ROCK N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK N' ROLL NEWS

Patti Smith, never one to neglect her rock 'n' roll roots, brought Fred "Sonic" Smith (formerly of the MC5) onstage for her "My Generation" encore when she. played Detroit's Ford Auditorium last March. Sonic hasn't been idle since then—he's been gigging with new band Rendezvous, which boasts Sonic on lead guitar, Scott Morgan, formerly of the Rationale, on vocals; Gary Rasmussen of the UP on bass, and Scott "Rock Action" Asheton of the Stooges on drums. On the eve of an important date at Ann Arbor's Second Chance Patti sent Sonic a telegram: "Light and energy enclosed." Rumors are flying around the Motor City that Iggy is trying to talk Sonic into abandoning all to accompany The World's Forgotteh Boy... Don't bet on it.

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Iggy has been making numerous transatlantic phone calls to his playpal, David Bowie, who is still in France putting the finishing touches on the new oeuvre. No radical changes in image, say our spies—although the Bowie 'do is a little shorter since his London concerts and all those neo-Nazi remarks...

Beatles Rumblings... should be a Paul McCartney & Wings live album, and a Best Of George Harrison compilation by the end of the year.

Why isn't Stevie Wonder talking to Miles Davis, you ask? Seems that Stevie had this bass player, Michael Henderson, and Miles's then-wife, bad Betty Davis, told her hubby that he ought to go check this guy out. Miles did, was impressed, lured Henderson to his own band, and managed to hold onto him for five years. Stevie hasn't said as much as "HOW do" since. Michael now has a solo career as a crooner on Buddha Records, an album. Solid, and doesn't touch his bass much these days. Huh?

Well, you've seen Stevie's longawaited Songs In the Key of Life by now; Motown hosted a press bash at a farm in Massachusetts to celebrate the happy day and let the pen-pushers hear the golden wax. Stevie entered grinning, wearing a dudish cowboy outfit and carrying the tapes he'd agonized The tapes were played, but demo records hadn't been pressed in time for the press, so reports from partygoers as to the tapes' contents were understandably vague...

Rodc's new fun couple? No, not Stevie and Don—how about Linda Ronstadt and Mick Jagger? Well, Mr. Mick was doing some heavy jamming at Linda's house fir California with Ronnie Wood and some friends, anyway, and apparently the music was so hot that when the very pregnant Krissie Wood wanted to go home in the wee hours, a limousine was commissioned to take her. Amusing I to speculate what Linda and Mick had to rap about... Jerry Brown? Queen Anne furniture? Gate receipts?

Latest word on the Laurel Canyon v. Bruce Springsteen Case Of The Century was the granting of the defendant's (Springsteen's) motion to reargue the New York court's earlier injunction that kept "The Boss" from making any more recordings with Jon Landau as producer. Springsteen's new argument against the injunction was based on a clause in his contract which enables CBS to pick a substitute producer if the producer picked by Laurel Canyon gets sick or otherwise can't work. Laurel Canyon hadn't even chosen a producer, so scratch that argument! Unfortunately for CBS, Landau, Springsteen and his fans, the court affirmed its earlier decision upholding the injunction against Landau. Time for another Southside Johnny LP?

One major faux pas committed on The Rock Awards Show—was at poor Grace Slick's expense— Grace was in the Miami part of the show (a Starship concert), and somehow signals were mixed up transcontinentally, because someone there told he.r that she'd won Best Female Vocalist. When they switched to California, the lucky lady turned out to be Linda Ronstadt. Luckily Grade didn't have to "accept" in front of an audience or anything—she didn't find out about her non-award until after the show.

Aretha Franklin to play Bessie Smith in an upcoming movie...

Whatever became of the Revolution? That's what John "Free John Now" Sinclair wants to know, lambasting former CREEM editor Dave Marsh for his part in the recent article "Rock and Politics" in Rolling Stone, In the Detroit Sun, John called David the "Norman Podhoretz of the aging-rock-criticestablishment," and ran a picture of Dave in his hippie White Panther days, with a "Free John Now" poster behind him. Nya, nya. Good to see that other nice Appice boy, Carmine, is off the streets and working again—as Rod Stewart's skinsman. Carmine, whose past credits are the Vanilla Fudge and Beck, Bogart and Appice, joins Gary Granger on guitar, John Jarvis on keyboards, Jim Cregan of Cockney Rebel on guitar. Philip Chen on bass and Billy Peek on guitar to back up Mr. Stewart on his international tour, which should start in November and take up most of next year. April and May will be devoted to recording his next album. The band debuted on the Secors Annual Rock Awards Show, and turned out to be one of the few bright spots.

