ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

ROCK 'N' ROLL NEWS

Although the soundtrack to Christiane F looks like another repackaging of previously released David Bowie tracks, fans of the carrot-topped one may be interested to know that the LP features a version of “Helden” (“Heroes” sung in German), as well as a live version of “Station To Station.”

The Blasters will be hosting their own television special in the very near future with special guests Carl "Blue Suede Shoes” Perkins and Willie Seventh Son” Dixon.

XTC’s 20-city Americarl tour was cancelled after the first show when leader Andy Partridge collapsed just prior to a concert at the Hollywood Palladium. “Complete mental and physical exhaustion,” as well as a possible ulcer, were the reasons given. Our spies report that Partridge was seen acting weird earlier that day and “questioning what he was doing with his life.”. Good question, Andy!!

WHO’S WHO? Kenney Jones, Who drummer and a regular nice guy, phoned our offices to deny a report that he had auditioned to fill a vacant drum seat in British punk band, Theatre Of Hate. “I never even heard of Theatre Of Hate until recently,” said Mr. Jones, adding that he has “never auditioned for anyone since I began my career.” Kenney also stressed that the Who are definitely not splitting up, and that John Entwistle’s quote about the band’s imminent demise was “totally off the wall.” The band began recording the next Who LP on May 4, and Jones said they will “concentrate on touring America this summer.”

Iman Lababedi recently wrote in these pages that Joan Jett clones are numerous at her shows, but the “Joan clone” was taken to its furthest extreme in the June issue of Playboy magazine which featured a photo of “Joan” in a bathtub with legs spread towards the camera. Only it turns oiut the model wasn’t Joan at all, but a lookalike. Playboy plans to run an apology in the July issue, but a person close to Jett said there just “might be a tremendous lawsuit.” Joan’s little sister was reportedly “so embarrassed” she couldn’t go to school the day the photo hit the stands. Rick Johnson pleads innocence...

HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN DEPT. Aging peacenik and walrus David Crosby was arrested in early April on charges of driving under the influence of drugs and carrying a concealed weapon (a .45-caliber revolver) while en route to an anti-nuclear rally at the San Onofre, California nuclear plant. Crosby was driving to join his pals Graham Nash and Stephen Stills at the demonstration, when his car crashed into a concrete divider on the freeway. Police arrested Crosby, who suffered some facial lacerations in the wreck, after discovering a bong, white powder and the pistol in his car. When asked why he was carrying a gun, Crosby simply replied: “John Lennon.” The following week, Crosby was arrested a second time for (you guessed it!) possession of a gun and white powder. No truth to rumor that he replied “Ronald Reagan” this time around.

Speaking of guns, Rod Stewart recently found himself on the wrong end of one in Los Angeles. A gunman pulled a pistol on Ol’ Roostertop, demanded the keys to his Porsche, and drove away in the car. And last but not least, average guy Lou Reed said in a recent interview that John Lennon’s assassination was the final straw that made him “take down the ‘Lou Reed lives here’ sign” and leave his beloved New York City for a safer home in the country.

Neil Bogart, 39, president of Boardwalk Records and former president of Casablanca Records, died of cancer on May 8 in Los Angeles. Bogart’s companies guided the recording careers of such major music acts as Kiss, Donna Summer, Joan Jett, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Mac Davis. Our condolences to his family and friends.

MUSIC PERSONNEL CHANGES. Bassist Doug Howard has replaced Kasim Sulton in Todd Rundgren’s Utopia... the English Beat have recruited saxophonist Wesley Magoogan (formerly with Hazel O’Connor) to replace 52-year-old Saxa whose cartilige trouble prevents him from further touring. He will, however, continue to record with the band.. .Keyboardist Chuck Leavell has rejoined the Allman Brother Band after a five year hiatus with his own band, Sea Level...Ozzy Osbourne has replaced his late guitarist Randy Rhodes with Bernie Tonne, formerly of the Ian Gillian Band.

Elton John will be touring this summer with his original touring band, including Dee Murray on bass, Nigel Olsson on drums and Davey Johnstone on guitar...

Watch for a Gram Parsons anthology coming soon from Warners. Liner notes will be written by one Elvis Costello. Elvis, you may recall, covered two of the original cosmic cowboy king’s songs on his Almost Blue LP.

Sorry to hear that Ronnie Lane (the Small Faces, Slim Chance) is in Florida, undergoing treatment for multiple sclerosis. The Rolling Stones are helping out with some of the hospital bills.

Jim Riley, drummer of Stiff Little Fingers, has left that band to join the Red Rockers. The Rockers will be touring Cuba this summer, the first new wave unit to ever visit Castro land.

Bow Wow Wow recently proved that their bite is as mean as their bark during a press conference for college DJs at the Manhattan night club, F-Sharp. Guitarist Matthew Ashman reportedly answered an insult from one DJ by jumping over the table and swinging at the guy. That’s what happens when you wear your hair like that...

Debonair Sting of the Police has collaborated with loots Holland And HI* Miliionairaa on a new song, “Grand Hotel.” Sting co-wrote, produced and played bass Onfhe single, which will be released on the IRS label later this spring.

