ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK N' ROLL NEWS

We're blushing here in the news department because Patti Smith did not join the Rolling Thunder tour; turned out there were scheduling problems and so Patti had to say "No thanks, Boberino." By now reports should be in from our English correspondents about Patti's impact on the Old World from her European tour. Patti did say before she leftthat the new album is almost totally written; all that remains to be done is get the boys into the studios.

George Harrison expected to go on tour hot on the big Mac's heels to 1 make up for his disappointing 1974 outing. He'll be at work in the studio next month, and hopefully the tour will coincide with an album releaseHari's hard at work right now editing a film of thai same 1974tour... (Maybe he wants to screen it for _ torture purposed?) ' -

By the time you read this. Keith Richard will be married, to his v longtime partner incrime Anita . Pallenberg of course. The big •• news is that it's taking place onstageat a Stones concert, during an Earl's Court gig in London May 21-27JJ/,: Intimate bastard. Keith and Anita's ay third child was born in mid-April, but as of this writing bears no known name because Swiss authorities thought Jo Jo Gnnne Richard wits peculiar, or something. Official reason for the nuptials: so the entire Richard family can travel with English passports. Romantic bastard.

Quote of the week, from Rinus p Gerritsenof Golden Earring:f "Don't say we're the hestthing from Holland since tulips." I don't know,;j we kind of like the ring. We chatted with Rinus only hecause the ofrailllj members of Earring were too, |' hung over to meet the press, "I'm, I the only one who doesn't chink," Rinus explained, ft's rumored that Earring are about to break up; fisticuffs reportedly broke out during the Another one frqm Rinus; "The French don't know what the hell they're doing." '

Television, New York's closest*; -to-surface underground band (they vault subway tumstiles with ease) . and the subject of this month's ■ \ "Eleganza" column, have gone on to a second pressing of their 45, "Little Johnny Jewel!" Bidding is still in progress atthlswrftingbetween .. Arista and Asylum for their services; having turned down production offers from Eno, John Cate, Lon Reed and Paul Simon, looks like TomVeitabMMuid cronieswill be kind of choosy about anything final.

La Bowie, who has gained eight kilos and is busy taking karate lessons with his bodyguards, zipped • across the border in Berlin recently with photographer Andy Kent, Iggy and athird "Friend." What's more, he'wasspoiled with the same entourage in Moscow.,. needless to say, he didn't play either venue. As J for Dave's film outing, The Man Who Fell To Earth, one viewer's S report is that his performance was "mysterious,'' and that he's a "marvelous" actor. Then why did Paramount reject distribution of the flick in the U.S.?They claimed itwas confusing.

The Bay City Rollers unleashed a promo blitz upon an unsuspecting Los Angeles recently, and we mean unsuspecting: despite all the hype only about250 people showed up at the airport. The taitaned teens toured Disneyland and were not allowed to talk to, be photographed with, look at or associate with fe males in any way. So who are they allowed to associate with, Tam? , '*,

Apparently LesMcGeovn . 1 bolted, as Earth News reports that. he signed one young lady's bazoomba at a San Francisco record store with a felt-tip pen

Nick Ray (remembered as the ' '' director of James Dean's Rebel Without A Cause), Marilyn |§ (Green Door-Ivory Snow) Chambers, Rip Torn, and Norman • Mailer have teamed up in a new cult film entitled Murphy. Watch for

it! .' - V •; gig - } -y.)

Another stride forward for corporate rock; the Eagles are negotiating to buy the L. A. Kings hockey team. Or Weis it that the Kings were negotiating to buy the Eagles?

Our favorite Motor City Madman, Ted Nugent, hosted a press party in L. A. recently at the Continental Hyatt House. For "unknown" reasons the police arrived on the scene and announced that if everyone didn't leave immediately they'd be "subject to arrest." What did Ted do this time? Apparently he wasn't? too happy about our feature on him last month; particularly the "I Killed Two Men" headline. But Ted, you said it! There's nobody who's better copy than the Noble Savage. Ted is going to respond in a letter to the editor, solook outfor it. (He hunts, he plays, he writes...)

Despite Asylum's efforts to give him the first-class treatment when he played Cleveland recently, Tom Waits, in keeping with his Beat ‡ Generation image, insisted upon\\ staying at one of the city's sleazier skid row hotels Wattes was so ^ enamored with his seedy digs that he worked a song about them into' his show. i • •>-. ■".•.'Mi

That Friend that we reported last month as accompanying Queen's Roger Taylor on his ill-fated trip to see the Runae^Mfa'at an Orange County high school was Rodney Bingenheimer, who laments that he's always chopped out of photos ,v and identified as "and friend" on many of these excursions arranged by him. Those pictures of Peter Frampton and Steven Ford recently (no, not Jack) that ran every where were a case in point: Rodney and Steven (who is a student at a Newport Beach school) had dined on grilled cheese sand' wiches prepared by the Prez's son before departing for the concert at Anaheim in a baby Rolls Royce. Rodney reports that when Peter took the stage Steven "stood up and looked all excited." So he took hjm backstage, Peter and Steven met, the cameras clicked, etc. Later Rod and Steven retired to a Big Boy's for a late snack squired by Steve's Secret Servicemen.

