THE BEAT GOES ON

THE BEAT GOES ON

Dylan Rides A Hurricane

This is the story of a hurricane,

A man the authorities came to blame,

For something that he never done,

Put in a prison cell;

But one time he could have been the champion of the world.

—“Hurricane,” B. Dylan

Bob Dylan almost spat the words out in the studio of Chicago public television WTTW before a sleepy crowd of less than 200 at 2 a.m. on a Thursday morning.

The song was a new one, fresh from the sessions for his new album. The band, which backed Dylan on the album, was also a new one: Rob Rothstein, bass; Howard Wyeth, drums; Donna Shea, fiddle. The feel was familiar, though.

At first it sounded as though the instrumental infro was leading into “All Alopg the Watchtower,” but when Dylan began singing, it became a raging protest of racial injustice, a la “George Jackson.” However, the facts of this case were clear public knowledge — how middleweight boxer Rubin (Hurricane) Carter had been framed, or so many think, for a triple murder by. racist police and Dylan simply told the whole horrible story in chronological detail, similar to the way he described “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.”

All of Rubin’s cards were marked in advance,

The trial was a pig circus, he didn’t have a chance.

The drums carried a firm beat, punctuated by shots that jangled the song, the fiddle moaned betweeh verses, the bass throbbed and Dylan played frantic rhythm guitar and occasionally cried out on mouthharp to match the edge in his voice as he sang.

To the white folks who watched, he was a revolutionary bum, And to the black folks he {vas just a crazy nigger,

No one doubted that he pulled the trigger.

Dylan seemed to be singing not to the audience, but to hitnself, or maybe to Rubin Carter out there in his mind’s eye.' He had visited Carters in prison, although the stories conflict about whether he sang Carter the song or whether the visit inspired the song. Buttft was certain that the Carter case had stirred up some of Dylan’s old-time fury from civil rights marching days. It Can’t help but make you be ashamed,

To live in a land where justice is a game.

The reason for Dylan’s performance was ostensibly to pay tribute to John Hammond, the Columbia A & R man who signed him, although Dylan didn’t acknowledge Hammond, who was sitting in front of him flanked by Goddard Lieberson and Jerry Wexler, or anyone else in the studio. Part of the reason may have bebn because Dylan had apparently been sleeping on an office couch somewhere in the building while the earlier portion of the program was being taped and had been aroused just prior to performing. His hairscratching and eye-rubbing seemed to confirm this.

The taping was for 4 a Soundstage program that will be broadcast over the Public Television Network sometime in December. Among the musicians and others sitting - in • on “This Is Your Life”-type discussions and some hot jamming were Benny Goodman, George Benson, Helen Humes, Marion Williams, Sonny Terry, John Hammond Jr., Joe Jones., Mitch Miller, Red Norvo, T&ddy Wilson, Benny Carter, Milt Hinton and> ♦ Benny Morton, all of whom Hammond either discovered or produced. In addition, film clips showed Hammond-connected singers Bessie Smith and Billie Holliday.

The Dylan segment came last, and much of the packed audience that was there for the start of the taping had left. It was probably Dylan’s smallest audience since Hammond signed him, but it might as NEW YORK - In certain parts of the Empire State, getting behind the wheel of at car is almost synonymous with committing suicide. Perhaps in recognition of the fact, the State’s Motor Vehicle Bureau has now begun asking all licensed drivers to Vindicate their preferred methods of corpse disposal.

Do The Strangle!

What you do is 1) buy a copy of anyj Sparks album; 2) slap side one on the t urntable set at max, and 3) remain in the room. Then there's nothing to itl Within no time your best friends will approach you with murder in their eyes, grab you about the neck and begin to throttle afnd vollal You're doin' the stranglel This photo, snapped at one of New York's most celebrated bi-sexual discos shows just how much fun it can be. (Note smile on face of man in black suit, note lack of smile on partner.)

Hot Rods To Hell

Beginning this fall, all persons obtaining new licenses or renewing old ones are being issued special wallet-sized “donor cards” which permit them four

well have been empty for all the attention he paid them.

After Lieberson introduced Dylan, the band went right into “Hurricane” without a word. Then there was a short interlude for sorqe tuning, and Dylan said quietly, “I want to dedicate this to someone out there watching tonight I know. She knows who she is.” He was talking to the TV cameras, not to ainyone in the room. There was a whisper J among Dylanites and Columbia press people: Was this the song called “Sarah” on the pew album that was alleged to deal with his marital difficulties. It sounded like “Girl from the North Country” at the start, but it turned out to be “Oh, Sister,” which was indeed about hassles with a woman: “Oh sister, whenJ come to lie in your arms/You should not treat me like a stranger.” The song was a gentle but firm warning with a religious overtone, and the fiddle and harp played a melancholy romantk>theme.

Next came a familiar number, “Simple Twi^t of Fate,” but done in a grittier

options, should they die on the highway. A driver may authorize donation of any medically needed body parts or organs; authorize donation of the entire body for research; or leave the card blank and be disposed of in the usual way.

Room has been provided on the card, according to State Motor Vehicle Commissioner James P. Melton, for each driver to note “any limitations . or special wishes.”

Happy motoring.

Jeff Burger

style than the version on “Blood on the Tracks.” After this, there was some discussion among Dylan and the band members, and then he announced, more to the TV technicians than to anyone else, “We’re going to do the first song over, OK?” The second version of “Hurricane” was even more hard

Amboy Duke Letslt Bleed

JACKSON, MICH. -“Nothin’ like a little snort of elk blood to1 get the old strato casting!” says Ted Nugent, one of the world’s few remaining nonvegetarian , rock stars. Ted’s penchant for stalking, killing, ' butchering, and eating his pwn meat on the spot is well known, as'is his fervent stand against booze, drugs, and “going

and biting than the first, and when it was over, Dylan walked off without another word. He did look back once when a loud “Aw” arose from the audience. He scratched his head a laist time, then left the studio, trailed by the band.

