ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK AND ROLL NEWS

According to Marshall Chess, the name of the Rolling Stones new label is Clowns. He added “I wanted to call it ‘juke’ but they wouldn’t let me.” Which shows ya where they’re at.

Mickie Most (who has produced everyone from the Yardbirds to Donovan) has formed RAK records, whose first trash hit is CCS’s orchestral version of ‘‘Whole Lotta Love”. More significantly, RAK is reported to be singing Cradle, the all-woman Motor City band who have written the second feminine rock opera (see elsewhere in this section for news of Carla Bley’s). Cradle are largely composed of the sisters of Mr. Michael Quatro, whom some of you may remember for something.

Rod Stewart and Elton John are producing one side each of an album by legendary British rock figure Long John Baldry. John had once played back-up to Baldry in Bluesology, a crew which toured the English club circuit several years ago. Stewart started his career with Baldry in Steampacket in the mid-60s.

Baldry had virtually disappeared for the last two years, however, without any particular reason being given. “John’s too good to fall by the wayside,” Stewart noted. “He just needs some guidance to get him back on his feet again.”

Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks perhaps the most eclectic band to

emerge from the entire San Francisco rock scene, have moved from Epic to Blue Thumb for recording. The group had one album on Epic previously. The Hicks’ Licks should also be touring shortly. “I’m itchin’,” said Hicks.

Pete Andrews, the dynamic young business Head of SRC Productions, has become Events Director at the University of Michigan. It is the first time that anyone from the AA youth community has managed to achieve a position of any power within the University structure.

Andrews said that his intention in obtaining the position was two-fold: “Making sure events get presented on a much more professional level. . . and making facilities available to students more in terms of their tastes.” The first step in both of those processes is an Ike and Tina Turner concert slated for March 12th; and it’s a good one, considering that ticket prices are $2.50-$3-$3.50 and the Revue is appearing in Detroit the next night for twice the top. The concert is promoted by Project Community, U of M’s student omnibus organization.

In the fall, a projected 26 concert

series will feature most of the nation’s top talent in the “acoustically perfect”, 4100 seat Hill Auditorium. All part of a process of bringing in “talent that wouldn’t ordinarily get here — and at a price people can afford.”

Rock writer Mike Gormely has left the Detroit Free Press and with him went almost all of the Detroit dailies’ rock coverage (which has been fairly comprehensive ever since Lorraine Alterman, former Rolling Stone New York editor worked at the Free Press, including the Sounds of Detroit rock supplement that had been appearing irregularly. Despite criticism in the local underground press, the Sounds of Detroit supplement had much potential as a device for the local rock and cultural community and it’s a shame to see it go. Ironically, the last issue specialized in Motor City rock, including a Gormely column about “heavy metallic music” coming from the city and a page-feature on CREEM, itself. Hopefully, daily papers are going to wake up to the fact that they can’t interest youth in their pages without responsible and critical coverage of the alternative culture. Considering the political tendencies of a lot of the dailies’ supposedly “objective” news reporting, though, it’s not such a shame after all.

The Detroit Musician’s Exchange is a new community organization which hopes to set up a musician’s switchboard, for individuals, bands and clubs. They also want to organize jams, help get benefits together, start equipment co-operatives. . . the whole shot. They’re holding a benefit to help them get started, at the Birmingham Palladium on March 3rd with the Up. Musicians and community people interested in such things, take note.

According to friend, Clay Geerdes of Berkeley, Ca., this is the lovely Susie Creamcheese circa 1971. “Rock fans will remember her dancing with husband Vito and the Mothers of Invention at the Los Angeles Love-Ins in those mellow and gone days. The family lives in the Sonoma Valley now. She has two children, Gruvi, and B.B. Vito is teaching a dance class at Sonoma State College and Sue is still into sculpture and fashion design. The photo shows Sue as she looked New Year’s Eve when she danced and sang with San Francisco’s Cockettes in a midnight revue at Bimbo’s in North Beach.” Have mercy!

Well they’ve finally done it. According to the Wall Street Journal, physicists at the University of California have discovered “antiomega-plus baryon”, the “most elusive part” of the atom. What’s more, it turns out that this particle is closely linked to the sci-fi concept of anti-matter. “If galaxies of matter and anti-matter were to collide, they would annihilate each other in an instant,” the Journal calmly reported. Dr. Spock, meet Mr. Spock.

Jackie Lomax has switched his recording plans to A&R Studios in New York after previously announcing that he would cut with John Simon at Woodstock. Lomax (who left the Beatles’ Apple label under extremely

frustrating conditions) will now produce himself and release on Warner Brothers. According to a news release, Lomax and Simon couldn’t get it on together because of “the astronomical amount of money Mr. Simon had requested.”

Jim Morrison’s book, American Prayer, is now out of print; actually a thousand had to be printed up after CREEM and a British pop paper let on about it. It’s too bad his hard-back, Simon and Shuster tome ain’t doin’ as well.

Motor City women seem to be emerging as the leading force of women’s rock. Besides Cradle, which (as is noted elsewhere) are presently being produced by Mr. Mickie Most, Pride (or Pride of Women-POW, get it?) played a killer debut set at the Viet Nam Peace Treaty conference at U of M in Ann Arbor.

The crowd of a thousand was not only blown back by Pride’s set, they also ended up shakin’ their proverbial and collective asses to the killer R&B/rock and roll amalgam of Ryder’s Detroit and the White Panther’s Up. Best rock ’n’ roll show in town since.

Laura Nyro did everyone in the Motor City a favor by coming back to play a free concert on Jan. 29th because she’d had laryngitis at her December 4th date. The show was a gas and she finished with a rock‘n’roll medley that had ’em in the aisles. Miss Nyro’s Motown reputation soared as a result — and it’s only fitting, her new album is really far-out.

