ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

Stars' lead singer Michael Lee Smith misjudged the length of the stage in Saginaw, Michigan, and started the show off by, tumbling into the orchestra pit, breaking three ribs. No one had a chance to hear what he planned to do for an encore, as the show was promptly cancelled.

Bravo for Bravo (magazine that is)! The largest pop culture magazine in England has printed the first pictures of Kiss without their make-up, an unspoken no-no in the biz... Speaking of the boys, all four members are reportedly preparing solo albums, although both Boll Ezrin and Jimmy leaner declined production offers.

That familiar growl you hear in the background of Frankie Miner's new LP is none other than Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.

Olivia Newton-John and Helen "Ever" Reddy have cancelled their Japanese tours to protest the recent slaughter erf thousands erf dolphins in Japan.

When Bob Seger & The Silver Ballet Band played France a few months back, they jammed with' The Stones. Guitarist Drew Abbott said they had a good session with them, but "I had a time keeping Jagger away from my girlfriend."

Backstage at Shaun (yawn) Cassidy's Nassau Stadium gig in New York, guest Gene Simmons was overheard to say, "Shaun really does have a cute ass." And didn't the two of them have a meeting later?

Peter Noone. aka Herman of Herman's Hermits, is planning a big comeback via CBS Records. Like the Animals?

Zodiac News reports that Elton John is considering changing his name back to Reggie Dwight. And if that happens, Elvis Costello is toying with the idea of changing his name to Elton Costello. Hey guys, we've got a lot of other good possibilities, if you're interested.

John Lennon's 14-year-old son Jatten is fronting a rock group in North Wales.

Gato Barbieri is being sued to the tune of $750,000 by tenants of his Central Park South building, who describe his tenor sax practicing as "intolerable and unbearable." Allegedly, Barbieri has told them he will not stop his tooting, which began over a year ago.

After a five-year separation, the Moody Blues are back together again, as threatened, in the studio. Their album is being produced by Tony Clarke.

Until the unmistakable thunderhead guitar riffs broke through the roar at the California Jam, the man onstage could've been a roadie for Billy Joel. But instead, it was a weli-shom version of our favorite gonzo, Ted Nugent, who had just stepped off the plane, clean-shaven, from a hunting trip to South Africa.

Another rock star is fed up with his road work; The Who's Pete Townshend said in a Trouser Press interview: "We don't want to play anywhere anymore. We've been doing the same live act for such a tong time now. The act we were acclaimed for was a celebration of our history. I'm fed up with doing it. We've created strait-jackets of our own making... think boardrooms and business meetings are an important part of our life now... I am the establishment."

Bedfinger—minus founding member/lead singer Pete Hamm, who committed suicide in 1974— has apparently compiled tons of new material and are currently label shopping in L. A. And speaking of shopping sprees, isn't J. Geils' deal with Atlantic just about up?

Reliable sources are buzzing because Hie Runaways have apparently left the Mercury fold and are on the prowl for a new label.

After a three year absence, Miles Davis is back in the studio accompanied by Larry Coryell on guitar, keyboardists George Pavlis and Maaabnml Kikadd, bassist T.M. Stevens and drummer Al Foster, the only holdover from Miles' previous band.

All work and no play? Maurice "Beyond Hair" Gibb's 3-year-old son Adam was heard to gulp, "If my daddy doesn't stop going to the studio everyday, I will buy myself a new daddy. " Time to cut down on the allowance, Maurice... At least Crosby, Stills & Nash took a few minutes off while Graham Nash and his wife had ababy.

In The Studio

Led Zeppelin; Crosby, Stills & Nash (L.A,—Criteria); Talking Heads (Nassau); Van Morrison; Leo Sayer (L. A.—Studio 55); Ringo Starr (L.A.—Burbank); Vom (L. A.—Vision); Mink DeVille (NY—Columbia); Phoebe Snow (NY—Soundmixers); Aretha Franklin; Janis Ian (NY—The Hit Factory); Miles Davis (NY—Columbia); Moody Blues (L.A.—Record Plant); Steve Miller; Little River Band (Australia); The Poors; Tom Robinson Band.

Van Morrison is readying a new album, tentatively called Let The Cowboy Ride.