Bruno Stein

all the way” before marriage. This plasma quaffing is a new twist however. “Some dupes gimme Dracula shit,” the World’s Hungriest Guitarist claims, “but there ain’t no way I’d drink people’s blood unless they badmouthed my guitar.” Just -the same, stay out of the woods when Ted’s out to lunch.

Rick Johnson

Shower With A Friend?

CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND —And you thought we weren’t keeping you abreast of the latest in contraceptives? British scientist Dr. Barry Ke verne claims that bathing or taking showers to excess may dampen your sex life. The Cambridge lecturer explained that the part of the brain which controls sex (or lack thereof) is stimulated directly by the natural body odors which soap and water wash away. So when you lather up, secure in the knowledge that your sweet body will drive your lover to distraction, you are actually turning your bod into one big zero romantically. Oh/ and perfume, that heady stuff that Catherine Deneuve advises us to buy in her breathy TV pitch — it’s also a no-no. Dr. Ke verne says* that one whiff just might change your plans for the evening if it obscures Mother Nature’s aroma. Should Planned Parenthood know, about this?

Susan Whitall

How To Cut It In Hollywood

Here wehave the first published picture of the latest incarnation of Neil Innes, late of the Bonzo Dog Band and soon to be dismembered In a snuff film of his choosing. Mr. Innes is caught by our photog relaxing before the first take, boning up on the basic elements of cinpma so as to bo, like Jogger and Bowie before him, that much more accomplished a thespian. Hacks off to Nell InnesI

Townshend KO’s Daltrey

"'Oo did it?" police frantically shouted up at the victim from the seedy Soho street below. "Not the 'Ool" Roger Daltrey responded with his last agonized breath. "It was T..." But the famejd lead singer expired before ne could finish the damning statement. So with only that shred of a clue to work from, police are looking into reports that Daltrey and a guitarist in his band were not getting along in recent months, A highly-placed source in Scotland Yard has it that one Pete Townshend has been arrested in connection with the grisly window murder, but so far the alleged suspect has only babbled to his police inquisitors something which sounds like "Me mum don't wear no combat bootsl"

Faces Fight

HONOLULU — Joe Frazier stopped off at the hotel in Honolulu where Rod Stewart and the Faces were laying1 back. Two hours after Frazier held a press conference to tout his rematch with Muhammad Ali, a fight broke, out.

But it didn’t involve Frazier. One of the combatants was Jeff Wald, husband and manager of Helen Reddy, The other was Faces pianist Ian McLagan.

Townshend

Bad-Raps

Tommy/

The Who have made record industry history with their rock opera Tommy, which has been on the Top 100 for a year and sits currently in the Top 20. Says Pete Townshend: “We’ve not been that pleased about being flattered because in our opinion . Tommy wasn’t everything the rock critique made it out to be.”

Rod Stewart had asked for permission to check out at 2:30, instead of the regular time, noon. The manager said OK, but he didn’t know that Stewart’s room had had a few minor freelance alterations — wiring ripped out, the bed frame broken, TV wires ripped out, and the drains clogged. A job I^eith Moon would have been proud of.

Wald showed up at the desk at 2:00. “We stay here three months a year,” he fumed, “And we always have the same room.”

Stewart’s* wouldn’t ya know?

Wald and the Ms. were travelling through to start a tour of Japan (bad taste knows no boundaries) and he (Wald) was in no mood to be conciliatory. He stormed up to Stewart’s room, “cursing and swearing,” McLagan said later.’What he saw was a work crew fixing 'up Ground Zer6.

“I was hot,” Wald said later in classic understatement. Reddy’s manager, er, hustled himself downstairs, where pianist McLagan was talking to the hotel manager, presumably about Stewart’s room and reparations thereto.

“He was at f the desk, shouting at the manager,” Ian said. “Blaming me and others, cussing me out.”

McLagan went to bat for himself and Stewart. One eyewitness said that Wald pushed McLagan, who he recognized “from Faces publicity pictures/’ and McLagan responded by flattening Wald with a punch. “Hethreatened me,” McLagan said, “He swore J wouldn’t leave the islands alive. I grabbed him by the hair and held him down until the security arrived.”

Wald later denied to police having threatened to have any heavy friends come after McLagan.

“He said he was going to have our necks broken,” said McLagan.

The Faces left with their necks, if not the room, intact, and they seemed to be closer together than they had in a long time. Ask any vet if hostility doesn’t bring men together.

One roadie said as the group left Hawaii, “If there was any doubt they’d stay together, it’s gone now.”

Back at the hotel, Joe Frazier said he was sorry he’d missed the fight.

Bill Mann

You’ll Wonder Where The Yellow Went

TQKYQ—For some time certain affluent Japanese have chosen to westernize their features with cosmetic surgery. Now, to complement the carefully rounded eyes and unflattened noses, they’ve hit on a somewhat daunting method of whitening the skin. What they do is chop out nearly six feet of the large intestine which (not surprisingly?) makes them go permanently pale rather soon afterward. (One source says that their large intestines are longer than Western ones, so they can spare a bit if they like.) I suppose the trend fits in neatly with a long tradition of bold disemboweling—but what a way to save face...

Shelly Benoit

(Courtesy Warner Bros. Circular)