ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

Sad news but true: Grin, a band on nearly every critic’s list for superstardom,has broken up. But reliable rumors have leader Nils Lofgren sliding into a solo project that will involve all the people who’ve helped him out over the years (among them Neil Young, Crazy Horse and Steve Stills). And what’s David Geffen doing over there in the corner, licking his lips?

Henry McCulloch, who split from Wings awhile back, has assembled a new group called Druth. Joining the guitarist/vocalist will be another former Winger, drummer Denny Siewell, plus ex-Spooky Tooth bassist Chrissie Stewart and pianist Mick Weaver. McCartney, by the way, has been insinuating of late that McCulloch was dismissed because he had a habit of showing up for gigs with too much alcohol on his breath.

The Tubes, an ultra-outrageous San Francisco band whose stage act makes full use of various vegetables, animals and loaves of Wonder Bread, so impressed Yes people Rick Wakeman and Chris Squire that some kind of future assistance is not unthinkable. As our reports have if, what clinched their admiration was the band’s stellar version of Gene Pitney's “Town Without Pity.”

Cozy Powell, in the clouds following the international success of “Dance With The Devil,” has disbanded Bedlam so thaf he can be free to chase his star as the 70s Sandy, Nelson. On that turf, however, he might just run into some stiff competition courtesy of New York Dolls’ drummer Jerry Nolan.

Aside from trying td pull together the proposed Wings tour, Paul McCartney has found time for couple of outside projects. First Paul produced an album for his brother Mike McGear (above), and then dropped in on a Peggy Lee (!) session to help her out with the McCartney tunes she’s cutting for her new Atlantic album.

Diamond Smut Dept: It seems that the Bowie “Diamond Dogs” CREEMmate we ran two issues' back is ever more ot a collector’s item than we’d originally envisioned. RCA, nervous about certain parts of Bowie’s doggie anatomy, announced that the Guy Peellaert painting/aibum cover would be released with a strategically-placed sticker covering the offensive parts. But when the album appeared, those parts had been magically airbrushed into oblivion. To get a copy of the uncensored vertinHH sec the Back Issues page elsewhere in this issue.

Not “skirts that flirt,” not “thigh high," not available.

Cultural hero Bryan Ferry, having taken us on a sentimental joufrify with These Foolish Things, is at it again. The Roxy Music leader has completed a second album of interpretations, this one called Another Time. Another Place, featuring “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and a positively thrilling version of “The In Crbwd.”

At a recent London concert, Kevin Ayers got a helping hand from some prestigious friends: Eno, John Cale, and Nico. Each of them did a solo set and then joined toegether at the end on one glorious celebration of weirdness. Eno, by the way, is serving as executive producer of Cale’s latest album, which also features: thp considerable talents. of Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera.

Dave Edmunds, legendary British hitmaker/ producer, is set to hit the road for the first time since 1972. Backing him will be Brinsley Schwarz, approaching legendary status on their own. Richie Wise. Wise, the band's guitarist/singer, will confine himself to production this time out, however, so if you know of somebody who plays a mean guitar and can sing too...

Golden Earring have.encountered similar problems with their Moontan album cover, which feeatured a near-nude young lovely in full feather drag. Reacting to righteous rackjob outrage, MCA Records hastily whipped, up an alternative, which features an car and (what else did you expect) an earring.

Roger Daltrey: “There s not been many gigs I’ve enjoyed since Quadrophenia. I’m going into our gigs now with a completely different frarats of mind; we all are. It’s a feeling we haven’t had since before Tommy. We just want to have some fun.” This seems to substantiate the rumor that the next Who album will be called High Numbers, and will consist of old, tunes the band did when they performed in the early 60s under that name.

The giant British music festival staged by the Who recently (the invited performers including Humble Pie, Lou Reed, the Sweet, Maggie Bell, Bad Company, Lindisfarne and Pave Mason) has gotten bids for repeat performances: in America, Europe, Autralia, Brazil and Japan. “The offers are firm," reported a spokesman from Track Records, “and we’re giving them serious consideration.”

Bassist Tim Bogert has termed it "highly unlikely ” that either he or drummer Carmine Appice would ever play again with Jeff Beck, which would seem to sound the death knell for BB&A. Bogert and Appice, however, intend to remain together, and recent discussions with Robin Trower might develop into something. In the meantime, they’ve got a proposed original Vanilla Fudge reunion to sort out, which (if it happens) will be produced by Shadow Morton, who did the honors first tune around.

