ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

Talking Head Tina Weymonth is recording a solo album at CdmpassPoint Studios in the Bahamas, In addition to husband and fellow Head Chris Frants on drums, the LP will feature Jamaican supersession men Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, vocals will be handled by Weymouth and her two sisters, who appeared as the Sweatbreaths on Pear Of Music, Does this mean a Talking Heads split? Have no fear. •The entire band entered the studio in Aprilto begin work on their next LP. .

The Plasmatics’ latest Stiff LP includes 4 fctit entitled “One Summer Night,” which features backing vocals by the Angels, who entered the teenage hall of fame in the early 60’s with their classic “My Boyfriend’s Back. ”

Takihg a lead from the Sir Douglas Quintet, both Question Mark & the Mysterious {“96 Tears”) and the Ventures (“Walk Don’t Run”) are back together and hitting the road.

Sgueer.3 have fired Jake Riviera as their manager, while the Clash have rehired Berate Rhodes to handle their business affair, replacing the recently departed Kosmo Vinyl.

Bob Ezrin is slated to produce the ■ new Kiss LP.

The legal problems between the i Bee Gees and Robert Stlgwood have been resolved out of court. All allegations have been unreservedly withdrawn by both parties, and the Bee Gees will continue to record their Minnie Mou$e-on-helium vocals on Stigwood’s RSO label.

without thinking of Bob Marley. He was, and will forevermore be, a musical legend. Marley Is survived by his wife Rita, and hfe children in Jamaica.

Stranglers lead singer and. guitarist Hugh Cornwell recently paraded el buffo through the lobby of a New Haven hotel when a young woman claiming tobea reporter from a local college newspaper stole his wallet. Comwell was naked when he discovered the wallet missing, and he bolted from his ■ room in pursuit of the thief, much to the astonishment of other hotel guests.

Bruce Springsteen & the £ Street Band wowed audiences in Europe during their recent tour there. Springsteen reportedly received the biggest response of his career in Hamburg, Germany, as' well as mucho praise from city fathers who admired the way Bruce handled the German crowds, who have been unruly since the days when Bill Haley & the Comets caused a full-scale riot there. Bruce frequently performed Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” preceeded by one of his trademark stage raps which featured an imaginary conversation between the Boss and the late King. Rumor has itthatBruce may recreate Marlon Brando’s role in a re*make of The Wild One. Watch for an American tour from Springsteen this summer ||

Rhipo Records has recently released an LP by a surf band called the Crossfires which features Mark Vofauau and Howard Kaytan (aka Flo & Eddie) during their pre-Turtles days,

Sly Stone recently appeared onstage for several minutes during a P-Funk gig at the Ritz in New York.

LOOVPOP’S new LP. Party, was released by Arista in England on JuneS. A single, “Bang, Bang,” was released last month. There are no plans for an American release at this time. Iggy is presently working on an LP of Ws oldies with Tommy Boyce of . Boyce-Hart/Monkeesfame

Cheap Trick's Bun E. Carlos recently wed an old flame in the band’s hometown of Rockford, Illinois.. John Cate should have tied the knot with 22*year-old New York actress Rise Irishlami (from Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories) by the time you read this.

AC/DC will begin a 1981 North American toUr in Canada on September 30.

In The Studio

Los Angeles, CA—Mastering Lab: 20/20 Gary Wnght. Davlen: Earth, Wind & Fire, April Wine; Sunset Sound: Doobie Brothers; Redwing Sound: Gretones; Record One: the Motels, Stevie Nicks, Rita Coolidge (Andrew Gold producing); Cherokee: Cheap Trick, Tommy Tutone; Record Plant: the Knack; New York, NY-RPM: Billy Joel, the Waitresses; Right Track: Nona Hendryx; Woodstock,

N. Y. —Utopia Studios: New England (Todd Rundgren producing) ; Memphis, TN—Ardent Recording: Z.Z. Top;

Nashville, TN—Scruggs Studio: Brenda Lee; Miami, '

FLA—Quadradial: David Johansen.