For those of you who haven’t heard by now, noted Dylanologist A.J. Weberman has met and chatted with Bob Dylan,' made a few tapes with

Bobby Z. and is still generally running about, now under the banner of the Dylan Liberation Front (D.L.F.). He’s also traveling about the country with equally noted street singer David Peel andrthe Lower East Side. Together the dynamic duo have formed the Rock Liberation Front. Full details next week, in the world’s first serious A.J. Weberman interview.

And speaking of Bob Dylan . . . the mightyman is reportedly taking Hebrew lessons. Figure that one out.

Barry Levenberg,. bass player for Mutzie, o.d.ed on smack in mid-January and was found dead at a friend’s house. Barry was nineteen. And of course, the big hit Mutzie-tune (sung by his brother) is “Cocaine.” There seems to be a lesson there for all of us; hopefully, by now, most of us have learned it.

Alice Cooper has a smash in their new single, a Stoogesque ditty known as “Eighteen” (though it doesn’t sound at all like the ? and the Mysterians tune of the same name). The tune is dynamite though and Alices new stage show is thrilling.

It was produced by Nimbus Nine Productions’ Bob Ezerin, who is also producing another Motor City combine, Detroit, whose lead singer is none other than the crazed Piscean, Mitch Ryder. Nimbus Nine works out of Toronto, is headed by Jack Richardson and was formerly best known for its work with the Guess Who. Which is an ozone of a different color altogether.

First Annual Paranoid Flashback and History Repeats Itself Award to:

Elektra Records, who cut Out the word ‘Motherfucker’ from the Doors’ “Build Me A Woman” cut on the Absolutely Live album. For once, we’ve all got the brothers and sisters version.

Ian Mathews has left Southern Comfort at the height of their British success. Mathews may continue to perform live with the group but record separately or he may be recording and performing with Tyger Hutchings, who was also with Mathews in Fairport Cbnvention. Other members may now split though the group probably will continue as Southern Comfort in some form.

Tyrannosaurus Rex, now a trio, have become T. Rex. Marc Bolan has also added a new member, making the group a trio. The group’s next album should be all electric, and out in a few weeks.

Jeff Beck, who has at least found one member for his new band, drummer Cozy Powell, searched Macon Georgia early in January for other new musicians. He’s looking for a bassist and lead guitarist.

Albums ready, in progress, soon to be released: CSNY, a double set, half live, half studio material; Mary Travers, her first solo effort; David Crosby; Graham Nash; Ronnie Hawkins;

Delaney and Bonnie; Sam Moore, late of Sam & Dave, with King Curtis producing.

Let’s All Praise Amerika: South Africa is considering instituting the death penalty for dope dealing. And the law would apply ONLY to marijuana!

Hells Angel Alan Pasaro, 22, has been found not guilty in a1 Berkeley, Cal. court of murder charges stemming from the death of Meredith Hunter, 18, at AltamOnt. The jury, after hearing seventeen days of testimony, deliberated \2Vz hours. Pasaro had said that he “stabbed at” Hunter but he wasn’t sure if his knife had entered the young Black man’s body; at any rate, his other contention was that he acted in self-defense (Hunter allegedly had a gun). Pasaro remains in jail, however, where he is serving a 2-10 year sentence for possession of marijuana.

Sky are finishing their second Jimmy Miller-produced album in England at Mick Jagger’s cottage; featured artists include Dave Mason, Gary Wright and the usual gaggle of stars.

James Brown may really be soul brother number one. He closed 1970 with an African tour and, by the time you read this, he’ll be touring Europe. A far cry from the old days. But it’s o.k. kids, he’s still funky.

Eric Clapton has completed work on an album he produced with Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. It is the first album Clapton has ever produced, including his own. Most of the record had been completed in the midst of a break during the Derek and the Dominos tour.

Latest from the Taylor family' is Sister Katherine, who will do it for Atco. There’s only one left, and he don’t seem interested, so maybe the end is near.

Neil Young spent some time in an L. A. hospital with a slipped disc which wasn’t After the Gold Rush. The disc caused some trouble for CSNY sideman Greg Reeves whose album Young is to produce at Capricorn Studios in Macon.

Savage Grace are due to return to the Midwest soon, after their six-month sojourn on the West Coast. They’ve completed their second album for Reprise and should begin playing around the nation once again soon.

Mike Quatro, mentioned elsewhere in these pages, is now sort of the front man for nefarious Gabe Glanz’ reopening of the equally storied Grande Ballroom. Bands can get the place to throw their own “benefits” (imagine a benefit for the MC5 after all these years!), as can organizations or people who are just generally needy. CREEM itself will probably be having a benefit at the storied old Motown rock palace in the near future; stay tuned for details.

Jon Mark and Johnny Almond have formed a quartet, Mark/Almond, (signed to Blue Thumb). The quartet centers around Mark’s six and twelve string guitars and Almond’s proficiency on flute, sax and various other instruments. Both are Mayall refugees in a sense, though Almond has recorded solo and Mark first achieved prominence as Marianne Faithfull’s accompanist. The other two members of the group are Tommy Eyre, keyboards/vibes who’s also been around with such as Cocker, Juicy Lucy and Aynsley Dunbar’s greasers, and bass/celloist Roger Sutton. As with the Mayall album on which Mark and Almond are most prominently featured (Turning Point) there is no drummer. Almond does play congas however.

Not only is Sam the Sham Samudio back, according to Atlantic, but Canned Heat’s new single is “Wooly Bully.” It’s about time.

