ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

In case you're wondering why you didn't see the Beatles on your tube last week, the word is that they turned down that $30 million dollar reunion deal mentioned here last month. Not that that should stop fledgling impressario Mike Matthews, president of the sound equipment company that brought you the Mike Matthews Freedom Amp, who's dangling $6 million in front of the Fab Four in an attempt to get them to do a one-time-only hour-long telecast. Whether this is the right offer or not, the feeling is that this reunion is bound to happen. In the meantime, George has now officially split with Capitol and signed with his Own Dark Horse Records, distributed by A&M, and is preparing an album releaseshorfly. That leaves only John without a new recording contract. But it's only a matter of time; currently he and Yoho are cloistering themselves with their new baby.

Aryan Ferry may just be getting married. Rumor has it thatthe newly-mustachioed chantetiPwSl announce his engagement in the near future to GenrieHall, cover girl for Roxy's recent Siren LP. And further neWsfrom insiders has it that the next album may be Roxy's last. Too much personal friction, it seems — that is, Ferry against the test of the band. Phil Manzanera's future, in that case, might include a reunion with Eno (as happened on the Quiet Sun album) and perhaps a tour for the pair.

While Alice Cooper is hard at work recording the squel to his Welcome To My Nightmare album, drumming disco star Hamilton Bohannon is putting the final gloss on his new LP to be called Welcome To My Party, y:

Ron and Russ Maelare plunging ahead warblingly after the dissolution of Sparks and are in the studio recording their debut album ' for Columbia, while, at the same time, peddling the idea of a TV sitcom series about two brothers, one who's a rock star and the other a vampire.

MickTaylor, whose musical associations since he left the Stones have not exactly been long-lived affairs notably the Jack Brace fiasco — has*now hooked up with the former drummer from Focus, Colin Allen, in a new group which includes fellow Englishers Robin Millar and Gordon Raitt. The band, to be known as Taylor, Millar, Allen, and Raitt, ironically enough, has been recording and will have a release this summer.

According to the London Daily Mail, Elton John has earned more money , even compared to the Beatlesat their peak, than any other performer in pop music history, and during the last year anda-half he grossed over $60 million from concerts and record sales. The .paper also reports that currently, following Elton, the highest grossing acts are Paul McCartney, Led Zep, Pink Floyd, the Who, and the Stones.

The next Jimi Hendrixalbum — it's due within the month; prolific, ain't he? — will feature a cover portrait of Jimi by Norman Rock* well. Rockwell has never before painted a rock star, preferring instead to stick with policemen and boy scouts for the coyer of the Saturday Evening Post where he made his fame.

Earth News reports that two of the Ohio Players, Clarence Satchel! and Sugar Bonner, were busted in Dayton , Ohio several weeks back for possesion of narcotics. They are free on bail in their own recognizance.

R.I.P. Flo Ballard, One of the original Supreme* until 196 dead of a heart attack in Detroit where she had been living recently on welfare.

In spite of the fact that Bob Markey is still somewhat shaken by his stepfather's recent death, he and the Waiters will be coming here this month for their first extensive American tour timed to coincide : with the release of their new album.

Wayne Kramer, once guitarist for the defunct MC5, was sentenced to five yearsin prison last month on a narcotics violation.

Barry Manilow, who posed with his dog on the back of his last album, says he was so impressed by the bearded, transvestite group the Cycle Slutsfthat he wants to produce the group's first album. The Sluts, in turn, are going touse* :.||||| Manilow's backup band for their i New York theatre debut.

Band member Rick Danko is anxious to get his associates on the road again. By way of explanation, he said: "My family keeps getting bigger and bigger, sp we may have to tour."Metofy Maker also saya ■ that Danko has just signed an exclusive solo contract with a major label.

While it's still possible that Jagger will be playing the lead in Robert Altman's film version of Ragtime, an even stranger idea is being cooki ed up by Lenny producer Marvin Worth who has been reportedly trying to convince Patti Smith to play Janis Joplin in his next fitm.

Following the completing of Black &Blue, Mick Jagger spent some time hunting around New York for a townhouse to buy. No luck, apparently, and he jetted off to the Bahamas where he's been resorting with Woody for the past several weeks.

Seems that Steve Stills-Neil Young recorded collaboration is happening down ih Miami's Criteria Studios with Tom Dowd proN dudhg;

Also down at Criteria, where he recorded his last two studio albums ■ almost 18 months ago, is Eric Claptopi According to ENS, Clapton maintains he'll be producing the LP himself, but it is expected that Robbie Robertson who's attending some of the sessions, will also be involved.

