Rock 'n' Roll News

Rock 'n' Roll News

Pink-eyed soulman Johnny Winter just finished up an LP for Chicago’s Alligator Records. Winter’s band for the project included such ace bluesbreakers as James Cotton and members of Albert Collins and Lonnie Brooks's bands Look for an early summer release.

Ozzy Osbourne stopped in at one of Motley Crue’s N.Y.C. gigs to photo-opportune and compare rodents with the dudes Stnctly in the rumor stage -are1 7 J reports the batsucker's chosen the Crue crew as his first outside production project.

...or it could be the Oz and the guys were talkin’ throat gore. Surely you’ve hqard how flj|f Osbourne took an unscheduled mouthwash with shattered glass after blazing through a featurelength window in pursuit of his; latest video. What do you mean did it affect his voice any? You people'

Wienies in the Wind: As if Billy Idol’s recent anatomy lesson in N.Y.C. (see Kiss Vi’ Tell) wasn’t' sufficient exposure, the blond hotdog had himself some fun in Chicago,, too. As Billy was recovering from a particularly warm set at the Windy City’s Aragon Ballroom, hundreds of fans gathered in the street below and began chanting his name. The infrequently bashful Briton was so pleased with this response he hopped right out on the ledge and led the crowd in a rousing a capella version of “Rebel Yell.” This delicious mob recital drove the kids wild, especially those of the female persuasion. You see, Billy was stark naked the whole time!

Contrary to reports.; published, here and theresville, onetime Blondie boss Chris Stein is not dying of leukemia or an ybfher incurable, unmentionable disease. He : . however, Hospital for the test results on a “recurrent malady” that’s had him laying low the past couple years. Word has it the problem’s a metabolic one brought on by a particularly complicated case of mono. Or maybe a close look at his roomie’s hair-do on that famous The Hunter album cover;

This month in the continuing comic drama that is Asia, those silly hitmakers have given bass slapper Greg Lake the boot for reasons unspecified but probably ’cause they were just sick of his face! To enhance the comedic aspects of the tale, the guys then informed previously-expelled bassist John Wetton that all was forgiven if he’d only rejoin the band. John reportedly said no thanks in several colorful ways, including at least half of the CREEM Readers Poll’s finalists in the Street Phrase of the Year category.

It’s a girl! Yep, Jerry Hall finally made Mick a proud poppa after a pregnancy that seemed to drag on as long as Keith and Patti’s engagement. Teeny one’s name: Elizabeth Scarlett. A girl what is all we wanna know.

Kansas drummer (and Air Force brat) Phil Ehart has put together an American supergroup that almost rivals the ARMS benefit line-up for a USO concert tour this spring. Nicknamed The First Airborne Rock & Roll Division, the band includes such big names as Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick; Phil’s Kansas buddy Rich Williams; David Jenkins and Cory Lerios from Pablo Cruise, and Survivor chief Jim Peterik Stops announced so far include Okinawa, “The” Phillipines, and South Korea, where they’re lined up to appear a hop, skip and a fragmentation grenade away from the demilitarized zone. Nielsen, for one, is taking it philosophically: it’s probably no more dangerous than someone’s erogenous zone,” quipped funny boy.

OK, this year s Grammy charade is over and the winners were...who cares? The real threat of the evening was choosing the most perversely-matched couple. The nominees: The nowrespectable' Rodney Dangerfield and hyperactive fun girl Cyndi Lauper? Fear mama Elvira and some strange man reputedly named Alice Cooper? The cross-dressed, cross-bred, and just plain cross Annie and Dave Eurythmics? Nope! Rock ’n’ Roll News’ choice for odd “couple” of the night was Brooke Shields, Michael Jackson and little squirtum E. Manuel Lewis (of Webster fame). Shuck E. Darns, fellow clarrfs, that’s sick...

Roll over Joe Elliott: Quiet Riot bass case Rudy Sarzo has been honored by Florida’s Hispanic-American Chamber of Commerce for his “contribution and inspiration to American culture. ”

Hilly rilly big month for Billy Idol all around. Shortly after his waggish visit to Chi-town, the banshee-haired rocker headed for L.A., where he spent the next 36 hours taping a new video (“Eyes Without A Face”) amidst smoke, fog, and the sort of pyrotechnic devices Michael Jackson fpund so rude to the nood. At a concert in Tucson later that day, the singer’s eyes began to “sting uncontrollably,” forcing an emergency hospital run. No, he hadn’t been putting in too much peak time mirror usage—the chemicals of the boom-boom stuff had worn away the membrane over his irises, leaving the nerve endings exposed. Billy ended up with his eyes taped completely shut for three days, and now must wear dark glasses until his peepers heal. Too bad it wasn’t his mouth that burned!