Roadie Stu Felix, who works with Balance Wheel, a Pontiac-area group, is a full-fledged hero. Balance Wheel was performing at Detroit’s Roostertail (the Sunday For The Young super-club scene) in late November and, while Stu was finishing packing the group’s equipment after the show, a woman tried to drive away in her sports car. The accelerator stuck and, after crashing into a pole, the car and driver both wound up in the river. Felix jumped in after her, brought her to the surface (“She looked as dead as a mackerel”) and calmly packed the truck and split, without asking so much as even a thank you.

Hopefully you caught the Ed Sullivan Show on January 24th to see him usher in the new decade with a little New Music — Rahsaan Roland Kirk leading an ensemble composed of

drummer Roy Haynes, tenor man Archie Shepp and bass master Charles Mingus, along with Kirk’s own band, the Vibration Society. Mingus hasn’t appeared anywhere for around two years and it’s really beautiful to see such a legendary figure stepping right back into the scene at the very highest level (pop-wise).

If you remember what Ed and the show did for the Liverpool sound, you might hope that he can do as much for Harlem.

Word from LA has David Geffen (CSNY manager) .about to start the Phoenix label, with the first record to be done by a young genius composer/singer named Jackson Browne. If you aren’t familiar with Browne, may we suggest that you check out the cosmic “Somewhere There’s A Feather” and others from Nico’s Chelsea Girl album on Verve.

Congrats to the Jefferson Airplane tribe, and especially Grace Slick and ' Paul Kantner, are due primarily because of the birth of a daughter, name as yet unspecified. Grace had earlier said that, in any event, the name would be “Just god. No last name, no capital G. And he can change his name when he feels like it.” A sexist mother?

Anyhow, the birthdate was January 25 (sun in Aquarius, moon in Capricorn) at 7:31 a.m. Both mother and daughter are in good shape and no one seems too worried about Paul, either.

The Sugarloaf lp on United Artists is reputed to be capable of making those who listen to it nauseous to the point of acutal physical sickness.

Although not normally dangerous, the

group and their producer, Frank Slay, all reportedly vomited after listening to the track “Spaceship Earth” through stereo headphones. Slay explained that, “There must be something in the way we’ve phased the tracks that upsets your equilibrium.”

“Spaceship Earth” is the title track from the record, which was, of course inspired by R. Buckminster Fuller’s genius book, Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth. That concept, according to lead vocalist/organist Jerry Corbetta, arose from their national tour last fall. “The contrast between Boulder (Colorado, the home of the group) and some of the places we’ve played is really depressing.” The group’s tour was accompanied by the usual motel refusals and hardhat baiting, of course, which adds to the effect.

Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, immortalized in several of Jethro Tull’s songs, has finally joined Ian Anderson and friends. He replaces bassist Glenn Cornick, who will form his own group. Hammond-Hammond is the second former Anderson schoolmate to join, the other being pianist John Evan. Just another of those old school ties.

HUMOR DEPARTMENT: Nefarious publisher, B. Kramer, of this rag, has asked us to announce that he has “quit the Stooge Fan Club out of embarassment, and signed up with the Grand Funk Fan Club, after seeing them on Tube works (the ABX tv show) February 14th.” He claims he even likes Terry Knight; we can’t imagine a nicer Valentine’s Day present, Bar’, except for ours to you:

THE FAIRWEATHER FRIENDSHIP AWARD FOR 1970.

SRC Studio: A People’s Recorder

ANN ARBOR — Determination and disappointment in record companies and studios have made a big change in the life of SRC as a group. After three albums on Capitol and being through the corporation record-hype-tour scene, the Ann Arbor band has recently opened their own recording studios, Morgan Sound Theater, in a building they put together themselves.

The group started to realize a long time ago they had to do things themselves, if they were to be done well and not cost thousands of dollars. Their first album, released September, 1968, was recorded at Tera Shirma Studios in Detroit. But by the time SRC did their second album in 1969 the group had purchased a four track Scully recorder. The basic tracks for Milestones, the second album, were recorded in a reconverted house in Ann Arbor and mixed at GM studios in Detroit. It was the same procedure for Traveler’s Tale, SRC’s third and last Capitol album.

It was determination that made SRC purchase four, then eight track recording equipment a few years ago. That same determination brought Morgan Sound Theater into existence.

SRC became one of the first commune bands when they decided to live and work together shortly after forming four years ago. They are still together and a year ago they moved into a large farm house on a 5 acre site near Ann Arbor. In the back of the house were a large garage and a building once used as a warehouse. The warehouse became the studio. Rather than spending money needlessly; SRC decided to do the construction work themselves, instead of contracting the job to a local builder.

“We cut down salaries,” drummer E. G. Clawson said, “and put all our money into the studio and band activities. Then we became bricklayers, plumbers and carpenters. We didn’t know much about it but soon found out. We built it all ourselves, even the toilets.”

“There are two things musicians have to fight when they record at most studios,” SRC manager Peter Andrews said. “You have to go in the studio and watch the clock, and also the atmosphere is normally plastic, far from being conducive to doing any creative work. How can you work when you’re

losing $80 an hour and the place and people you’re working with aren’t compatible?” '

This price saving and the added convenience of having a studio open to you at any time were the motivating factors behind the SRC’s step into Morgan Sound Theater. But the set up has worked so well that it’s now possible for other groups to come in and work under friendly and less expensive conditions.

“Chris Brubeck’s group, New Heavenly Blue, said they wouldn’t record anywhere else,” Andrews said. Lead singer, Scott Richardson pointed out, “Other groups that have come in here or will be here shortly are Alice Cooper, Jim Cassily’s new group,” (Cassily is the manager of Teegarden and Van Winkle) “and several local bands. The first group to make use of the studio other than SRC was Iron Horse Exchange and they left with four finished songs costing them only $150.

