ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

Marty Balin has left the Jefferson Airplane for good. He’ll now work with Grootna, a fine West Coast band who were integrally involved in the whole Masked Marauders hoax. They even close their set with “I Can’t Get No Nookie.” (Do ya think people will write in and ask what the Masked Marauders were?)

Lebanese barbers are now shaving ALL the hair off long-haired customers who ask for a trim Sorry, fellas, if it didn’t become a fad when John and Yoko cut all theirs off, it never will.

Polydor has signed soul star James Brown to a “long term contract”, ending his long association with King Records. The “hardest working man in show business” is off for an African tour in October, as well.

Billy Preston has signed to A&M. You remember him, no doubt, from the very famous single he did called “Get Back” with a bunch of British insects.

The U.S. Supreme Court has turned down Beach Boy Carl Wilson’s draft appeal case. Wilson had asked for a hearing, on the Selective Service’s order to serve as an orderly in L.A. County Hospital for two years.

Wilson refused (see Toby Mamis Beach Boys story elsewhere in this issue), offering as an alternative several programs he thought would better suit his abilities: musical appreciation classes, music training, personal appearances by the Beach Boys. But the SS has apparently chosen to ignore his request, and insists that he become a hospital orderly.

The appeal was partially based on the fact that the U.S. District Court could not possibly have rendered a fair verdiet, since it only took them 15 minutes to render a verdict despite Wilson’s lengthy brief.

Whilp Carl’s legal status is unclear at this point (he could be given up to five years in prison in the case), he is “not giving up” on his draft battle.

Jeff Beck will be back on Epic soon. The ex-Yardbird, after two years of inactivity, has apparently formed a new, non-super star (except for himself that is) combo.

Paul Williams, an original Temptation and lead singer for the group ever since Eddie Kendricks split, has now left that Motown monster and will record and perform as a solo act. The Tempts still haven’t found a permanent replacement for Kendricks lead tenor role, either.

Dig this: the Fifth International Dew Worm Races were held August 7 th in Ryder, British Columbia. The worms were raced along a seven foot track. What is the meaning of this?

Vice President Agnew’s news secretary said that whoever said that Spiro would be dropped from the Nixon ticket in 1972 was “operating in abysmal ignorance,” The little snot.

In yet another Agnewism, Congressman William Clay (D—Mo.), referring to Spiro’s critical comments about black leaders, called Agnew’s remarks, “a game ... mental masturbation.” He added that Agnew is “an intellectual sadist who experiences intellectual orgasms by attacking, humiliating and kicking the oppressed.”

When Gerald Ford, House Minority Leader (R—Mi.)' told him to apologize and remove his statements from the Congressional Record (all of the above having taken place on the floor of Congress, mind you), Clay refused and added that Ford “suffered" from the same disease as Agnew.” Right, as they say, on.

The living Theatre has been popped in Brazil. American director, Julian Beck, his wife Judith Malina, and fifteen other troupers were jailed in Belo Horizonte, Brazil in mid-July on charges of possessing and trafficking in — what else? — marijuana.

Denying the charges, Beck sent out word to friends like John and Yoko, Mick Jagger, Jean Genet, Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol appealing for funds and assistance. But! it looks like the Becks may find themselves spending the entire summer and the best part of the fall in the Brazilian slammer.

Beck, however, seems to have things under reasonable control. “The prison is very primitive,” he told newsmen, “but even so, I think we could-create theatre in it.”

The next Firesign Theatre album is to be called I Think We’re All Bozo’s on This Bus. Which may or may not be connected to a famous song by Iggy and the Stooges, “Good-bye Bozos.” Don’t forget, you read it here first.

Teagarden and Van Winkle (“God Love and Rock and Roll”) and Bob Seger (“Lucifer”, “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man”, a slew of others) have formed a new group, STK (Seger, Dave Teagarden and Skip “Van Winkle” Knape). Their show is to open with Seger, acoustically, then build to a three man unamplified show, climaxed by a third set of high energy rock arid roll.

T&V had a pair 1 of interesting, though non-commercial, lps out on Atco, before their move to Westbound with ‘‘God Love And Rock And Roll”, while Seger, a'sort of Midwestern John Fogerty, has had innumerable Michigan hifs and a couple of medium-big ones on Capitol, over, the last five years. The group i$ releasing records individually and as STK; the TV ones will be issued on Westbound, the Seger on Capitol and Westbound gets STK, which will be distributed by Capitol.

This is the October issue of CREEM/ Mick and Bianca Jagger are expecting a baby this month. That has nothing to do with why proud pappa is oh the cover. (We don’t think.)

