ROCK N ROLL NEWS

HOCK N' ROLL NEWS

DEPARTMENTS

Marshall Crenshaw should be in the studio recording his second LP by the time you read this. Although he hadn’t chosen a producer at presstime, Richard Gottehrer definitely will not be behind the boards for this one, as he is committed to another record. Crenshaw has expressed interest in creating a “psychedelic” flavor for this one. C’mon, Marshall, isn’t it a little early for your Sgt. Pepper’s phase??

Good news for fans of the defunct Only Ones. The long-awaited solo LP by the band’s former leader Peter Perrett should be released anydaynow.

Just in case you hadn’t heard: Blondie is no more. The band recently ended their seven years together with little publicity or fanfare, fyigel Harrison and Clem Burke are currently playing with a band called Checkered Past, while Jimmy Destri is pursuing a solo career. Chris Stein and Dehhie Harry will undoubtedly remain busy with solo records, his Animal label and film projects.

A'man without women no more! It was the type of wedding most rock ’n’ rollers fantasize about when Miami Steve Van Zandt of E Street Band/Disciples Of >■ Soul fame ti«|d the knot with longtime girlfriend’Maureen Santora at New York’s Harkness House School of Ballet on New Year’s Eve. Buddy Brace Springsteen acted as best man. The legendary Little Richard Pennimaki, an ordained minister, performed the nuptial ceremony which also featured soul great Percy Sledge serenading the happy couple with this classic “When A Man Loves A Woman.” The reception which followed not only featured the wedding band from The Godfather, but Springsteen & the E Street ended the festivities with a twohour set of their own, Sounds like quite an affair! -,

Although Schlitz Beer—who Sponsored the Who’s recent trek through North America—are currently negotiating with the Rotting Stones to finance an ’84 U.S. summer tour (again?!?), Steve Tyler and Aerosmith apparently want no part of this corporate suds commercialism. The brewing company offered the band a lot of money to have the phrase “Schlitz presents Aerosmith’’ on each concert ticket. Tyler’s . response? “We offered them dnehalf cent a bottle to print ‘Aerosmith presents Schlitz’ on every one of their labels. They sounded puzzled, and then they stopped calling " £

Out Come The Freaks (Again!) • Joining the Was brothers for die soon-to-be-released second Was (Not Was) LP will be guest vocalists Mitch Ryder, John Sinclair (of radical ’60s/White Panther fame) and Mel Tonne (?!?} . .Does this mean we’ll hear a psychedelicized funk version of “The Christmas Song?”

We re tempted to say if you believe this, we’d like to interest you in our shares of the Hoover Dam, but Keith Richards has found religion, according to his future in-laws. In a recent interview with Britain’s Daily Sun, Naval Chaplain Rodney Hansen, Patti Hansen’s brother, said: “Keith is an enthusiastic disciple of Christ.

He has embraced Christ as a way of life.” Added Keefs future father-inla w,'Alf Hansen: “He’s still the same old Keith, even though he has taken the Lord into his life and his heart. ” Does this mean that Boh Dylan was ahead of his time again? In other Stones news, Keith recently met with several Hollywood producers to discuss the possibility of activating a movie career before returning to Paris for * the band’s new album sessions.

And watch for Keith’s glimmer twin, Mick dagger, making an appearance as the regal emperor in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale on Shelly Duvall’s cable TV series, Faerie Tale Theatre. The show is scheduled to air this summer on Showtirrie. Mick and Jeri Hall are back together, for the record, and everyone seems to be happy|.. most of all, the Lord.

Guitarist Ace Frehley has been forced to bow out of Kies’s current 100 city U.S. tour due to recurring «i injuries suffered in an auto accident late last year. Frehley’s doctors. informed him that the physical strain of touring could put a serious strain on his full recovery, although the guitarist may show up for “surprise” appearances throughout 'the tour. Frehley’s temporary replacement is Vittnie ‘ Wi*” Vincent, who co-wrote and played guest solos on three songs for the band’s latest LP, Creatures Of The Night. N

Our crusading editor Susan Wh Hall is off to join the... ■ /

Moonies? Nah, the Detroit Neibs, whose fearless editors read The Led Zeppelin Psychobiograph and hired her anyway! “Everybody who is smart will now read the News,"quipped the laughing gasser, who was then shuck by a falling piano. Will we at CREEM miss the charmer who coined the phrase, “Either you meet the deadline or you’re in the dead meat line, buster”? We’re thinking about it.