“You see, beyond the low cost the main thing about Morgan Sound Theater is the mood. We, as musicians, understand what it’s like to record and know a certain mood is needed. We can set the place up any way the group wants. Not to get back to the price thing all the time, but it’s possible for the group to take time to set up exactly how they like because we' don’t charge them for any time other than when they are recording. Most studios charge the minute you arrive and start bringing in your equipment.”

An added asset to the studio is Brian Dombrowski. Once an engineer at Tera Shirma and Motown, he’s now working exclusively with Morgan Sound Theater. “When Jeff Beck and Mickie Most, his producer, were recording at Motown last summer, Brian was the engineer,” Scott said. “Several of those cuts will be out on Beck’s upcoming album. He also engineered the taping of the Bob Seger System’s final performance recently and did the live Amboy Dukes set for their live album. Brian’s a musician’s engineer. Rather than having set ideas that he won’t change, he works with the groups.”

For the technically minded the studio offers an eight-track Scully recorder and a control board by Bob Bloom of Audio Design in Detroit. “After very significant investigations, we feel his boards are the best available. The recording room is large enough for 100 musicians so we can record an orchestra if we want.’ They plan to do

so. The studio offers just about every type of mike available. Also, Morgan Sound Theater has the only full, 8-track, live recording capabilities in the area.

Peter Andrews said, “We are creating recording circumstances that are completely convenient, in the country, relaxed and at a price that will enable a musician to record without losing his shirt or selling his soul. Our past experience has taught us that groups must take hold of their own destinies. We hope that Morgan Sound Theater will give everyone within our scene some of the self-determination we all must have and rightfully deserve.”

Mike Gormely

SFL Demands Balanced Tickets

BERKELEY, CA. - The Sexual Freedom League has asked all political parties to run balanced tickets for the 1972 presidential elections. If the party runs a male for President, then a woman should run as Vice-President and vice versa.

According to the SFL statement: “In the 46 Presidential elections ... no major party has ever nominated a woman for President or Vice President of the United States. Few minor parties have done so . . . Such political representation for the majority sex (women) is long overdue.”

SFL, begun in the Bay Area in 1967 and which now has seven chapters in three states, has also endorsed Kate Millett’s call for sexual “revolution.” They have also recommended that one male and one female from each state comprise Senatorial representation.

“We believe every political tendency can find qualified women candidates within its own ranks,” SFL Vice President Mother Boats concluded.

JCOA ’’Opera” Stars Bley, Bruce

NEW YORK - Composer Carla Bley and writer Paul Haines have completed the opera, “Escalator Over the Hill (a Chronotransduction)”, an extension and culmination of all their previous achievements, according to the Jazz Composer’s Orchestra Association.

At this point, there is no definite staging date set for the work, which took three years to complete. Haines and Miss Bley worked closely together on the piece even though separated by several thousand miles; she resides in New York, he in New Delhi, India.

Perhaps more importantly, the recorded version of the work will be released by JCOA Records, their second album since the monster two-record Jazz Composer’s Orchestra set of two years ago which featured, besides Miss Bley, Pharoah Sanders, Roswell Rudd, piano giant Cecil Taylor, Donald Cherry, Gato Barbieri and a number of others. The record is being produced by Michael Mantler for release this spring.

The cast is as far-out as the composers’. Jack Bruce will carry the major male role with Viva doing the speaking parts, Carla Bley makes her singing debut (Miss Bley is already recognized as one of the better contemporary jazz pianists currently performing), and Sheila Jordan and NRBQ’s Steve Ferguson are among those already cast in singing roles. Most of the voices will be untrained, however, not professional singers; hopefully, however, almost all of the voices will be musicians’. Only mezz-soprano Donna Klimoska is classically trained, in the cast.

Miss Bley’s music is both complex and well organized featuring singers, speakers, choirs, various small and large orchestral ensembles, pre-recorded (live electronic) music and of course, “free improvising” — the jazz element.

The JCO will be the supporting orchestra, featuring Lee Konitz, Donald Cherry, Roswell Rudd and Gato Barbieri as soloists. A Western Band and an Eastern Band have also been formed. The Western Band is composed of guitar genius John McLaughlin, Bruce, Bley, and drummer Paul Motian while the Eastern aggregate consists of trumpeter Cherry, Calo Scott, Leroy Jenkins, Sam Brown, Souren Baronian, bassist Ron McClure, Bley and Motian.

Miss Bley’s genius is reknowned throughout jazz and underground circles; 78 of her compositions have been recorded, which must be on a level approaching that of such masters as Dylan, Coltrane and the Beatles. This is the first album which she has recorded under her own name, however; her other recent output, besides the JCO album, includes A Genuine Tong Funeral with vibist Gary Burton as leader and with Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra.

Paul Haines is largely unpublished

(by his own choice) thus far, though some consider him one of the most brilliant writers of the era; he has been associated as a writer and advisor with JCOA since its inception.

Jack Bruce is so prominent in the score precisely because the role of The Player was created specifically for him. Bruce has had a lengthy musical career, highlighted by his sojourn with Cream and his current work with Tony Williams’ Lifetime, in which John McLaughlin also appears.

Firesign Filming: "funniest ever”

LOS ANGELES — The crazed (maybe) Firesign Theatre are about to start making their first film, The Big Suitcase of 1969. The Firesigns themselves are doing all the writing, performing and directing, with production by Dr. Franklin D. Wacco.

They call it “the funniest movie in years, maybe ever” and also claim it will have a GP rating, a laugh in itself. They also describe it as “a Saturday afternoon at the movies”.