Also in for a possible return engagement is Dust, the fine heavy metal outfit that spawned ace producers Kenny Kerner and Morrison has titled his upcoming album Beedon Flgece. Huh? "Don’t ask me,” says Van, “I don’t know what the hell it means.”

The justifiably infamous Troggs, poised on the verge of a major comeback for as long as we can remember, am out of action once again. Fighting broke out at the conclusion of one of their college gigs, and though they retreated to their dressing room, the door was broken down .and they were attacked by Hell’s Angels. Among the injuries: guitarist Richard, Moore was stabbed in the lung, Reg Presley suffered a broken nose, Ronnie Bond was stabbed in the heck, and Tony Murray was gashed by a-broken bottle.

You can expect a Chicago teevee special sometime in the fall. Titled Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch, it will be filmed at the Caribou Ranch in Colorado and will feature the band playing, tiding around on hruses, eating natural foods and enjoying... the... rocky... mountain. zzzzz. . . zzz. . .

Back in the studio (at long last) is John Sebastian, with Eric Jacobsen (who produced the, Lovin’ Spoonful) at the helm. On the basis of recent live performances, it appears that Sebastian has renamed his fnagic touch, the album should be worth looking out for.

Look out lan Hunter: Over the years, Ray Davies has been keeping a diary on fife with the Kinks, whichbe will publish in book form once the band folds. According to one source, it won’t be long ai all before that book is published.

Word comes to us that several hospitals have banned airings of Terry Jacks’ “Seasons In The Sun.” claiming “the references to death are not considered in the patients’ best interests."

Deep Purple’s Jon Lord has been commissioned to write theme and incidental music for a British TV scries about Will Adams, the first and onh Westerner to join the Samurai.

Geri Miller, ample-ex-Warhol superstar featured In last month's Beat Goes On, is back again, this fronting a band called Ahgel. Her songs inciude/Topless Dancer Blues,” and of the contemporary rock scene Ms. Miller had this to say: ‘The rock stars who are trying to give a bisexual feeling to fheir audience are afraid of a real raunchy sexy gitl singer like me."

Steve Paul, manager of the Winter Brothers and Rick Derringer, is a well-known blue junkie. Clothes, furniture, anything.... as long as if s blue. So when he happened by the Rizzoli Art Gallery in New work and saw a limited edition Jean Colreau with three blue " J eyes, he flipped. B.ut idlSmABaH inquired as to its pricetag, he was ^informed that the painting had" already been purchased by «one Mr. Elton John. Whereupon Steve immediately dashed off a note to j Elton, explaining that the,;work*;1-d held special significance for . * . him... and so few things these £» days special significance forI him. Elton, ever the gentleman, graciously withdrew his bid.

Imu You know those ■ adveitised-on-LV records that consist of cheapo versions of the hits9 Well they have those in Bigland as well, and among the Struggling musicians who were at one time reduced to this kind of work were Mton John and Uriah Heep’s lead singer Dave Byron. As hinted at in last month's Eleganza, David Bowie is set to produce a film based on the antj-Kremlin cartoon strip Ocfobriana, which has been published in Western book form following ifs official banishment in’the Soviet Union. S tarring "Will j be Amanda Lear, who once / ■ boasted jto Lou Reed that she was ’“(lie real Nieo.”

Johnny Cash is being sued by an ex-folsom Prison inmate who alkies Invasion Of Privacy on the, grounds that Cash used his name and prjson number on the live album recorded at the prison.., 1

Here’s a Charming little story, fraught with deep meaning, from Ray Davies: T wa«. >.randing at a ' bar tihe other day, and a guy came up to me and said ‘Ray, I like/ } your songs, you know I think you’re a very under-rated songwriter, a poet really/ dramatic pause - “So J hit him _ over ifie head with a beer bottle.”

Moby Grape, one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the 60s, may be on their way to second comeback bid (tliev tried, ‘ once before, m 7 Dvikfb'disastrous results). Led by originate''1 $ members Peter Lewis, Jerry Miller and Bob Mosley, they played a “one night onlv ” gig at Sail (ranciseo\ Great American Music / Hall, but it r^entjitf wfcft. that’they* may try and repeal its success in’the future.