A FINE PHOTO OP WITH MIKE WATT et al.

photo (C) 1989 Heather Harris

A fine photo op shot from twenty years ago: left to right Michael McClure (poet/playwright of "The Beard," a work closed by police every night it played in L.A. in the late '60's,) Mike Watt (musician extraordinaire,) Ray Manzarek (same!) and poet Michael C. Ford at one of Harvey Kubernik's Spoken Word nights at McCabes, West Los Angeles.

Harvey kick-started the whole spoken word as well as rock performances by musicians trend, by the by, from Henry Rollins onward. While at MCA, he figured out that licensing for signed music artists was still up for grabs in spoken word.

In the early 1980's Harvey produced a series of record compilations, many with Mike Watt and New Alliance, of musicians, actors, writers and assorted local characters on Los Angelo-centric releases like "Hollyword," "Black Angeles," "Neighborhood Rhythms," "Voices of the Angels" et al. I miss the cross-pollination of the punk and post-punk days in the music biz: it's now only found on cable.