Terry Knight and Grand Funk purchased two polar bears for the City of New York’s Central Rark Zoo. They cost about $12,000! The new bears replace one that had to be shot some time ago.

Mark Farner, the Funk’s guitarist, has a couple of’projects going, tpo. One is purchasing trash cans for his hometown, Flint, Michigan, the other helping produce — and writing for — an underground paper in the same city.

Jean-Luc Godard, the French revolutionary filmmaker, is reported on his way back to health. Godard was seriously injured when he was thrown from a motorcycle he was riding with another member of his Dziga Vertov filmmaker’s collective.

The new Godard flick, Tout Va Bien will premiere on January 15th; it stars Jane Fonda and Yves Montand. The film has been made in both French and English, with production, in France. Tout Va Bien is supposed to be a ‘‘look at revolutionaries today”,* says Variety.

Several other Godard films haye been prepared to be shown“outside regular film ehannel$,’v These films;,; also made with the Dziga Vertov group (apparently as study, pieces for the rest of the collective) include titles on Czechoslavkia after :i|^;;lRussian invasion in 1968, El Fatahj the Arab guerilla movement,,strikes in prance and g look at the United States.

Assault and battery charge^ against Jane1 F^»hdav hay^^Beeh dropped in Cleveland: Sheuwas arrestgd last November 3rd for possessions of pills*which. turned out to be highly^lbgia(’-after all, and got popped for kickingtk cop in the process.

Abbie and Anita Hoffman had their first child, a boy, inflate July; they named him america (small a, of course, no k, obviously). Wohder when Jerry Rubin’ll have his? , ;

A National Institute , of Mental Health report, published in Medical World News, has come, to the conclusion that “marijuana is less harmful than tobacco, non-addictivfe and, in some cases, can be use4|o combat physical ailments.”. ; - M'-*'

Now that we’ve .caught up, medically, to the ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Indians, maybe our good doctors can help us get’ our friends out Of jail?

Two Monroe County, Ohio freaks (James and Connie Eye) were given 20-40 year sentences in mid-July for sales of marijauna. That’s the maximum penalty for dealing, plus an additional five years for “maintaining a house frequented by narcotics users.”

Sheriff F. L. Sulsberger called the sentence, “A real break for law enforcement officials in Eastern Ohio. It’s hardly the same kind of break for the couple’s two year old child. ,'

United Artists, in a killer move to change their" corporate image, pulled off a UA Concert at the Hollywood Bowl June 30th, that sold the place out. Part of the reason may have been the UA acts present — the show included Canned Heat, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sugarloaf and ^ar — but you can bet it had a lot to dp. witbf the 99 cent price tag on the event.

The only drag gf’as that, while the concert had been advertised as a “no reserved seat’' affair, UA had roped off the closest box seats for 1300 celebrities. The crowd (described as “18,000 young punks the type commonly found at Grand Funk Railroad concerts” in one report -~ what did they expect, dope dealers?) decided they weren’t going to,, stand for that, and stormed down upon the hallowed boxes. They were finally extricated when UA officials threatened them with cancellation of the show. It didn’t prevent the kids from ripping the place up during Canned Heat’s set though. (What’s that someone said about the “spirit of the people being stronger than the man’s technology?”)

U.S. Embassies all over Europe have reportedly been swamped all summer by freeks asking, for money, and shelter. The bizarros are mostly students, who went to Europe youth-fare, underestimated their expenses and ran out of bread, according to news reports.

All the kids usually get is an offer to call their parents *% collect. The number of .requests for aid is reported as about 10 to 15% higher in London than last year, and 100% higher than five years ago; other embassies also report ■ increases.. I

“We’re not hard-hearted,” a London Embassy spokesman said, “but we get a little callous because there is no money we can make available on this basis eVep though they are U.S. citizens.”

The idea, obviously, is that one doesn’t go to Europe unless he can afford *it upfront, or he knows how to hustle real well. (Does Steal This Boole apply to Europe? Let us know.)

The city council of Copenhagen is bewildered by young freeks. Trouble is, the expected summertime invasion never materialized; the council had expected 200,000 and only 4,000 nonnative hippie-types showed, despite the presen ce of two Special camps established in June. Part of the problem is a recent crackdown by police on drugusers, part refusal to permit entry to long hairs, and part may be due to the economic squeeze.

Further south on the Continent, the Isle of Ibiza has added 57; more “touristas” to the infamous Spanish jails, after a raid conducted as part of a Campaign against drugs and sexual permissiveness. Franco’s Spain is currently dedicated to stamping out “unhealthy influences from abroad” (as long as the unhealthy persops don’t have cash).

What item that doesn’t have a snide comment in this hews column should have?