Can a girl from South Jersey who once sported a Rod Stewart haircut, ripped t-shirt, blackleather skintight pants and spit out angry rock and roll poems find happiness as a torch singer crooning "I Get A Kick Out Of You" in black and white satin in some of New York City's finer gay boites? Well. . . more than merely riding on the bandwagon of a new elegance, or chasing in On the camp nostalgia bit, Patti Smith seems honestly determined to expand her range. Or perhaps reach more people by incorporating some influences that have been with her all along. Maybe she even wants — at last — to have a Real Career, with a capital C.

I mean how long could she go on performing for free at the Judson Memorial Church? Granted^ there's always been that outlaw image associated with Patti's art — her lifestyle, her looks; but now it would seem that she's settled into something a little more — I think the word is accessible. .. She tried out some of the new stuff at Le Jardin over a month ago and people were skeptical. There's been talk of doing the Continental Baths, and a few weeks ago Patti performed for one night only at Reno Sweeney's — a club previously noted for presenting the talents of all the exffarlettes.

The night at Reno Sweeney's proved that what Patti is doing right now is very interesting — and for those of us who have Watched her for the past few years — important as well. Although it was said that she was tired, she looked fabulous - dressed simply in a black satin pantsiiit and elegant white satin blouse. She moved comfortably through a variety of musical changes; seemed at ease with herself even in a black feather boa and not at all self-conscious about her material. Mixed in with some of her poems were "Speak Low" — and the tribute to Ava Gardner and "One Touch Of Venus" that went with it; Cole Porter's "I Get A Kick Out Of You," dedicated to Frank Sinatra, who Patti described as the "Picasso of America." Yes indeed.

Backed again by Lenny Kaye, Patti sang a slow, sexy version of Hank Ballard's "Annie Had A Baby" which should — (although I can't decide between that and her fabulous "Jesse, James") be the single...

The last time there was a big push for Patti to record she voluntarily withdrew from all the excitement that was created around her. Maybe she's vulnerable enough under all the toughness to have been scared, or perhaps she did the only proper thing for her survival as an underground artist. But she certainly seems ready now, without giving up anything. Her voice is real good, although it could be stronger on the ballads; she seemed hesitant to give them the energy she puts into her poems. But that's not the point. Patti has always been an amazing woman to look at; her personality is without doubt an arresting one. As long as she can avoid the trap of falling into the trashy camp grabbag and pulling out such lines as "Isn't this sleeeeezzzy???" she'll be just fine. We need women of experience to sing songs that were written for women of experience, who can command respect onstage, and give energy to an audience. Patti Smith is all of that, and one of the true originals now in a scene that is more than full of Bette Midler ripoffs.

See, the point is that the "New Elegance" does not mean dozens of five towns refugees done up in black drag singing songs they can't possibly mean. The whole return to elegance thing is being picked up by people who couldn't have possibly been there in the first place. It's being choked by Bloomingdales and other department stores all over the country who are now hyping flash with trash or whatever they're calling if -tango palace boutiques... All those silver turbans and diamante studded t-shirts aren't even? good for a giggle anymore. I personally applaud people wanting to get their act together, or dressing up, and I'd rather sit in an intimate saloon with a drink in my hand for three dollars than the last row in the Spectrum for five any day. .. but it's a matter of taste. And that's what has been overlooked in this massive rush to give glamour its fifteen minutes of fame.

It would be far more meaningful to go and see someone like Bobby Short or Blossom Dearie or Mabel Mercer who are all — thank god — alive and well and doing what they've been doing as professionals for all these years. They're respected artists, skilled at their craft, and they're doing the real thing for the right reasons. It's not Ellen Green or Gail Kan tor or Lee Horwin or Marilyn Sokol or any of the other campy singers who are crawling out of the woodwork. .. (really, did this happen after Streisand made it big???) — that's not elegance, it's farce. It's the difference between the David Bowie TV Special which tried to be a tacky, campy show and was a dreadful bore and the Sinatra Special which featured the old guy doing only what he does best — sing, and was a calm delight. (Oh, I can hear the screams already...) But really — it's an insult to all those people. .. Noel Coward and Cole Porter or George Gershwin or whoever. .. to give their songs a quick toss of the head as part of a joke that really isn't very funny. What makes Patti Smith special is that when she sings these songs, somehow it rings true. And even in this age of instant and throwaway media, there have to be some things that should remain real to be appreciated.

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... And what was CREEM's own Ben Edmonds doing in Hollywood dressed to the nines in a black skintight sweater appliqued with rhinestones, black satin pants and a jacket lined with fake leopard fur that Loraine Alterman swore she saw that day in Fredrick's?? The night before at the party for The Who Edmonds was a study in studs — they were all over his denim pantsuit, causing Richard Robinson to advise him not to go near any strong magnets... At Disneyland now they're telling you that any clothing is cool — except you must wear shoes and you can't have any "controversial patches on your clothing." Lenny Kaye removed the "Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life" patch just in case.. . Fat in the Fire Retraction: Earl McGrath just wants to say that he loved the Pointer Sisters and he thinks they're, very cute and he loves the way they sing and he loved Bob's party. .. Bob Rolontz summed Bette Midler up the best opening night of the Palace gig when he said, "she doesn't belong to us anymore, she belongs to the world".. . All New York is agog with anticipation whether 1) Dylan will wear glitter on this tour and 2) if Lou Reed will make it down the ramp when he performs at the Academy of Music... Meanwhile, with the whole industry hysterical about records and the vinyl shortage, what about all those poor S&M freaks?