The film, budgeted at $200,000, which isn’t that much money for a feature length picture, will be shot in and around Hollywood, mostly, using as many sets and locations as possible. (Or as many as appropriate, whichever comes first.) Besides the Firesigns, it will feature big names including their friends.

The film is independently financed, with only a quarter of the financing presently completed. Wacco hopes to get a major distribution deal as soon as possible however, hopefully well before the flick is completed.

Together, the Firesign and Wacco have assumed the corporate nom de cinema of The Good Luk Chinese Film Co. (“ ‘Luk’ in Chinese means six. This may have significance,’ ” their release notes.) and hopefully will also open their own film lot, Creative-Texaco Studios, a name deliberately designed to upset Bay Area ecology freaks. Prospects for that are not certain, anyway.

As usual, the Firesign film will be a pastiche of effects; all in 35mm.,

naturally, but part will be color, part black and white, with a portion of the color done with an old Technicolor tri-pak camera, to achieve the same Technicolor effect that is displayed in early fifties’ films. (None of which were about rock‘n’roll, which was still in its infancy. Only low-budget rock films were then presented, because Elvis Presley hadn’t died yet.) Chapter 11 of the 13-chapter serial, “The Fuse of Doom” (which does not feature Nick Danger. Probably.) will be done in late-30s style. (There were also no rock films done in this manner. Primarily because John Lennon wasn’t born yet.)

The sound-track will be done in 8-track stereo. (There have been many rock films done in this manner, mostly because most directors are fascinated by technology.) Columbia may even release it as an album, since Firesign Theatre is currently the largest selling comedy team on record. Shooting will not begin til April 1st so your big chance is still available; make friends with Peter Bergman by March 1st and you may get in on the ground floor. Or at least the cutting room one.

WJLB DJ’s Strike Station

DETROIT — Radio station WJLB, which programs r‘n’b to a predominantly Black audience, has undergone severe internal changes, and garnered the support of most of the Black community recently. A strike which had begun December 11 finally ended a month later when the two sides sat down with Wayne County Circuit Judge Benjamin Burdick to discuss Norman Miller’s assumption of responsibilities as general manager, one of the key demands of the walk out.

The strike began December 11, after program director A1 Perkins was fired. The employees, including Perkins, had been demanding that the retiring General Manager be replaced by someone Black. Until this time, the management of the station had been all-white.

When Perkins was fired, the employees hit the streets with picket signs reading “John Lord Booth (the station owner who also owns the right-wing Detroit News) Uses WJLB To Use Blacks.”

They were demanding that Perkins be reinstated; that the new General Manager be Black; that Commodore Clark, having been with the station for fourteen years as a salesman, being promoted to the position of Sales Manager; and that a reasonable portion of the advertising revenue be deposited in the Black owned and operated First Independence National Bank. They also stated that they felt it impossible to work with d.j. Paul Major, a man clearly siding with station management in the furor.

After lengthy negotiations, Perkins was rehired, although there was some question about whether or not he would still be officially program director; Norman Miller, the Black news director, would become the new General Manager; and part of the ad revenue would be deposited in the First Independence National Bank. Many employees also indicated they would transfer their savings account to First Independence.

Major’s future is still uncertain; Booth agreed to transfer him but there was not yet another opening in the Booth chain.

Because of the station’s popularity in the Black community, and especially because of the popularity of Martha

Jean the Queen and a couple of others, the Black people got out in support of the strike to a remarkable degree. The community sent food to the strikers, cancelled advertisements on the station and helped publicize the strike and its demands, as well as walking picket lines.

The Booth Broadcasting Company is a significant target. Besides the News and WJLB, Booth also operates, to one degree or another, twelve newspapers and nine radio stations, two of which have their primary focus in the Black community. (Those are WKLR-FM in Toledo, Ohio and WABQ-AM in Cleveland.)

However, the gains were partially offset by the company moves on January 11. Programming was halted at noon for three hours while the d.j.s barricaded themselves in the studio. J. Leonard Hyman, the employees lawyer, said that the sit-in was held because Norman Miller was not being allowed to assume his full duties as general manager. “Miller hasn’t been allowed to occupy the general manager’s office, he has no power to hire or fire . . . they won’t even give him a key.”

Ex-Supreme Sues Motown

DETROIT — Florence Ballard, one of the three original Supremes with Mary Ballard and Diana Ross, sued Motown Records, Ross and a variety of her former bosses for $8.7 million dollars February 3. She charged that Motown prez Berry Gordy, Jr., Miss Ross and some others at Motown “conspired” to push her out of the group and cheat her out of royalties.

Miss Ballard said that Gordy and Diana Ross told her that her singing was “deteriorating” and that she was “hurting the group.” At this point (in 1968) Florence was replaced by Cindy Birdsong. (Diana has since left the group to go solo; her replacement is Jean Terrell.)

Miss Ballard asked also in her suit that the present Supremes be barred from using that name. The suit charged that in late 1967 Gordy and Diana Ross “secretly, subversively and maliciously plotted and planned” to remove Miss Ballard from the group.

She also alleges that Michael Roshkind, Motown vice-president, offered her $2500 a year for the next six years as compensation, in 1967. When Miss Ballard did leave the group,

on Feb. 22, 1968, Motown settled with her for what the suit termed a “meager and grossly inadequate sum” - $139,804.94!

Gerald K. Dent, Florence’s attorney, said that when the three chose the name in 1964 “it was worthless.” They then enjoyed an incredible string of hits, nine straight gold records in a row, including “Baby Love”, “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” and “Where Did Our Love Go”. “As a result. . . ,” Dent said, “that name (Supremes) is now a household word and worth at least $1 million.”

