Long, long ago in a suburb far, far away, seven junior high hooligans laid the foundation for Southern California ska. Now, nearly 20 years after Fishbone sprung from the punk abyss of Los Angeles, prodigy artists such as No Doubt, 311, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Primus, Perry Farrell and the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones are lining up to pay them tribute. |

Years before Orange County sprouted new wave skankers like Gwen Stefani and Brad Nowell, Fishbone singer Angelo Moore and his band of merry fools set the tone for a generation with the anthem "Party at Ground Zero" from their 1985 self-titled debut EP. Six studio recordings and very few commercial breaks later, Fishbone remain an important underground influence with signature songs like "Subliminal Fascism," "Bonin' in the Boneyard," "Fight the Youth" and "Everyday Sunshine."

"A lot of younger artists owe their musical heritage to Fishbone," said Wil Sharpe, the band's manager, who is now organizing a collaborative tribute disc titled Fishbone and Friends, due out on Hollywood Records in early 1999. A wide smattering of punk/ska/funk-influenced acts will pen exclusive songs with Fishbone or contribute previously recorded rare collaborations to the album, which marks the band's recent departure from Arista Records, he said.

Because longtime friends, touring companions and enthusiastic contributors like No Doubt, 311 and the Mighty, Mighty Bosstones are currently distracted with projects of their own, Fishbone and Friends is only inching along. Fishbone's John Norwood Fisher recently began writing an undisclosed song with fellow bass thumper Les Claypool of Primus, who opened for Fishbone in 1991 and appeared on the Lollapalooza bill with them in 1993. Both Norwood and Claypool recently contributed their expertise to Boggy Depot -- the debut solo disc from Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell.

Preparing a live album and rehearsing in the studio for their next full-length disc, Nebraska's reggae-laced 311 hopes to write an original song for Fishbone and Friends, but worries they won't have time. "There's a lot of respect between 311 and Fishbone," the band's manager, Adam Raspler told JAMTV. "They definitely want to do it, but I can't make any guarantees."

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs are opening 10 shows for Aerosmith beginning Aug. 14 in Raleigh, N.C., but their manager, Tomas Cookman says the Fishbone album is a top priority because the wildly varying bands are such close friends. Last year, the two groups recorded a cover of "What's New Pussy Cat?" for the AIDS awareness disc Red Hot & Latin: Silencio = Muerte, and the Cadillacs hope to export Fishbone to Latin America next year for a string of collaborative shows on their home turf, he said.

"Anytime the Cadillacs were in L.A. they thought of an excuse to bring Fishbone up onstage with them," he said. "Fishbone has so many fans all over the place, this album should be a really interesting album artistically."

In related Fishbone updates, dynamic frontman Moore is preparing "a wealth of information" for yet another poetry book and plans to record his first solo effort next year. (Anni Layne)