ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

Karen Carpenter on Mott The Hoople: "I didn't know who they were, but I thought they were the most amateurish group I'd ever seen. And as for that thing with the hair and shades and the boots..." Richard Carpenter: "They seemed to be trying to outdo each other to see who looked the weirdest. 'They're a jpke." I guess they haven't seen the New York Dolls yet. So at this magazine's expense, two tickets to the next Dolls" LA performance will be forwarded to the charm twins. Or maybe we should let them review the next llawkwind album...

A new Monty Python movie, to be called Monty Python's Holy (hail, will be shot this summer and premtdred in Oclober. Among the financial backers for the jjj|j project: Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

"1 Wish 1 Never Saw The Sunshine," the new Ronettes single, has-an old story behind it. Seems the original version is one of 20 or more vintage Ronettes tracks whu-h Phil Spector has never seen fit In release, and has long been (along with "Walking In The Rain") Ronnie Sped or's favorite effort. Having bitched unsuccessfully to her husband to release the prig for years now, ' Ronnie finally went back into the studio and cut a new version of the Jeft Barry/I Hie Greenwich/P. : Spector tune. The resulting single is nice, but we'd still prefer to hear the original. And while you're af it, Sir. Phil, how "bout ■ making good on your promise t6 j make the whole Ronettes catalogue available to your > , humble (nml patient) public once again.

Despite Gregg Allman's claim that "we lawsuited that one right out . of existence." it appears that the Bold Records Duane & Gregg Allman album will soon be available again, this time with a special four-color cover.

The Japanese are readying another assault on the US of A, though this one is of a cultural nature. They've got three carbon copy rock groups leaflBKHHHB unleashed: the Sadistic Mika Band, who perform Led Zep/Pink Floyd material; the Finger Five, a take-off on the Osmonds: and the Bad Boys, whose repertoire consists entirely of old Beetle numbers. But don't bother to call us. fellas, pn til you've got a Rising Sun version of the Sloogcs to offer. ,.

It'll be interesting to see how big a concession 1o rock & loll the resurrected Your Hit Parade I V series will make. Personally, well settle for nothing less than seeing the Dolls perform "Stranded In The Jungle," or at least some Grand bunk "Loco-Motion."

The Bruce Johnston/Terry Melclier group called California, which you've seen speculation about often in these pages, may at long last have finalized a (teal with RCA. If so, it will entail production commitments above jj and beyond that one group. The .J deal might also include a Bruce Johnston solo album, which Elton John wanted for his Rocket Records at one time. The reason $ it never happened on Rocket?""He's so lazy," reported Elton, With a smile. Considering that we've been relaying info on the project for well over 18 months, wVK.i%|Sled tarffiree "with EJ.

Linda Ronstadt has been back iiy the sfcidio lately* beginning wcttk , on her second Asylum album. Producing has be$& Eowell H George, ex-leader of Little Feat, \ and that seems like a migHty line combo tauvl

Viv Stanshall, who is appearing in this month's r&r news forthe second time, is hard at work helping out with some lyrics for the next Traffic album (which . looks likely tb be released on Asylum in this country. part of the deal by which Island got. rights to Bob Dylan product in ! the UK).

Atlantic Records recorded a recent English gig by Bill Haley & the Comets for possible future release.

EJ: Is this the prototype for the *74 athelete? I

Aside from investing a goodly chunk of cash Watford "Football Club, Elton John played abenefitebneert atthe soccer team'shame stadium (capacity 36,000) and donated all the proceeds to the gang. He , . previewed material from his forthcoming album, Old Hnk Eyes Is Back, and was seconded on rite bin by Rod Stewart (minus rite Faces).

lap Maclagen, having become bored with the Faces current period of relative inactivity, may be helping Chris Jagger out with an album and possibly a touring jjj band. Hjl

As we've informed you in bits and pieces over the pa# tew months, < all five members, of Yea will have I solo albums (hopefully) by the endppfhe year. Rick Wakeman, of course, already has two big noriptes Ih hia sblo belt, but the » ■ others § Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire and even drummer Alan White — will be •taking a three-month tueak ihom each otheriftH summer complete their various projects. During that rime, Wakeman will,:'';;; be producing two British bands who've caught his fancy, ; Warhorse and Wally.