The lawsuit further alleges that when Miss Ballard first signed with Gordy in 1961, she was not given a copy of the contract nor was she informed of her contractual rights. Gordy represented himself as a “trusted friend”, she accused, and assured her that she would receive “her rightful, due compensation.”

Instead, according to the suit, Motown and International Management Corp., a Motown affiliate burned Miss Ballard for about $4 million. The suit asks for the $4 million, plus $4.5 million in punitive damages and other recompensation, totalling $8.7 million.

The suit also said that, since leaving the Supremes, Miss Ballard has changed from a “very congenial nature” to a person who is at times “extremely nervous, and highly irritable, even at the slightest and imaginary provocation.”

Cleaver Freaks, Leary Busted

ALGIERS, Algeria (UPS) - Timothy Leary has once again spent some time in jail — and this time his jailer was none less than Eldridge Cleaver, himself. Timothy and his wife, Rosemary were removed from their apartment and placed under house arrest in another section of Algiers on January 9th, by order of Black Panther Minister of Information Eldridge Cleaver; the order was carried out by Field Marchal D.C., who with Cleaver heads the BPP Intercommunal Section in Algeria.

The bust occured as the Learys were about to give a dinner party for a number of persons, some of whom, Eldridge hinted, might have been “security risks” — which probably means CIA agents.

The Learys were held until January 12th, then released, after a minimal reconciliation with Cleaver, but the attendant furor in this country did not break until the Village Voice printed a conversation in its January 28th (and February 5th) issue between Leary and Cleaver, with Voice London correspondent Michael Zwerin mediating.

Earlier Cleaver had made a statement in which he attempted to clarify the reasons for the bust. “I have come to the conclusion that Mr. Leary is irrevocably wed to the idea of the beneficial aspects of LSD in the context of a revolutionary movement, that he is willing to, well, that he would rather die than give up the idea of changing American society by dosing everyone with LSD. This is not a principle or suggestion that we in the Black Panther Party can endorse, because we think that it is absurd and unrealistic as an approach to carrying out the struggle.”

In their letter to Cleaver, Timothy and Rosemary repeatedly refer to the situation as “Kafkaesque”. After the exchange of statements took place (Cleaver’s on tape; the Leary’s by letter, which says something about who’s more non-linear than who), the Learys were released.

“Leary seems content to continue advising people to turn on, tune in and drop out, and he really means it when he says that freedom is getting high,” Cleaver continued. “This is in direct conflict with the needs of the American revolution. We feel that we need people with clear heads, sober people who have their wits about them ...”

According to Zwerin, four of the Panther, staff members entered the Leary apartment at 7:50 p.m. on the ninth, shortly before some dinner guests were due. The dinner party, Eldridge maintained, was the immediate reason, though not by any means the only one, for the bust.

Leary ,and his wife initially refused to leave but the Panthers prevailed and they were taken to an Algiers apartment where they were held incommunicado until Zwerin, who was to visit them as a correspondent for the Voice, showed up. “It makes me very sad to have had to do this. I’ve been in jail, been unable to relate to it and I don’t like being a jailer,” Cleaver said. The Leary’s responded by terming Eldridge’s behavior “totally totalitarian.”

But more interesting than Cleaver’s arrest of the Leary’s is the Panthers’ stand on acid. “To all those who look to Dr. Leary for inspiration, or even

leadership, we want to say that your god is dead because his mind has been blown by acid. If you think that by tuning in, turning on and dropping out, you’re improving the situation, that you’re changing the society, it’s very clear that you’re doing nothing except destroying your own brains and strengthening the hand of our enemy. I think that in this day and time when the enemy no longer needs our labor power, when the enemy has machines to replace men, they would very much like to have everybody walking around with their minds blown away by acid so that they can continue to run their game down on a mass of robots.”

Clearly, both sides should be criticized. Leary, along with such potentially important quasi-revolutionary leaders as Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin and Stew Albert (all mentioned in Eldridge’s tape), has not exactly exemplified himself as a model of killer discipline and responsible leadership. And there is something to be said for the idea that taking drugs is not the most important issue of the day any longer. There’s some question in many people’s minds as to what importance it ever had, in proportion to other issues.

But to take the stand that Cleaver (and by implication, the Black Panther Party) has chosen is to miss the entire substance of the LSD issue, as it relates internally in the youth culture. Without a doubt LSD has been the most potent change/force for many of today’s cultural-political leaders — all the way from John Sinclair to Jane Fonda to Jerry Rubin and back through Abbie Hoffman, Bernadine Dohrn and Leary, himself — and its use, as a sacrament, is indigenous to the youth culture. Certainly, acid has proven (cf. John Lennon’s statements in Rolling Stone) to be of limited effectiveness; the law of diminishing returns can set in very quickly. And certainly, acid only opens up one of the problems ... aside from raising the issue of the dialectic, it hardly poses any concrete solutions.

But the youth culture must come to grips with itself and realize that a drug culture does not mean a drugged culture, just as the Black Panthers must realize that LSD has a specific and even necessary place in the rituals of the Youth Nation. Being spaced out isn’t a solution to any of the problems we face, but it is a way of perceiving what those solutions are and an impetus to begin to deal with them.

Until both the culture and the movement begin to deal with that issue, we’re all in bad shape and we really might do well to consider not taking any drugs until a degree of discipline has been established within ourselves as to when to drop and when not to drop.

Dave Marsh

T. Fogarty Leaves CCR

SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. - Creedence Clearwater Revival has undergone a semi-split with Tom Fogerty, brother of leader-guitarist-songwriter John, leaving the group. Tom reportedly plans to record and produce on his own and to “spend more time with his family”.