Fifty ways to leave your... oh forget it. After 14 years on CBS, Foul Simon slip slid away to join the Warners fold, reportedly since the balding (and how!) balladeer plans to broaden his domain to movies, teevee and the theatre...possibly even Papp's New York Shakespearean Company.

Bobby "Wild One" Rydell is back in the studio recording a new LP for Gold Productions.

Whoops! Sorry, Kim! Last month, we stated that Kim Fowley's new label was called Ego Records. For therecord, it's called Mystery

Records, and includes such (unnatural?) acts as Dyan Diamond, Tommy Rock, and Detroit's own beloved Question Mark (Of Question Mark & The Mysterians). Distribution will be handled by Jem Records in the U.S."

And weren't we surprised at receiving a mysterious press conference invitation from George Harrison and Rod Stewart announcing "a significant musical and cultural event." Turned out that a proposed benefit concert, possibly starring The Beatles (not Dirk, Nasty, Stig & Barry}, was in the making, slated for Memorial Day Weekend at the LA Coliseum. But don't camp out for tickets yet...no one has signed any contracts and it looks like the sponsors, Project Interspeak (an organization set up for the preservation of whales), jumped the gun, to say the least.

If you're in Las Vegas in June, don't be surprised to see the name of Alice Cooper on the marquee at the Aladdin Hotel. Ticket prices are reportedly the highest in the city's history.

Those howls you hear on Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London" became chillingly realistic at a recent show. Inspired by Saturday Night Fever, Warren attempted a John Travolta split, only to achieve full lotus position and splinter several blood vessels in his knee. We've enrolled him in a remedial disco class.

Dust off you r turntables, the Doore are coming back! Robbie Krieger, John Densmore and Ray Manzarek are currently in the studio finishing an album that Jim Morrison began recording before his death in 1971. The LP will feature Morrison's prose/poetry, new music and previously unreleased live material.

If Atlanta Rhythm Section's

new single goes gold, they'll have a Massachusetts radio station director to thank, W-A-A-F's Lee Arnold mistakenly played "Imaginary Lover" at the wrong speedy and promptly received double the requests for the song. Listeners believed the speeded up version to be a new song by Fleet wood Mac. ARS was not amused.

Chaka Khan has signed a solo contract with Warner Brothers, though she'll continue to record With Rufus on ABC.

Gregg Allman was in and out of a Georgia sanitarium quicker 'n' one one of his marriages to Cher... He popped up in Washington, D.C., where he was observed to jam with various white blues bands. Said he to a Washington reporter: "I've been trying to get all the liquor out of my body. It ain't easy." He explained his red-eye look as a case of conjunctivitis (inflammation of the eye) he was just getting over. "I might look like I've been on a two-day bender but that's what it is." On Cher; "We're still on good terms. In fact, we're still technically married." Son Elijah Blue "likes to sit on my lap and bang on the piano." Gregg's appearance was enhanced by a new tattoo administered by his Atlanta tattooist, Rangoon Ricky. His shoulder now sports a Chinese sun with a bird holding an eighth note in its beak.

When it rains, it pours. As the monsoon season hit southern California, Tom Petty was putting the finishing touches on the Heartbreekere' new alburh in L. A.'s Shelter Studios. During a coffee break, the roof suddenly collapsed and all but buried Tom in the rubble. He emerged unscathed, but in dire need of a good plaster surgeon.

Amidst all the Allman Brothers reunion talk, word has reached us that the drug conviction of ex-Allman roadie John "Scooter" Herring has been reversed by a U.S. Appeals Court. Somehow, we doubt that Gregg will offer him his old job back.

Some COUPLINGS Miss Bona may not be aware of: Besides Eno and Julie Christie (three sources have reported that one, cynics!), the Spring's newest lovebirds are none other than that dancing fool John Travolta and Bianca "Jeri who?" Jagger. Revolta was in London for the premiere of Saturday Night Fever, and he and Bianca were observed discoing 'til dawn in some of London's posher discos.

On Tour

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band; Rolling Stones; Aerosmith; David Bowie; Foreigner; Sweet; Be Bop Deluxe; Natalie Cole; Bob Welch; Genesis; Average White Band; Abba; Firefall; Paul McCartney & Wings; Fotomaker; Steve Martin; Jackson Browne; Little Feat; Andrew Gold; Eric Clapton; Bruce Springsteen; Jefferson Starship; Elvis Costello; Nick Lowe.