But what's this about Eric playing . with the London Symphony Orchestra on the soundtrack of a . movie called 2Qth Century Presents World War It?Wei, Russ Regan, president of 20th Century Records, claims he's working out a deal with Clapton and the Bee Gees (both, incidentally, managed by Robert Stigwood) for this 90 minute feature film (which will also „ include Beatles songs). If yoU think the whole scheme sounds pre* sumptuous, bear in mind that 20th I Century also brings you Barry Whlte

Lawyers for the Picture Newspaper in New Yor,k are preparing a suit against David Bowie claiming, according to Earth News, that he cheated them out of $4,000 in conkiltant'sfees. The Newspaper editor says that Bowie's business agents agreed to let his paper design the program forpowie's current tour; ; and that after they had put in considerable time on the project Bowie called the deal off. Subsequently David's media company, the Bewlay Brothers, came up with a similar tabloid and begat) marketing it in Canada for two dollars apiece. Indeed, presented side-by-side the Bewlay Brothers publication and the Picture Newspaper itself appear almost identical, save the logos. The Newspaper's lawyers will also try to stop distribution of the other magazine.

If you missed the Who on their just completed second tour of the year, don't fret: there's astronglikelihood th at the bap d will be back f or a third tour this summer.

Peter Frampton, true to his rabid following in the Motor City, will be recording his next album at Hitsville, the old Motown studios in Detroit, . where be hopes to recapture some of the sound arid the spirit that turned him into a rabid Stevie Wonderfan years ago.

Frampton is not so happy with his Chicago fans, especially after one of them nailed him with a bottle onstage at the notoriously hellish Aragon ballroom last month. Said Peter to thje stunned audience after the missfle assault: "I don't dig getting hit in the face and whoever j did it better make some noise. " But no oriefessed up and Peter resumed his four-song encore.

Ostensibly because he has not had thetime to put together and rehearse a new band due to recording dfcfnands, RM$tawai»thas , ' cancelled out of that massive June date at Wembley Stadium, London. Perhaps, once again, it has something to do with the fact that Ronnie Wood, who he was reportedly countingon as hisguitarist, is heading to the States for the Stones tour.A spokesman for Stewart said the Wembley date and a mini-tour of England may be rescheduled,

That on-again, off-again Small Faces reunion is.. .off, as you may have guessed. One problem with that idea is that Kenny Jones has committed himself to Bobby Womack's tour of Britain and the States, where most likely Womack will he openingfor — them again: the Stones.

Of course, apocrypha is cheap.

But... believe It or not, this is the tale that Sire records is telling about their new act, New York punk rockers the Ramones. Their LP was supposedly minced so''hot" that the producer blew out both the speakers on his office system by playing a test pressing of it and then proceeded to destroy $2,000 worth of speakers at a Manhattan studio during a further audition of the record.

Important Memos Dept. J.M. Wether ill, a radiation health officer in Canada, has written to that country's Atomic Energy Control Board to complain that the use of the official Radiation warning symbol on the cover of Kraftweik's current album "appears to be frivolous."

' Lots of activity at Blue Sky records: Rick Derringer's new band —• . called Derringer, inriocently enough -4is down at Criteria recording with Bill Symzyk producing. While inMiami the band is • staying at the infamous 461 Ocean Blvd. house for which Clapton named his album. The lineup for Derringer includes Vinny Appice (Carmine's brother) on drums, Kenny Aaronson, late of Leslie West's band on bass, and Dan Ay Johnson, whom Rick discovered in a dub in-Shreveport, La., on second lea*d guitar. Their album is due in May . Also forthcoming from Steve Paul's stable is Edgar Winter's sqlo album produced by Gamble & Huff in Philly, a Dan Hartman— he wrote "Free Ride" r*solo outing, and later in the spring there'll be a live set of Johnny and Edgar and Rick together. Enough already

Jon Landau and Springsteen have been in the studio recently gearing up for The Next One,* At the same time, Bruce's old pals Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes have just been signed to Epic. True to the traditions of the neighborhood, Miami Steve Van Zant will be producing their debut LP, and, further in keeping, the band has insisted on waxing a couple of Springsteen songs — one will be "The Fever" and the other is an old unrecorded number that Bruce has sat down to rewrite. Guests on the album, which is due in May, will include Lee Dorsey and Ronnie Spector. .