CCR will continue, as a trio. “I’m not retiring,” the younger Fogerty said, “I’m just not going to tour. My children are 8, 7, and the twins are 1 and this is the time they need a father with them. They are my first responsibility.

“In addition, I hope to create on my own and come up with something individual, something unique which reflects my personal creative urge.”

Fogerty the Elder said, “We’re going to retire Tom’s number.” Stu Cook maintained that the change was positive and Doug Clifford, the Revival’s bassist, added that “We all understand what Tom is doing and we know why this is the thing he has to do now. The band has reached a certain point in its development and we all have, too. This is the way which we all must go for our own development as artists.”

CCR is still on an official vacation at present, with studio plans for April. Tom Fogerty plans to begin writing and he should be in the studio by about the same time.

CIA Conspiracy Short-Circuited

DETROIT — The trial of John Sinclair, Pun Plamondon and Jack Forrest, for conspiracy to bomb the Ann Arbor offices of the CIA, and that of Minister of Defense Plamondon, accused of committing the actual bombing itself, missed its premiere round on January 24th for reasons as complex as the trial itself.

The defense had asked for and received a hearing on several motions on January 14, to challenge the jury venire (the process by which jurors are selected) and to request that the government show records of wiretaps obtained by surveillance of Plamondon’s telephone.

The hearings eventually stretched out three days, from the 14th to the 16th, with Allen Ginsberg, Georgia legislator Julian Bond and State Representative Jackie Vaughan III testifying concerning the jury motion.

Previously, motions had been made for psychiatric examination of deranged acid-head David Valler (the state’s prime, if not only, witness) and the severance of Pun’s trial from that of the others. Both of those were denied by Judge Damon Keith, a black liberal with an excellent reputation for fairness, considering everything.

The hearings began with John, Jack and Pun entering the courtroom like a crew of gladiators, fists raised and clenched, bluejeaned and bearded, with their hair just beginning to show signs of the growth previously recommended by their attorneys and allowed by Keith to enable them to be identifiable as part of the youth culture. Led by the massive, burly Sinclair, the trio looked well although all have been severely treated while in prison. Chairman Sinclair, who is doing 934 to 10 for possession of 2 joints of marijuana had recently been in Jackson State Prison’s hole for allegedly instigating a worker’s strike among the prison population; Jack, whom the state would very much like to turn into a prosecution witness, has been under severe psychological pressure and Pun has been in solitary confinement ever since his capture last July 23 (a year to the day since Sinclair was sentenced to his outrageous prison term). Ironically, only Pun stands a chance of immediate freedom even if the case is won (or, as now seems likely, the charges are dropped) — Jack pled guilty to harboring a federal fugitive (Plamondon) and is doing 1 to 5 in Milan federal prison. During the trial all three prisoners are being held in the scum hole of the universe, Wayne County Jail.

The defense attorneys presented an interesting contrast to the prosecution teams, as well. Led by William Kunstler, noted for his Chicago 7 defense, and Lenny Weinglass, who was Kunstler’s partner in Chicago as well, the defense complement is completed by young Buck Davis, a radical Detroit attorney from the National Lawyer’s Guild. At

the hearings they were also aided by Neil Busch, another radical Motor City jurist.

In contrast, the defense team looks like a withered and aging soccer squad. Ralph Guy is certainly suntanned and lovely, as he stands in blonde haired, well-tailored splendor with his back to the gallery. It’s not until he turns around that you notice his craggy face, which speaks not at all well for what life as a Federal d.a. does for one; he looks like he’s been through the ravages of hell.

Unfortunately, even the minimal glamour and competence of Guy was missing from the early proceedings, handled by assistant prosecutors Hausner and Lowrie. Hausner is dumpy and fortyish, Lowrie acned and younger, exceedingly nervous and unsure of himself in the courtroom to the point of driving even Hausner to frustration. As Ben Edmonds put it early on, “They look like a mother-and-daughter dish soap commercial.”

The contrast was often apparent during cross-examination of witnesses as well; Weinglass was his usual witty, nanchalant self while exhorting testimony from the placid Allen Ginsberg but Hausner, in a futile attempt to imitate Hamilton Burger (of Perry Mason fame), made a total ass of himself.

It was like cross-examining Buddha — Hausner rifled off absurd questions and colloquys like “I don’t think there’s a generation gap, only a Ginsberg gap.”; “Mr. Ginsberg, how many Sunday Schools have you visited in your travels? How many Boy Scout Troops have you talked with? How many veterans have you talked to who were injured while fighting in Viet Nam?” All this in an attempt to discredit Ginsberg as an expert on youth culture, a concept the government is doing its utmost to totally shun, avoid and deny. Indeed, when Ginsberg finally was certified as an expert by Keith, Hausner didn’t even deign to cross-examine him. (On the grounds that the youth culture doesn’t exist; needless to say, Hausner had only to turn around and face the spectators, or the defendants for that matter, to witness total contradiction.)

While Ginsberg needs no introduction to most readers, Bond and Vaughn are probably not as familiar. Julian Bond, 31, is a Black member of the Georgia State Legislature (which refused to seat him three times before finally compelled to do so by a Supreme

Court decision) and a co-founder of SNCC. He was, in 1968, the youngest man ever to be nominated for Vice-President, at the Democratic Convention in Chicago. He, too, was introduced as an expert on youth cind youth culture. Bond’s testimony was that youth does, in fact, constitute a class because of their societal definition and their own definitions. And that an elder (45 — the average age of juries in the Michigan District is 44) juror would have definite hostilities towards long-haired, or Black, members of this group.

