ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

DEPARTMRNTS

Don’t mess with this one: Dolly Parton is now packing a pistol after receiving a death threat recently. Though she feels the man “just wanted some attention,” she’s decided not to take any chances...

Speaking of guns, how ’bout a 21-gun slaute for this item: The Monkees have decided to reform! You heard it, Mickey, Davey, Peter & Wooly are back in the studio together for the first time in 10 years, figuring that if the Bee Gees can do it, they can too. With that kind of reasoning, better give up hope on a Beatles reunion...

It was a trendy, BP eaterie in New York. Truman was probably there. Bianca dagger was finishing dinner with friends, when who should walk in but Mick ’n’ Jeri Hall. Mick strutted around, the better to be seen and admired by his ex, Only thingwas, Bianca’s very shortsighted, and she hadn’t a clue he was there— her pals weren’t going to spoil her dinner, either. So, finally, a bored Mick decided to leave ... only the door was locked. Mick pulled, pushed, kicked and generally raised a commotion, which finally did rouse Bianca from her soup, to have a laugh at his expense. A waiter finally let a much humiliated Mick out. Wotta guy...

The Clash recently staged a Sid Vicious benefit concert in Lon dbn (proceeds going towards his legal defense), inspiring a girl band, the Cask Pussies, to hold a counter-benefit of sorts, for Nancy Spungen. One of the group remarked: “Their benefit show was a hypocritical thing to do. Nancy, was the victim. They should be doing a memorial show for her.” Ah, love

Sid Vicious never made it home for the holidays due to his most recent run-in with the law. Eyewitnesses reported that tire trouble began when Sid and a few friends dropped into Hurrah’s in New York to see Skafish. Vicious took a fancy to Patti Smith’s brother Todd’s girlfriend Tarrah and commenced pinching herpn thederriere. When Todd asked him to cease and desist, Sid allegedly gashed him above the eye with a broken Heineken bottle. He was hustled away by friends before police arrived. Todd was taken to tire hospital and ended up with five stitches above his eye. Sid was arrested the next day. At the indictment, a grand jury accused Sid of “attempting to seriously and permanently disfigure” Smith and the judge denied his bail, forcing him to spend the holidays in the slammer. Should Sid be found guilty of first-degree assault, he faces a ; maximum penalty of 15 years. On top of that, Patti Smith is urging her brother to sue for damages . Meanwhile Sid’s trial for the murder of his girlfriend Nanc^Spungen, beginning on January 2, should be nearing completion as you read this.

Yes, Paul McCartney’s discs will now be coming to you stamped with the familiar red CBS label. Paul’s also aIready tried to book studio time for his first CBS album in his favorite four walls, Abbey Road Studio Two. He couldn’t get any time, though, so he’s building an exact replica of the studio in his St. John’s Wood home, down to the wood paneling. Ah, bucks.

A “Jackie Unison Trust” has been set tip to take care of medical expensesfor the stricken screamer, by Ben Vereen, Bill Cosby and Natalie Cole.

The Damned are back! After reforming on a trial basis as the Doomed, Bat Scabies, Captain Sensible,'Dave Vanian a nd Alasdair Ward’■ fex Saints) were pleased enough with their success to give it another go

We’re a happy fa/hily: former Blondie bassist Gary Valentine has rejoined the crew, at least in record companies. Chrysalis has recently signed Valentine, whose LP will be produced byBlondie’s keyboardist, Jimmy Destzy.

Hey all you wacky insomniacs^ how about this: you don’t have to sleep! Thus said Captain Beefheart to Zodiac. He claims he newer sleeps; has broken the sleep barrier, and even a few hours of z’s are a waste of time . The Captain goes on to condemn the general state of laid -back-ness these days: “I ain’t laying back. Gravity is bad enough. That’s hard enough to deal with . And these Earth Shoes, ma n, that makes it worse. Who wants to a Iways walk uphill anyway?”

The Christmas gift that wasn’t; Van Schrager, coowner ofStudio 54, was busted for possession of cocaine “with intent to distribute” back in December. The Feds found five one-ounce packets of coke among Schrager’s personals and allege that the parcels were intended as Christmas gifts for some of the' disco’s more prestigious regulars. Wonder how you get on their mailing list?

In The Studio

L.A. — Record Plant: 1994, Dave Mason, Carmine Appice, Roy Ayers (A1K ooper producing); Hollywood—Producer’s Workshop: Larry McNealy, Tamey Spencer, Spinners, Lou Rawls;

L.A. —Paramount: Iggy Pop and James Williamson, Peter Hyden;

L. A. — Rusk Sound: Donna Summer; Detroit— United Sound: Parliament/Funkadelic, Friends of Satan; L.A. — Kendun: DeeDee Bridgewater, Billy Preston, Marcy Levy; N. Y. —Blue Rock: Tom Verlaine and Jay Daugherty;

N. Y, —Soundmixers: A1 Stewart; Quebec—Le Studio: Bulls Eye;

JV. Y. —SecretSound: Evelyn “Champagne” King;

Alabama—Muscle Shoals: Dire Straits; The Engineers (Matthew Kaufman and Kenny Laguna producing); L.A. — Cherokee: Journey, Harry Nilsson;

L. A. — Shelter: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Dwight Twilley Band; London—Pye: Tom Robinson Band; N. Y. — BearsviHeM Meat Loaf ; Long Island—

Ultrasonic: Jonathan Richman; Miami—Criteria: Allman Bros.;

L.A. —Fitmways/Heider: Earth Quake, GregKihn; Elsewhere: Led Zeppelin, Devo, BobSeger, Moody Blues, David Johansen, Thin Lizzy, Fleetwood Mac, Sweet, Lou Reed, The Cars.

