Harvey Kubernik Gets By With A Little Help From His Friends

January 16, 2015 - As publishers of "It was 50 Years Ago Today THE BEATLES Invade America and Hollywood," we know how he did it. Kubernik has been a published journalist and pop music historian for more than 40 years. He's interviewed hundreds of singers, songwriters, musicians, DJs, recording engineers, and record producers, and he keeps track of them all!

Dr. James B. Cushing, lecturer in Ancient and Modern Literature at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, who also hosts "Miles Ahead," a weekly jazz program on Cal Poly radio station KCPR, received faculty kudos for being quoted extensively in three of Kubernik's music-history books: "Turn Up the Radio! Rock, Pop, and Roll in Los Angeles, 1956-1972," "Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows," and "It Was Fifty Years Ago Today: The Beatles Invade American and Hollywood," for which he also wrote the foreword.

Kubernik recently conducted his fourth interview with Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker, who filmed "John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band: Sweet Toronto" in 1997, and is a principal coontributor of interviews for the book, "D. A. Pennebaker Interviews" edited by Keith Beattie and Trent Griffiths, University Press of Mississippi for their "Conversations with Filmmakers Series," set for publication in March, 2015.

In January, 2015, Harvey conducted an extensive interview with graphics artist and illustrator, John Van Hamersveld, who now has two pieces on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York from November 2014 to November 2015 (his 1968 Jimi Hendrix concert poster and the Rolling Stone "Exile On Main Street" album cover). John also contributed to Kubernik's Beatles book, telling how he came to design the album cover of the American market edition of "Magical Mystery Tour."

Roger Steffens, founding editor of "The Beat," co-host of "Reggae Beat" (1979-1987 and "Reggae Beat International" (1983-1987, heard on 130 radio stations worldwide), lectures widely on the life of Bob Marley. He not only contributed to "It Was 50 Year Ago Today THE BEATLES Invade America and Hollywood," but wrote the Afterword to Kubernik's "Turn Up The Radio!" and contributed to Kubernik's current Cave Hollywood article, "Bob Marley: Uprising LIVE!" CD/DVD released by Universal Music Entreprises and Eagle Vision. Click on this "SLATE" link to see photos from Steffens' new book, "The Family Acid."

NEW BUSINESS: Kubernik's taped interview for the Public Radio International 50th Anniversary of the Beatles "Rubber Soul" produced by Paul Ingles, is scheduled for broadcast in May 2015 and Kubernik just completed a prose and multi-voice story examination of the Rolling Stones founder, Brian Jones, that will be published this spring for magazine and online posting. Harvey also penned the liner notes to poet/songwriter Stephen J. Kalinich's "California Feeling 2" album due from MsMusic Productions in early spring.

Finally, Otherworld Cottage Industries has posted KUBERNIK'S KORNER., a webpage where friends and fans can keep up with his works in progress, and you may learn more about his "Rough Church" interview with bandleader songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Greg Franco published online to coincide with the release of their Friction/Reflection album. and his contribution to the BBC Meat Loaf documentary, "In and Out of Hell," featuring interviews, performances and backstage footage.

A final sad not to pass along. Musical maverick and rock 'n' roll legend Kim Fowley left the physical planet today after a long battle with cancer. Kim is featured in our Beatles book and was a longtime interview subject in Harvey Kubernik's 8 book literary catalog.