Our spies in ^ A inform uS that former Knack leader Doug Fieger is sporting long hair and playing with a band that is sort of a cross between heavy metal and Missing Persons. Fieger also was recently wed to—lo and behold —someone other than Sharons. And another era ends (?)...

Congratulations to Ray Davies and Chrissie Hynde, the proud parents of a baby girl born January 22nd. Should grow up to be a talented kid!

The Fabulous Thunderbirds, currently on tour to promote their' recent Nick Lowe-produced LP, will soon be going into the studio to support Carioe Santana on his next LP. The album* which Santana claims is a return to the rock’n’roll roots (what have the Stray Cats wrought?), will also feature legendary Stax musician Booker T. Jones. The LP’s being produced by Jerry Wexler. v

John Conger recently joined Jerry Lee Lewis onstage in Minneapolis for a special duet. The Killer originally wanted to do “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” but the dynamic duo finally agreed on Lewis’s arrangement of “Over The Rainbow.” Said Cougar of Lewis’s version: “It was the first time I’d ever heard the lyrics and believed them.”

Former Sox Pistols/Bow Wow Wow manager Malcolm McLaren, who recently released his own single, said on British TV that he’d like to reform the Pistols. Replied John (Rotten) Lydon; “The tosser’s been eating Buffalo chips and they’ve apparently destroyed whatever mind he has left. The man’s completely bonkers. What’s he going to do? Dig old Sid out of his fuckin’ grave?!”

Co-producing David Bowie’s forthcoming LP with long-time Bowie producer Tony Visconti is Chic head honcho Nile Rogers. Musicians for the record, which has been described as a very “urban flavored affair,” include Sammy Figura, Tony Thompson, Omar Hakim and RodSabino.

The Human League have sued to have their song, “Love Action,” removed from the soundtrack of The Last American Virgin.

WE CAN HARDLY WAIT DEPT. Cook of the house Linda McCartney is currently in the studio recording a solo LP with Tony Visconti at the controls. Lene Lovich is reportedly providing backing vocals... Oh a more “positive”note, Laura Nyro is finishing up her first album in over five years.

Fans of Captain Beefheart— better known as Don Vain Vliet— should be. on the lookout for Conjunctions, a literary journal that currently features several of,. Beefheart’s paintings (one prominently featured on the cover) and four of his poems. Those who’d like the book but can’t find it racked right next to CREEM at the drugstore should send $8.50— which covers the mag, postage & handling—rto Conjunctions, 33 West 9th St., New York, NY I'OOl1. Do it today!

Frank Zappa announced last year that he would never perform in England again, but the main Mother recently performed one df hj.s symphonies at the London

Hammersmith Odeon with the 100piece London Symphony Orchestra. Zappa’s work required the ensemble to crunch cellophane, starrtp their feet and grunt in unison, amofig other things, and the reviews, were mixed. Zappa claims he is about to leave rock music behind, planning only “one or two more” tours in America. He is currently collaborating with New York producer Joseph Papp on a > Broadway musical.

Watch a forthcoming film biography of the Mamas & the Papas, produced by ex-Mama Michelle Phillips.

ROCK ’N’ ROLL CELLULOID DEPT. Sting is set to star in Dino DeLaurentis’s Dune, based on Frank Herbert’s best-selling science-fiction novels.. .Adam Ant will be immediately returning to England following his current American tour to star in Yellow Bird . Johnny Thunders will portray Jesus Christ (?!?—does this* ha"ve anything to do with Keef s recent Conversion?) in a new film about heroin addiction entitled Gringo. -The film, which also features soundtrack music by the wasted one, is being directed by Lech Kowalski, the person responsible . for the Sex Pistols' documentary, D.O.A.

A new supergroup? Asia may ' have to move over, as Phil Collins, Steve Winwood and Snpertramp’s Rodger' Hodgson entered a studio in January to record a project together. Collins has gracefully bowed out of the Robert Plant tour, which was mentioned in last month’s Rock/n’ Roll News column.

Who was that masked man? Watt J Of Voodoo drummer Joe Nattihi recently helped police apprehend an armed robber in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Naniniwas at a local bar when the gunman held up the place. Nanini trailed the robber back to his motel, where fie phoned the police.

Ron Wood, guitarist for some obscure British band, recently lectured 3,000 students on the music business and guitar-playing for a one-shot Manhattan adult education class. Some students were reportedly a bit disgruntled about paying $30 to watch Wood, who.was an hour late for the lecture, drink whiskey and speak in rambling terms!