I opened my photography studio in Hollywood in 1976. I did everything from product shots of electroforesis equipment for recombinant DNA to portfolios for models and actors. I also did motion picture production and publicity stills and some magazine work — both the writing and the photography.
In the late ‘70s, punk rock came to L.A. I had a friend who was a studio musician and we used to hang out and talk about music. We thought the punk scene was an undeniable phenomena and that it would make for an interesting article. Someone suggested we contact Kim Fowley, a record producer, manager, promoter and Svengali. Kim created and produced the all-girl band The Runaways with Joan Jett and Cherie Currie. We called Kim and set up an appointment for an interview. After the interview we talked for a while and when I mentioned that I was a photographer, Kim asked me to come back with my portfolio.
Kim introduced me to the underbelly of the music industry, the place where talent was raw, people were desperate, and energy and creativity were everywhere. Over the next three years I would get phone calls from Kim like:
Tuesday 10:00AM: “Paul, I just produced an album for Leon Russell. You’re doing the cover. Write down his address and phone number. Go to his house; his studio is in the back. I’ll be down in a couple hours.”
Sunday 10:00PM: “I’m doing a demo tape of these two punk chicks. I’m thinking about calling them Venus and the Razorblades. I need some promo shots but they’re not signed yet so I’ll just cover costs. Come over to my place.”
Thursday 1:00AM: “Paul, get up and come down to Larrabee Studios. Bring your cameras. I’m producing a Helen Reddy album and I need you to take some shots… Oh yeah, when you get here, move slowly. She’s had some death threats. If you move too fast her bodyguards will kill you.”
For me, the mainstream late ‘70s music was cookie-cutter and boring. The journey I made with Kim was anything but.