Rober Calvert, former leac of Hawkwind will Shortly j solo album released, Titled ; Captain Lockheed And Starfighters, it features the auxiliary talents* of Such as Arthur Brown, Eno, Viv Stanshall and Jim Capaldi. A stage show based pn the album is in the works, to which some of the same luminaries may contribute.

le produce the next ?ice album? Stay tuned. 1

Stones bassist Bill Wyman has taken it upon himself to catalogue extensive a history of his band I as he's able. If you have any tapes of jearly Stones, regardless offheir, sound quality, he'd like to know about them. (Later years are rwell-represented with bootlegs You can wilBB«ri c/o CREEM.

Would somebody please clear up this nasty business curreiifiy going ground about David Bowie and t Mick Ronson resorting Wji fisticuffs a Utoe^f the latter's solo British gjgs,5ffe record/ jPjBjBi ers

Ex-Ryid tambourine genius Gene Clark, who's , fine-but-neglected solo ihusic over i the last few years, Jg atit again,, fids time with Thomas Jefferson g Kaye prc^hcto^j&i.

who struck atjl Yes" recent Dong Beach (Calif.) concert (see pic in last month's. Beat Goes On section) was paid $100 by the group's management to do the deed. (It might be added that left that same hundred smackers, plus airfare and 11 accomodations, you can have the CREEM staffmember of your local church, social or civic group. / Offer void Whenever we feel like WM ■

On the comeback trail are Santo F|& Johnny Who^Sfcfly" niajor hit R"^tedf decade to see ' the return of Mary "My Guy" Wells, who's being produced by , Jtob^Woinajefc, to-betwe$n IS sessions for the reformed Valentinos.'

After a two year hbsenceYrom the concert circuit, Eric Clapton will be ■bach on tour this.Sttnuuer.

And John Cale is producing jjjjj Silverhead, a band who could make some big noise if their records ever catch up with tKpht jj live sound. The first collaboration of the two parties was a verion of Otis Redding's "Lbye^dj>£p|| which bounds like a good enough place to1 start.

ifgx V'JMHHM And Cale himself has just •completed the soundtrack for aj| film called Caged Heat. He describes it as "a Roger Corman . "B" movie, about women'in It's mostly "about brain transplant experiment pn the inmates." The film will be debtft#S at Cannes, as will MM st£M | lovely Miss Pamela and Siherhc.idl singer Michael Des Barres. 11 World.

L-Ca^aiats ] involvements album has gone by the boards. "She's hot very happy with me at the moment. I tried and failed to get her a record deal, and she screamed at me, and told me® wasn't doing anything. But Louis (Reed) is gonna have her sing some at his-spngs, and tiiat^l' v= work! It'll sell just on the strength of Louis" name." Maybe so, but we still feel il would be an added plus were Cale to produce it.

Would you hchcve that Junior ' Walker has turned down an • ^invitation tp become a member of Humble We? Tis true, audit's I one #f the many anecdotes that will be explored at feature-length in an upcoming issue of this rag.

Reports have it that Tina Turner was mightily pissed off when she saw the entry to Guy Peellaert's fabulous Rock Dreams (see review lift this issue) which depicted her as an apron-imprisoned housewife, When spouse Ike saw the painting and went into immediate faugh convulsions, however, (he subject was dropped..V

Cashman & West, producet pf the late Jim Cfdce| have a ,concept Which they're sure will appeal to the glitter crowd: "We're gonna get an apt called Sacrifice. All the j girls who come to the show are % given numbers and at the end, the star will pick out a nuhfber - and that girl wilf be sacrificed! What gonna die, th in to die for their heiol" MMM

Having completed an album (No'Pussyfooting^m together, it. now appears fhat Eno and Robert FripRare'engaging toil what Mr. Fripp refers^ tp as in. "extra-musical partnership." What he means is that the terrible two are investigating (he possibilities of the noble gigolo profession. The whole thing apparently started when Enp "entered into a fairly clase fejationship" with an aging millionaire's wife while the, two of them were th residence at a London hospital. Fnp'for \-v treatmehjjof a collapsed lung;|| You'll have all the luriddetailsas: they develop,..

Not long ago, head Kink Ray Dafvies wrote Vincent Price a fan "letter. Price then rang Davies up and said "Raymond, how are |S$tjj? Dojpifh wanna produce my jRay said'sute, So if it comes off, (he albunfwijtbe recorded in America,with Vince reading the great bkrds to musical gettings provided by Ray. f§).