Telephone's Ringing, Got Us On The Run ... And it's none other than dog fetishist Kim Fowley, who announced: "Kim Fowley has quit the Runaways; I've given my contract to Mercury. No, I didn't sell it to them; I gave it to them. If can't have fun with the people I work with, if they don't like me, then I'll find other people to work with!" What's the problem with his girls, the Runways? "You don't start acting like Brian Jones and Keith Moon on the first album. But I'm consoling myself with my new band ; Venus and the Razorblades; a group of 14 and 15-year-old girls. The rhythm guitarist said, 'I'm going from 8th to 9th grade; how do old broads like the Runaways—who are 18—know what it's like to be a teenager?' Some of their song titles: 'Gangland,' 'Young & Wild,''Dog Daughters of Babylon'—very dirty! The Runaways turned it down but these girls will do it. 'Neckbite Boogie'— also very dirty." Kim is also being comforted by his new boy group, The Quick, 19-year-old "mutants from the suburbs." Over and out, Kim.

A comeback being plotted for English warbler Dusty Springfield

Yes. he's sometimes difficult, but part of Stephen Stills' problems last summer had to relate to his divorce from French chanteuse Veronique Sanson— their marriage was about two years old.

Who is Johnny Cougar, and why is he leaving messages for Lester Banos?

Newly signed to Elektra: Booker T. and the MG's, with almost the entire old line-up: Steve Cropper on guitar, Booker T. Jones on keyboards, Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass and ex-Isaac Hayes drummer Willie Hall, who replaces the late Al Jackson.

Excitement on the punkrock scene: Dictators were signed to Elektra, and very generously the 'Tators will have everybody know. Elektra liked their de mo (dey got good taste, h uhut!) and sent Karin Berg tosee them live, which of course convinced her. Said 'Tator guitarist Top Ten: "We're going to record in mid or late October; some of the titles are 'Disease,' 'Exposed,' 'Sleepin' with The TV On,' 'Tits To You,' an R. Meltzer contribution —'Tender Was The Night,' 'Dogs,' 'Heartache,' 'Hey Boys.' and 'Smash That Faggot's Head Against The Wall'—although that'll probably be changed from 'faggot' to 'turkey.' Sandy [Pearlman] and Murray [Krugman] will produce it. Oh yeah, Peter Crowley (Wayne County's manager) keeps showing up at our gigs. I don't know why. One time Ross (The Boss)and Mark (The Animal)chased him out of the club and down an alley with a board." Look for the Dictators to do some dates with Kiss and/ or Blue Oyster Cult.

Al Kooper confided to us that he's just completed his memoirs, 1959-69, to be titled Backstage Passes. Al also confessed to writing Nils Lofgren notes in the studio while he was producing Cry Tough, along the lines of "No midgets allowed in the studio"... Mean guy, that Al.

One credit on the new David Cassidy elpee is Mick Ronson on guitar—and now pomes news that the phoenix-like Mick (who did look a mite silly in that do-rag on the Dylan TV show) is forming his new band with the Partridge Family drop-out! No confirmation yet that little Danny is going to play drums...

Dr. John currently recording in the Berkshire hinterlands with Van Morrison . . .

At one point during the hostilities last summer over the Aerosmith Rolling Stone cover, it's said that Joe Perry threatened to walk out if the whole group wasn't on the cover, instead of just Steven Tyler. Apparently Joe reconsidered...

What heavy record company prez was at J.P.'s in NYC the other night, trying to find out where the notorious S&M Anvil Club is???

Well, NOW WE KNOW about Elton, and Kiki Dee confirmed that her live-in boyfriend is indeed the Jong tall Davey Johnstone of Elton's band ... So what more do you want? If you' re still not satisfied, check out Sharon Lawrence's new book So You Want To Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star, filled with still more inside information on Elton, Kiki, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Stones. Sharon's labored for MCA for awhile, so she knows.