ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

HOT FLASH! Music business Godfather and Arista President Clive "If It Hadnt Been For Me, Ringo Would Never Have Done It" Davis made Lou Reed an offer he couldnt refuse (cf. Ray Davies quick signing in R “n R News last month), and the Mega vitamin Kid is now officially signed to Arista. Was it

■:cause Eric Carmen asked Dad ra little brother to play with? Lous next recorded effort will be called Norha4t and will feature all of the mqstdansused on Coney Island Baby. -All'of this, of course, confirms mtoorsof Clives thing for Metal Machine Music.,.

Lou joined his old buddy Jolta Calc on stageat Mickey Ruskins Lower Manhattan Ocean Club for a few nights in July; John Was helping old pal Mickey (remember Maxs?) open his new club, and he in turn was helped more than a little by some of his Illustrious friends. Besides the ey^r-sociable Lou; David Byrne of Talking H eads, Mick Ronson, Patti Smith, Lenny Kaye, and Blue Oyster Cults Allen Lanier all showed up, sometimes on the same night, to _ lend a hand/vocal chord/guitar or whatever to?the former Velvet. Highlights of the White Light/White Heat Revues setT*4“Fabk)Pi' Man,"} \ "HeVA RebeT and "Fear

Janis Ian Revolutionizes Stage Act! Adds four new songs using a Fender Shratocasterf (Should we break it to her about Dylan?)

In the wake of such rock greats as Jan& Dean a gd the Moody Bittes regrouping after years of flailing around as solos, Dolenz, l Jones, Boyce and Hart almost recreated the Monkees at Disneyland recently when they called teacher/hippie Peter Tork (described as wearing "Manson drag") Up op stage for a rousing rendition df "Last Train to Clarks-4 ville/ But they didnt ask him to / join, folks... thats show biz.

Br«tce Springsteens new album - not to come out till Jamibrp??? Thats what Columbia says!

Well, youve seen pictures of the newly-shaven Ringo Starr (if you havent, turo-to page 32 for instant edification); another t/ntfbatry whos succumbed to the summers heat is Bruce Springsteen, the... man who launched a thousand beards among the Rock Crit estab-lishment of New York. Bruce shaved off his trademark beard in early summer; could an army of naked chins newly exposed to the chill Manhattan night air be far behind?

Speaking of hair, whfethe Bay City Rollers were recording their latest oeuvre at Bob Ezrins Nimbus studios in Toronto, they were honored by a visit from two of rocks more sparsely-haired gents; Elton "InjNot in Toronto For HairTranspiants" John and John "f Could Use A Little On Top" Lennon. There were little girlies camped all around the Nimbus studio, and when the two elaerly gentlemen approached, one shrilled ; "Whos the old guy \pith Elton?" Never mind John, in ten years LesMcKeowan will be 31.

Johns got every reason to 6e happy, though; he finally won his much-coveted permanent residency card in a formal hearing in New : York, With the likes of Newman Mailer, Geraldo ifivera and Gloria Swanson (1) testifying as to Mr. Lennons worth to the Citizens of the Republic, there was no way the bespectacled, white-shirt-andtie ex-moptop could lose. When the decision was announced.

-Johin kissed Yoko and dgclared|l| "As usual, theres a great woman behind every idiot."

The Runaways are making it known to anyone who asks (and us as well) that they dont like the Ramones, or any other exponents of nouveau punk. On Patti Smith, lead singer Cherie Currie wax ed eloquent to the New Musical Express: "Watching Patti Smith is morbid curiosity; its like looking at a dead dog in the middle of the road with its guts hanging out" Sounds real cool, Cherie!

Absolutely The Last Iggy/Ziggy Rumor: its said that Bowies producing the long, agonizinglyawaited Iggy album at the Honky Chateau in France.

Has Eagle Don Henley caught up with F leetwood Mac warbler Stevie N icks yet?

Ian Andersons Codpiece Declared Obscene; the Lputsvtile' CourierJournal refused torun a Bamboo Productions (Midwest promoter) ad which featured.fert wearing his customary crotch decoration, because it was "pornographic", they relented onlj) -when the offensive part of his anatomy was akbrushed to I innoeertcejK

Jeff Beck has never been one to indulge in much between-fusion songs-patter, but on his recent tour with synthesizer-translator Jan Hammer he was moved to words when a rowdy Detroit crowd demanded some old songs from the . Beck/Ronnie Wood/Rod Stewart days. Beck shot a bird, adding: "That's for Rod Stewart, Youdidntcome to see him. Hes not here anyway. " And if that wasnt; enough, "At least 1 dont think hes here; 1 dont smell any perfume." -Get down. J effrey.