Fleetwood Mac's next LP, Mirage, will be released sometime in June. The band will follow the album with a 15 to 20 date American tour playing mostly large outdoorshows.

Andy Warhol will provide the cover art for the next Hilly SquierIP Huh?

John Hoard, currently starting-M” Universal's The CatPeople, and , Annie Golden of the Shirts •> have teamed up to star in Space 1 Cadets, an off-Broadway play scripte^tt^gular CBEEM contributor Ed Kelleher. No truth to the rumors that CREEM contributors Rick Johnson and J. Kordosh are collaborating on a new Alpo Dogfood commerce!.

Jimmy Sohna, formerly lead singer of the Chicago-based \ Shadows Of Knight, who had a ntimer one hit in 1967 with their cover of Them’s “Gloria,” was one of 11 arrested for delivering approximately $1.6 million in ‘ cocaine. Sohns, 35, has been. accused of heading the drug ring I from his Northwest Chicago apartment.

Looks like die James Brown project With Sly Dunbar and Bobble Shakespeare won’t happen after all. The soul brother king reportedly took one of his infamoustemper tantru ms andftred ‘the two nelNiibeii) complaining ij “they couldn’t may have been taking it just a bit (too fat., J:;

Bob Dylan entered the studio in early April to begin work on his next LB. Eimmy’sband reportedly includes AlKoop4B Taylor and Jack Brace. Also in ’ the studio is Brace Sprlngateatt. CBS reportedwant« d to release an LP of outtakes frOm The River . and Darkness On Tfm.EdbMD^m , Town, but Bruce said “No way,” x opting instead to record ail LPqf totally new material. also wrote six or seven songs fiat Gary Jl.f Bonds’ forthcoming album, as well as finally recording the song with Donna SttaadliBlB which He wrote for her earlier ihift ;' year. Qtthtcy Jones produced the session, which included Toto 1 as a back-up band. Said Jeff 1 Porcaro of the latter group: *^tt(l the end of each take, Springsteen I jumped up in the air with as much excitement as if he was onstage at the Forum.”» :

Rhino Records has a whole goodies out soon: they're reissuing the first Turtles' album (with “It * Ain’t Me, Babe” and “Let Me Be’^l with added liner notes by former Turts Flo & Eddie, a Runaway* Ep featuring Joan Jett and the girls cooing Slade’s “Mama, Weer AllCrazeeT'ldM/” and “Eight \ ^ Days A Week,.” among other tunes, and the second Grandmothawfd LP, dubbed Looking Up Granny's Dress. Coming up: two F|gg|fl||E Theater LPs, the psychedelic *•* Acid Casualties album (with former Door Robbie Krleger and Zappa-ite Artfctef ■ Barrow on syndi^J a Johnny '. ■ Crawford antholo^ and a whole bunch of surf music, too. Details as they Comdex -N,

King Car Ric Ocasekfa^ " preparing a new volume of poetry, to be called Prose And Cons for publication early this summer.

The Jim Morrison estate, including his parents, sister and brother-in-law, has formed a production company, to film J bfograpy of delate j set to begin production in December. Brother-in-law__, Graham has warped that the estate will sue if Warner Brothers goes ahead with its planned movie, of Danny Sugermanand Jerry Hopkins' biography , No One 1Mere Gets Out Alive.: Meanwhile, ■ director Brian DePalma (Carrie, Dressed To Kill) is reportedly very interested in filming a Lizard King project, and John Travolta is still dnspping hints that he'd be tef? interested in playing the title tpfa,".

MGM/United Artists will release a VfolMength animated film this jj summer with original Songs written byDebbia Harry, Chris Stein, Cheap Trick, Earth, Wind and Fire, Iggy Pop and LoaReed. 1 Rock And Rule is described as a “futuristic musical centered around a struggling rock band confronted by the aging Mok, the world’s greatest egomaniaca! rock star.”

U.S.A. cable network’s Nightflight acquired, the. rights for national, broadcast of New York Dame 1 Stand. The show, which has been I aired on Manhattan’s public access for several years, is a New York ^ version of American Bandstand, featuring dancing to a top ten of

Y dub hits, as well as live bands like Hie Go-Go's, dm ' Psychedelic Furs, Iggy Pop. Our Daughter's Wedding and Joan Jett. The show has ai§o :; rred rock-oriented films Hke DOA and Breaking Gh

Pop singer and Mick Jones’s main squeeze Ellen Foley 1 signed to appear in anew! Sidney Pollack film, Tootsie, witt Dustin Hoffman.

In The Studio

MIAMI, FL -r~ Criteria Recording Studios: Bow Wow Wow, the Bus Boys, Tom Chapin, Aerosmith, Manowar; SAN FRANCISCO, CA —Automatt: Santana, Stacy Lkttisaw, Cad'Chritdrit'Wyde Street Studios: the Punts, Hoyt Axton . ■'Band, Dead Kennedys,: the Rings; LOS ANGELES, CA-Amigo Studios: America; Record One: Kim Carnes, Don Henley, Warren Zevon; Conway Recording Studio: Dusty Springfield; Music Grinder • the Grass Roots; DETROIT, MI—Studio A:||X, Mabin, *ludy gl Reynolds, Dennis Bowles.