Les is no more: The Bay City Rollers have finally given up hope, that bad boy lead singer Lea McKeown will mend his evil ways and have now hired a new warbler, 21-year-old Duncan Faure. Don’t worry, if Duncan has any vices, we'llbesure to suss them out. Meanwhile, Leif Garrett.., (What? Still no Leif Garrett news?)

Robert Gordon has signed a recording contract with RCA and will have a new LP on the streets m February.

Kill the goons: AC/DCs lead singer Bon Scott was refused admission to one of their U. K shows recently. During a break in the action, Scott deckled to step barred from returning inside without a backstage pass or a ticket. Claims of being in die band were answered by knowing gnns and unwavering resistance, so Bon finally ran to the cashier’s booth and purchased a ticket in order to finish the show. The trick is to walk in backwards, like you’re walking out..,

See and play guitar techniques are theorder of the day In New York, now that Robert Fripp has his own TV show which teaches viewers proper axe fingenng Cook ’em out, grannyf Meanwhile, in Jamaica, Bob Marley is busy at home building his own recording . studio, to be called Tuff Gong... *•: * -

Led Zeppelin manager Peter GtnuA decided to set the record straight after heanng numerous re ports ofa February 12th release date for the new LZ LP. “The album isn't even mixed yet." Grant said, “so how can we fix a release date? And we shan't even think about touring until the LP is ready ” Nya, nya...

Replacable parts? While Jefferson Starship drummer John Barbata recuperates from his recent auto accident, former Journey dru ra mer Aynsley Dunbar will be picking up the sticks Hr the ship and plans to tour and record with them. Meanwhile, Grace Slick is stilt out to lunch...

The Tom Robin Jon Band is also in the market for a new drummer following the departure of Dolphin Taylor. Robinson is using a session musician for the next album, but will need a full-timer before the onset of their March tour . Incidentally, Todd Rundgren took over production chores for TRB while he wasinEngland, butalsohas his hands full on these shores producing Patti Smith and Meat Loaf.

Keeping up with the times: William Burroughs has decided to go one better than die Sex Pistols by penning his own punk song in answerto “God Save the Queen". Our Toronto connection reports that the touching tune is Med, “Bugger the Queen”. Write on, Bill,,

If you can keep this down with your tea and toast, Meat Loaf and Elvis Costello are reportedly signed to appear (in non-singing roles) in a forthcoming movieiy, Americathon. The plot has something to do with the U.5. being held forransomjMeatfea Strongman who destroys cars for money and El' plays-get this-the orchestra leader on the telethon. Details to be checked out.

Turns out the only thing Elton John hasn't come out of the closet about in die press was the reason for his mysterious “collapse" in London recently. Seems Elton's had a lifelong history of epilepsy, which 99% of thetime is undercontrol, and no one’s the wiser for it His J recent illness was a rarity. . «j

The big February news has to be the «j Clash tour, atpresstime we heard ^ j that they wanted Bo Dlddley to ° open for them... Meanwhile, in the U.K., as David Johansen wound up his tour playing at Batbarella’sin Birmingham,"fans were surprised when Mick Jones came out with a grin and his guitar for the first encore, “Personality Crisis. ’1

In England, Peter Gabriel and Tom Robinson performed at a benefit concert .. for different organizations Tom, of course, donated his take to a Gay Rights group; Peter gave his money to a single parents’ organization. When Robinson started chopping into “Bully For You", bully boy Elton John leaped onstage to join in (apparently overcoming the fear he expressed in our February issue of new wave bands laughing at

Peter Hamili was in the midst of a show in Italy in an unheated factory «>r a crowd of2000 when 300 {??) nylon-masked goons forced their 1 way into the factory, to rush the .stage. Peter and band jumped into a, nearby truck and escaped by driving through a plate glass window. * (Cancel that tour of the Coliseum, guys: „.)

One for the runway: On a recent fog-delayed flight from Shannon

Airport to Gatwick, co-passengers Nick Lowe and Robin Trower wiled away the hours by hoisting a few So when the plane overshot the runway and was forced to circle the airport before landing safely. Nick and Robin were too relaxed to even know if they ever made it down.

Who could refuse an offer like that? A number of rockers have volunteered their services for the upcoming Ratting Stones * concert for the blind in Toronto. Some of the names being bantered about include Rod Stewart, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, etc. No word yet if their offers will be accepted, as the Stones first have to finalize a date and locale. Meanwhile, keep an eye peeled for Ron Wood’s solo album, due any second

On the Toronto front, the Diodes were d ropped by CBS after the release of their second LP, much to the surprise of the band. Intensive label-shopping lies ahead... And what of Teenage Head? Although their LP has been finished and mixed and sitting in the can for six months, Interglobal records has yet to release it. Cmon. give ’em a chance, guys.. . * j

On Tour

The Clash; Ultravox; XTC; The Police; PeterTosh; Generation X; Elton John; Boston; Sammy Hagar; Roger McGuinn/Gene Clark/Chrte Hillman; Dr. Hook; J. Geils Band; Little River Band; Abba; Jefferson Starship; Eric Clapton; Ted Nugent; Captain Beefheart; Foreigner;

Starz; Southside Johnny; Blondfe; Rory Gallagher; Elvis Costello; Nick Lowe.