Vocalist David Byron dumped by Uriah Heep—says keyboard player Ken Hensley; "Frankly, I welcome the opportunity to clear the air and make a fresh start with members who are united in their aims. Now we can go on with a Sense of genuine and real ; enthusiasm."

Mick dagger and Daryl Hall??!! Micks on blonds again!

Stiff Upper Whatsis Dept.: Not only did Peter Frampton pitch intd'the dark unknown at the same Hartford, Cbnn. concert where he ripped'his pants and broke several ribs, but he manfully completed several more dates before even having his wounds looked at. Now we have a report that Man Gonrle of the Average White Band fell offstage in Seattle and landed seve n feet ■

below. Alan crawled back up to co mplete the set, and it was discovered afterward that hed j§ broken his foot. Although he was advised to take it easy for a while, he proved he wasnt no soft Yankee, arid is going to stick out the summer tour, playing from a stool.

Chuck Leavell has speeded the Allman Brothers breakup by forming and singing with a new band, "Sea Level", consisting of / himself. Jamoe Johanson arid Lamar Williams from , the Brothers, and Jimmy NaHs on guitar. Greggs recent testimony against J ohn "Scooter" Herring, former Allmans' road manager, was the final straw according to Leaven, and when Gregg asked him.when the Allmans were going to tour again he said "I don't know Gregg, but Sea Level is booked up for the rest of the year." Thats telling him!

Elton Signed for a prime part in the movie version of Leonard Bern* * steins musical Candide.

Kiss rumored t6 want Bob Seger off their tour—could it be because of the thunderous audience response the veteran rock “n rollers getting?

Deep Pnrpie—or the conglomerate involving Tommy Bolin called DP anyway-— have finally split up, after months of hot rumors. It was revealed that singer David Coverdale had quit two months ago, and Purps manager Bob Cooksey pointed out that there had been so many personnel changes i n the last few years it was1 thought best to quit while Purp was somewhat near the top, anyway. The splintering or the group as each member worked on solo projects * and personality differences were also factors in the split. The eightyear-old band were the top album sellersintheU.S. in 1974.

Neil Young abruptly canceled his tour with Stephen Stills, fed up with the rock “ri roll circus-like atmosphere surrounding.it, and no doubt weary of dealing with rampant Stills egomania.., Mean--' 'while Graham Nash is pissed at both of them for erasing" some croonful Crosby/Nash harrrionizing on a Stills/Young tape he and David flew all the way to Miami to help on. Looks like CSN & Y reunion possibilities are shot down for the nextsix months, anyway.

Feathering his new/old nest in Britain after nine years in Marin County (aargh!), Van Morrison dias acquired a personal manager, Harvey Goldsmith, is living in Berkshire, and involved in putting a new band together. An album will be released before the end of the year (Vans first since Vreedon Fleece in 1974)-, and English and American tours are planned to follow it up.

A Bow ie/Eno/Fripp album? To be produced in Canada in late sum'mer/fall? Cant wait...

For a supposedly.new wave female punk band, the Runaways are controlled so totally by Kim Fow ley (their producer, publisher, creator) that he can fire any one of them at.any time (with Mercurys, approval), in fact already has , replaced at least one girl, and none of the girls if fired is allowed to bill herself as an ex-Runaway. Said rhaster Kim: "'-“Remember how Phil Spector kept changing the girls in his groups? Im a product of the* Sixties—f know these laws."1mS I

Rod Stewart spotted in the L .A gay bar The Farad ise'Ballroom, but heterosexuality fans will be relieved to know he was also see mat a Beach J )3o^s concert with a seventeen-yearoidgir! (though we didnt ask for her LP-), while Britt E. was off judging the Miss Universe contest.

Twiggy, has released an album iry.f England, soon to be seen over here, featuring theTurig warblinga variety of countryish songs hot unlike her 0, Anglo sister Olivia Fig-Newton. Although she unabashedly con|| fessed being a Carpenter?,fan, Twiggy expressed-a desire to use "rock people" for her next effort: "Its not' really a matter of playing the right notes, is it? Its a feel. 1 Why couldnt we have said that?

Look Out Britain, Hes Coming: While todring this summer .with ZZ Top and their "Bringing Texas To The World" tour, complete with animals, Tad Nugent,could barely restrain himself from taking a pot-* -shot at die buffalo; "1 was gor^lH take out my arrows, 'come “WBm screaming out from the back of the arena and drop that sucker! As soon asthe riser [lifting the poor brute up] would bring the buffalo tothe top,

Fd knock it right down." Well, he didnt; could the Motor City Maneater be calming down . or just saving up his energies for hfs first -assault on Britain?