Battle of the Axe KingS; Peter Frampton was quoted in Buddy as saying: "Robin Trover upsets me. He'sa very good guitarist. I love file way he plays, his feel, but he's copying someone who's died, and tome that's bad news.. .1 don't want to sound like Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton or Jeff Bech-1 want to sound like me and I think I do." But what does Robin think about the way Peter sounds?"

I think he's a nice guy," quoth Mr.

. Trower. Erm,'*, -j

Rumored that Paul McCartney hired an artist — Humphrey Ocean to do nothing but follow ol' Mac and Wings around and capture them with peri-and paintbrush for the ages.. .Paul is very § •standoffish with the press; reportedly because he wants to shield Linda from the slings and arrows of outrageous, etc. Said Linda in the London Sunday Times: "What worries me most about America is that we'll have to start again.

Rolling Stone will be waiting for me. I'll obviously be criticized and HI hate it." Said Paulie: "America will be OK. I've told you. There's nothing to worry about." Gulp. Our own Lester Bangs made overtures for an interview; granted were fifteen minutes with Paul. ..more if the "vibes" are $] right. Lester's vibes are always right! One of his PR men told an interesttngstory on Paul: On the way from the airport in Dallas in the limousine, Paul was tremendously agitated, babbling on and on — "He was so excited to be touring again. and more animated than"I've ever seen him."

Bob "Hot Stuff At Last" Seger reported from Florida that he was getting so little space onstage while touring with the DoobieBrothers (Whatsa matter, Doobies...having trouble following Bpb?) that he was considering trading in the band for two go-go boys.

Clean-cut Mark Famer is out of the dating game again; tf He hasn't married Donna Hall (sister of Wet Willie lead singer Jimmy Hall) J yet. it'll happen at any minute. Mark met Donna when Grand Funkand Wet Willie toyred together— Donna was a Williette back when her brother's group had girl singers.

Does that mean she'll be a Funkette f now?

Another Next Big New York Band down the drain: the Heart* breakers broke up on the 2nd of May. They were Richard Hell, formerly of Television, Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan left over from the New York Dolls, and some other squack. Reliable sources close to the inaction report that the rift involved a disagreement between H ell. who wanted to play rock ln' roll pred icated upon a new way of fusing animal drive and intelligence, andtheThunders/Nolan faction, who' preferred to sleep. Hell was seen at CBGB's the night of the breakuplooking healthy, purposeful, and generally like a man who is ready to make h|s move, which as of this writing involves a solo demo and projecting a challenge into the faces of the Blank Generation he named in an as-yet unrecorded anthem.

Eric Clapton is supposedly ready to spring his new album on the . * world; recorded at The Band's home in LA; Robbie Robertson, Danko, Helm, et.al. lent a helping* hand, .not to mention Pete Town* abend and Ronnie Wood. S'posed to be two hot cuts, "Black Summer Rain" and "The Path."

Bob Hope— yes Bob Hope— may be added to the swelling list of performers releasing live aljju ms this year.. .Bob'S Capitol offering is titled A merica is 100 Years Old and There's Still Hope. Now that Elton's given the world his live elpee, is there anything left for rock 'ri' roll? OK, a Beatles reunion live album, then it's all over.

Marianne Faithfull, with her Sparks-produced album inthecari (no word yet on when and if it will be released) is certainly talking these days. To Over 21, anEnglish women's mag: "I have a terrible feeling that I'll wake up on my thirtieth birthday and my looks will have gone. I had to nurse my ex* husband John through his thirtieth birthday. I held his hand all day. I know it's silly but it really is a turning point... " Mare's current boyfriend is an artist and sculptor based in NYC " . who I can't talk abouttoo much because he's married. I've known him for years but l only fell in love with him recently."

Fans who remember the Bids*' winders, a classic Boston band circa '71 who never quite lived up to , their brilliant potential in their one RCA LP, will be excited to know that former lead Winder Andy Paley is teaming up with his brother Jonathon, late of Mong, to form yet another new band whose avowed intention is to shpw us all that not only is Brian Wilson god (er, God) but just exactly where the Beach Boys/white pop tradition can go in the '7 Os for a rebirth of joy arid vitality forfall concerned. We saw Mong at CBGB's in April, they were playing old Beatles songs and they were great without even half trying. >.

Wimp rock fans take note; Bread has reformed after — when did they splitup?

Fee Waldo Waybill reveals that he's sick bf being "Dr. Strangekiss" (or was it "Dr. Kissingstrange"?) — you may recall the part of the Tubes 1975 show with Fee in the wheelchair , etc. — an d now he wants to be President. Fee promises America I "two chickens in every garage® He got a little rambunctious during an interview on a Detroit radio station; when the jock had finished a Michigan Milk Producers commercial and opened the mike back up (unbeknownest to Fee), Fee blurted out "Screw the milk — let's talk about the new Tubes album," prompting the station manager to request that his A & M cohorts escort him out, ' More airwave antics: when Bruce Springsteen was asked by a Florida disc jockey "What's it like to be the new Bob Dylan?, '' old gentle Brucie retorted: "What's it like to be punched in the face?"