Hausner, of course, countered by asking, “Mr. Bond, is it not true that a Black youth would also have certain hostilities towards the white establishment... or an FBI agent?” With a certain amount of premeditated glee, Bond quickly responded, “Oh, yes, sir.”

Jackie Vaughan, 33 and also Black, chairs the youth committee of the Michigan State Legislature. Thus his experience in that nebulous area known as “youth and youth culture.” He found in his research, according to testimony, that young citizens were eager to become involved in the political process. Therefore, he introduced a bill which would permit 18 year olds to assume voting and jury responsibilities in the state. (Bond, of course, comes from Georgia, where 18 year olds have held the vote for several years.) Though the bill was supported by both parties, labor unions, etc., it was defeated by a two to one majority 4n the fall elections. “There is a silent conspiracy against the young,” Vaughan testified, such that a jury made up of older people could not help but be prejudicial towards people like John, Pun and Jack.

Ginsberg’s testimony, however, was most colorful and interesting. “There is a pattern or body of thought amongst the youth,” he said, “A rediscovery of our mammalian bodies, our animal selves. Letting the body be natural, hair, discovery of color, vibrancy, return to order... to traditions of man’s natural style. A rediscovery of man’s natural style. A rediscovery of all that had been suppressed; love, anger,... sexuality. A realization that for the first time these animals, seeing the overpopulation of the world, had no Biblical (i.e., procreative) direction for thqir sexual needs . . . Once the body was discovered, mutual identity between souls was discovered, soul was discovered and at the same time, the destruction of the planet was discovered. Also, the system that perpetuates this alienation and destruction was discovered ... There is no life today that can expect a peaceful world at the end of the 20th century. And the youth, all those that will be around at the end of the 20th century, must be concerned. They reflect this in a distrust of the two-party-system, a hesitancy to register and to vote.” The cogency of this point is direct — jurors are supplied from a list of all registered voters at the time of the last Presidential election, thus effectively limiting all those under 23 from being able to serve as jurors this year.

As for the wiretap motions, these were legally as significant, in the long run. The government has admitted that Pun’s telephone conversation had been tapped. These taps, though executed without a warrant, were deemed (by the Justice Dept.) necessary and legal because of Attorney General John Mitchell’s affidavit which claimed that such taps were “necessary to protect national security.” The taps had been put into effect solely on Mitchell’s affidavit.

Though there is a long history of government wiretaps (dating back to World War II) without court orders — solely, that is, on the suspicions of the attorney general — these taps had always been used against foreign agents. The Supreme Court has made it quite clear in previous cases that such taps would be in violation of the Fourth Amendment if they were concerned with just domestic issues. In the Chicago 7 trial, Judge Julius Hoffman, had extended this doctrine to make taps legal when dealing with both foreign and domestic issues. Now Martha’s husband, the Attorney General, who has a considerably more insidious sense of humor than his wife, has gone a step further by asserting that merely upon his affidavit (without any court order) this doctrine can be extended to matters dealing with just domestic issues.

Mr. Kunstler pointed out that if the government is upheld, the Attorney General may tap anyone’s phone, anywhere, making the Fourth Amendment meaningless. But help seemed on the way ...three days before the hearing a California judge, on a ruling dealing with the same affidavit, said that “National security cannot be invoked to abridge the constitutional rights which the Attorney General is supposed to be upholding.”

Finally, on January 22nd,, Keith returned his rulings - the jury venire challenge was denied but the wiretap motion was upheld. The government immediately appealed to Circuit Court in Cincinnati and on February 9th the trial was indefinitely adjourned. The Cincinnati proceedings will take at least one month, in which time John is to be returned to Jackson, Jack is to be sent to Milan Federal Prison (where fellow fugitive aider Skip Taube, WPP Minister of Internal Affairs, is being held) and Pun will sweat it out in the Wayne County sty.

Because conditions are so abhorrent in the Wayne County prison (a series of articles in the daily Detroit Free Press, has led to a massive investigation of cases of people being held there before

conviction, as is Pun), the defense has moved that his hundred thousand dollar bail be lowered. It seems unlikely but at any rate there will be a hearing on this motion on Monday, February 15th. No decision had arrived at presstime however.

For John, Pun and Jack then, the two year old case is being extended at least another month. A strange case indeed^ the indictments were not handed down for a year after the bombings were supposedly committed, the deranged testimony of David Valler (who admits dropping acid in the aforementioned Wayne County Jail) is the only testimony the government has and the indictments were handed down, finally, oh the anniversary of Che Guevara’s death. Sinclair found, out about them on the radio in Marquette Prison, Jack was rousted out of bed by a covey of Secret Service men, as he lay in pain with a broken pelvic bone and Pun took it on the lam, eventually rising to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List. Had he not been apprehended so stupidly in July, the case might not have come to trial — but perhaps it won’t be.

It would seem likely that the Supreme Court will rule against the government on the wiretap motion and it seems unlikely they would decline to hear a case of such constitutional importance. If Bill Kunstler is right in what he told these reporters, in that case the government would drop the charges rather than show the wiretap transcripts.

It all seems feasible — John is safely away for another seven or eight years, Jack for up to five and Pun faces a myriad of other charges, including the recently added one of possessing falsified draft cards — two counts, of five years each. It would hardly seem likely that the government would risk much on such a nebulous case.

At any rate, it should be at least six more months before the trial begins and in that period a lot can happen. Further developments will be logged in these pages and until then, we might leave you with a quote from the White Panther’s Ten Point Program:

“9. WE WANT THE FREEDOM OF ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS OF WAR HELD IN FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY AND CITY JAILS AND PRISONS. WE WANT THEM RETURNED TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AT ONCE.”

Dave Marsh and Kenny Fink