Motor City madman Ted Nugent has no respect for his hometown’s most important product. Rubber body bags? Nope—the loin-clothed cutie just likes to smash up cars! While he and his fang gang were working on tracks for Penetrator in N.Y.C., “we played Motor City bumper tag with the N.Y. cabbies. Anyone who doesn’t come out with yellow stains on his rent-a-car loses!” With the Big Apple reduced to rubble (again), Ted and troops headed for Europe to continue the metal crunchin’ fun. For starters, the popular meat advocate burned out all the forward gears of his rented Jag and then raced the rest of the gang down the Autobahn in reverse! But why stop there? The next day, he snuck up behind squealer (Brian Howe’s rented Mercedes and rammed it into a brick wall repeatedly until it resembled the proverbial aluminum accordian, which Ted then shot. Next month: stuffing the wild accordian!

Berlin, who had been asked to open for Yes in America, will be doing a headlining tour of their own instead. Seems that the Yesmen—who have never particularly liked opening acts— decided at the last minute to inform the management they wanted to return to their old policy. Tuff luck for Berlin, who’d canceled trips to Japan and England to make the big tour with the lonely heart owners. “We thought of sending them a garbage can full of rats gnawing on a dinosaur bone,” revealed Beriinner John Crawford, “but we thought it would be unfair to the rats.” Give us a ring sometime, Johnny boy, and we’ll tell you all about the time Yesout of their skulls on “health food”—played the same song twice in a row at a Detroit concert way back when.

A spokespod for Brit sex-popper Haysi Fantayzee denies speculation that the group is planning to split. “It’s true that Kate and Jeremy are working on solo projects at the moment,” the voice insisted, “but then, they always have.”

He said it: “Until Tom wrote ‘In The Name Of Love,’ we were boring!”—Joe Leeway, Thompson Twii|s

Excitable boo Warren Zevon— who didn’t know he’d been canned by his record company until he read it in the press—is down in Athens, GA, recording several new originals with the members of R.E.M. Warren’s hoping to sell the results to Warner Bros., and has tentative plans to tour with R.E.M. if all goes as planned.

How much do the fans wanna get close to Duran Duran? Well, at the Detroit stop of the Feeb Five’s American tour, certain security sleazebags were observed charging desperate young girls five bucks a head for the privilege of standing in the aisle! Better yet, for $10, they got to stand in the aisle twice!

All of you ex-Jam fans will want to know the Mod clods’ bassist, Bruce Foxton, will be touring the UK this summer with an allnew eponymously-named band.

Marshall Crenshaw’s adorable boy-next-door looks backfired on him at his brother John’s wedding reception. Marshall, overcome by all the luv-vibes and radioactive punch, headed up onstage to join the cover band for a few numbers, but the bandleader politely declined. Turns out the guy didn’t know who Mr. Crenshaw was and didn’t trust the bespectacled bozo with his axe, man!

Brighter news on the Crenshaw front is the English release of a new five-song EP. Said platter features four tracks from M.C.’s Field Day album, all in previously unreleased remixes knobbed-out by producer John Luongo of Greg Kihn’s “Jeopardy” fame. Tunes include “Our Town,” “Monday Morning Rock” and two versions (such a deal!) of “For Her Love.” The disc is rounded out with a live cover of Elvis Presley’s “Little Sister.” No American release is planned at this time.

Fast-moving taskmaster Lemmy of Motorhead has finally put the pieces of his band back together, this time as a four-piece unit. Longtime bambam beast Philfhy Animal Taylor has decided to pack it in, but not before he helped recruit his own replacement, Pete Gill, formerly of Saxon. Short-term guitarist Brian Robertson’s been replaced by two new lead guitar charmers, Phil Campbell (exPersian Risk) and four-year army vet Wurzel, who says he joined because Motorhead’s his granny’s favorite band. “It’s great to be back on the folk circuit,” quipped Campbell, perhaps referring to unconfirmable rumors that the band’s announced summer LP debut will feature a Peter, Paul & Mary medley.