Noted misanthropist Elvis Costello recently performed a solo gig for the patients of a mental hospital in theU.K. There was a ; slight problem when several patients began to clap along out of synch, throwing Elvis off-beat. An audience member helped put as percussionist to keep Elvis in time. The performance was filmed for a screening at the Year Of The Disabled benefit gig that will also feature kin Dory

,. .The Home Box Office TV special j featuring Elvis and George Jones mentioned in last months R’n ’R News will be titled George Jones &

; Friends. Elvis’ backup band included Attractions Steve Nieve and Pete Tjhomas, as well as Nick Lowe on bass and John Hiatt on guitar. EC soloed on several tunes, Including Patsy Cline’s “He’s Got You” and Merle Haggard's “Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down,” before Jones joined him for a duet of “Stranger In The House.” Always a huge country music fan, El will record his next LP in Nashville with Billy Sherrill. New Vinyl Times, a combination jukebox/magazine, will be going national at Peaches Records outlets in July. The concept f eatures a cassette-operated jukebox which customers can use to sample new music and an accompanying magazine commenting On the music. The concept was tried at Tower Records in Los Angeles where play was very heavy for bands like the Pretenders and B-52’s before radio began playing those artists. A publicist for NVT said that the boxes will feature “only the very new—imports, Slash Records, Bomp Records, and labels like that.”

Gary Nnman recently announced his retirement from music with a farewell concert in London. Numan reportedly wants to concentrate on films which, we agree, is where he belongs. Stay tuned for / Was A Teenage Robot!

Canadian ravers Max Webstar have disbanded.

Arthur Brawn, who as the Crazy World Of Arthur Brown scored an enormous hit in the ’60’s with “Fire,” is readying a band to record and take on the road, English native Brown has been living in Austin,

Texas working as a carpenter for the last several years.

Blue Oyater Colt’s forthcoming LP will feature a new Patti Smith number, “Fire Of Unknown Origin, ” as well as a tune titled “Bumin’ For You” with lyrics by It. Meltzer.••

Val Garay, whoproduced Kim Carnes’ hot “Bette DavisCyes,” producing the third Motels LP in his studio...

Ted Nugent finished seventh in the Barstow off-road race.

Following the event, Nugent told a reporter. “I have a wango tango headache of gonzo proportions.I have six acres of desert in my system. I could start a small farm in my mouth.” .. In other Motor City Madman news, Ted became so angry when a “fan” spit on him during a recent concert in San Bernardino, California, that he Jumped from the stage, apprehended the culprit and managed to send him to the hospital. That’ll teach the guy to spit at a man who hunts for his dinner!

Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham has signed a solo contract with Elektra Asylum. His first solo LP is scheduled for release late this summer or early fall.

Noo Yawk rockabilly faves The Rockats recently recorded a debut live LP for Island Records. The LP has the distinction of being one of the first long players to be recorded, pressed and released within 48 hours.

Yoke Ono is planning to purchase New York pop-art newspaper, the Soho Weekly News... As you probably know by now, "All Those Years Ago,” George Harrison’s tribute to John Lennon features Paul McCartney and Ringo, Starr on backup. Didn’t Lester Bangs once write something about “the greatest anti-climax in the history of the world”?

David Essex is portraying Lord Byron in a London stage production ofChilde Byron. Essex’s new LP is being produced by A1 Kooper, and the first single is scheduled to be a cover of Gene Vincent’s “Be-Bop-A-Lula. ”

it’s Rock ’n’ Roll, a multi-media rock trivia game show coveri ng 25 years of rock history, will debut in theU.S. and Canada during the fall | of 1981. Comic Richard Belzer' ! has been signed to host. The show will feature teams of rock stars and fans competing for big money prizes. Suggestions for guest stars can be sent to The Raleigh Group, Ltd., 250W. 57Street, Suite2504, New York 10019. We suggest Paul Lynda. Y H

Speaking of television, NBC-TV recently “ruined” Woodstock by editing the “classic” film: Tan Yaars Altar’s “I’m Going Home” was cut by at least ten minutes so Baan Bridges could lecture the audience on concepts of peace and love. Many excused themselves to vomit...

Humble Pie had to cancel several concert dates when Stave Marriott slammed his hand in a door, crushing three of his fingers. Bobby Tench is playing guitar for the band while Steve’s hand heals.

A recent press release for Styx explains the band’s phenomenal success by asking the musical question: “Could it be that concert audiences numbed by negative rock j are responding to Styx’s musical call for an American renewal led by a young generation of‘hard working son of a guns?”’ Aren’tthe Reagan years fun?

Diana Rosa recently signed with RCA Records She must be making a nice sum since Diana recently snapped up a two-piece black lace dress with feathers and 10,000 sequins for a mere $6,000.

On Tour

Madness, Spandau Ballet, Bow Wow Wow, Moody Blues, X, /•

; Question Mark & the Mysterians, GregKihn Band, Willie Nile, the Ventures, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Alice Cooper, Van Hale.fi, Joe Walsh, Bob Dylan., Robert Gordon, Rick Nelson, Jefferson Starship, Santana, Journey, Styx.