the album they’ve made together is exciting stuff. Fowley's magic touch can be seen in the razor-sharp production, Street Talk’s effective harmony singing and a strong potential single in "Street Music”. The other tracks include a coolly reflective "Record with Pictures from New Zealand”, a reggaestyle number "Short Stories" (“Where is the Polynesian Bob Marley?” asks Fowley), and the ballad “Nine to Five” a lament of the everyday housewife with a musical nod to Alice Cooper's "Only Women Bleed".

Can Street Talk make it on an international level? Fowley has certainly worked hard in the seven days of recording sessions and publicity work he has made many phone calls round the world playing various VlP's samples of the album and taping their comments. At worst, Street Talk will be another Tom Petty, says Fowley

Don't go overseas little Kiwi, says Fowley. Stay in New Zealand and make your scene here He is all for the decentralisation of rock music as his varied international career would suggest. Yet he comments in “Record with Pictures from New Zealand". Stranded here in Paradise

How can a poor boy break the ice Without printing the master's comments about various New Zealand groups overseas, which were for the most part unprintable, perhaps we could have some random samples of Fowley’s special wit and wisdom: T he Runaways: “dead and buried". Frank Zappa: "a copyist he copies Edgar Varese, John Cage and the Three Stooges”.

Jonathan Richman: "Lou Reed meets the Coasters".

Leon Russell’s Americana: "the only record that I like that I’ve done in the last twelve months".

Sparks: I’ve only walked out on three rock bands in my life Sparks, Curtis Mayfield and Television”. Eagles: "Good recycled Byrds”. McGarrigle sisters: "Everything I hate about tasteful music on WEA records is contained in their Leonard Cohen chambermaid stance”. Maria Muldaur: 'Put her out on the street and let her beg for money at Christmas”. John Cale: "Got all his gigs by having good table manners”.

Lou Reed: "A duet single between Lou Reed and Patti Smith would be great”.

Bette Midler: “A lot of homosexuals like her. If you are a homosexual you can wear your towel at the Continental Baths in New York and hear her sing to your woman’s soul about what Judy Garland was like once”. Rock music: "Rock music is not meant to be dissected It is shit and meant for people who are shit”. Barry Manilow "His category is certainly not for hot sweaty nights”. Life: "Life to me is like the Fun House album”. Captain Beefheart: "A dada blues-singer. We clashed one night. I insulted his wife”. WILLIAM DART