Rock 'n' Roll News

Rock 'n' Roll News

DEPARTMENTS

Our nominee for all-time patron of the rock arts has to be Saul Zaentz, the main force behind Fantasy Records, the former label of Creedence Clearwater Revival. After being in litigation for some nine years with John Fogerty, Fantasy emerged with a substantial chunk of Fogerty’s songwriting royalties for the 5,000 or so hit songs he penned while with CCR. Seemingly unsatisfied—what the heck, we’re only talking about free millions here—

Zaentz has brought suit against Fogerty and Warner Bros, for the song “Zanz Kant Danz” from Fogerty’s Centerfield album. Lawyers for Zaentz said the action was taken because the song—which describes the scurrilous adventures of badguy “Billy” and his porker pal “Zanz”—defamed Zaentz by holding him up to “scorn and ridicule.” Our sources tell us that Fogerty has already returned to the studio and recut the tune as “Vanz Kant Danz” and that future pressings of the album’s label and jackets have been changed by Warner Bros., although more than 700,000 copies have been sold as of this writing. We figure Fogerty pretty much summed up the whole thing himself with this comment: “All I did was write a song about a pig.”

They’re Only In It For The Personal Satisfaction Of Making Fine Music Dept.: Frank Zappa is being sued by Don Preston, Jimmy Carl Black and John “Bunk” Gardner, three ex-members of the Mothers Of Invention. The trio claim that Zappa owes monies to “at least” 20 former members of the Mothers and are asking for $4.6 million and another $9 million in punitive damages.

The Police have delayed plans for mixing their live album indefinitely and Sting is apparently still having trouble finding a satisfactory producer for his solo album, having hired— and released— I.R.S. artists Torch Song and Martin Rushent for the job.

Joining in on helping out famine-stricken Ethiopia is just about everybody, with the noticeable absence of Prince. Those participating in the recording (and video) of “We Are The World” (co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, last-minute help from Stevie Wonder) were:

Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Dan Aykroyd, Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick, Hall & Oates, Huey Lewis & The News, Willie Nelson, Steve Perry, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Kim Carnes, the Pointer Sisters, Lindsey Buckingham, the Jacksons, Jeffrey Osbourne, Kenny Loggins, James Ingram, Al Jarreau, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles, Sheila E.,

Tina Turner, Bob Geldof (who organized the British Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas” for the same cause) and—finally—the very, very talented Billy Joel. Listen, when they say “We Are The World” they mean they are the world. As for Prince, he was at Carlos & Charlie’s restaurant in

L.A. the very night the song was being recorded, where his bodyguards got in a punch-out with a couple of photographers. And speaking of raising money, the photogs are said to be suing Prince and the bodyguards for a reported $30 million.

Bruce Springsteen fans will be pleased to note that the Boss has released his tribute to Elvis, ‘‘Johnny Bye Bye” as the B-side of “I’m On Fire.”

The Man of Mucho Royalties also credits Chuck Berry as the song’s co-writer.

Just in from our beleagured He’p! Desk: the CREEM offices were abuzz when Billy Joel phoned recently. Did he just call to say he loved us? Not exactly. Seems he was more interested in chatting about the magazine’s editorial policy towards the talented singer/songwriter. (Editorial policy? CREEM??) Anyway, Mr. Joel, who participated in the selfless “We Are The World"

benefit (as noted elsewhere in this column), said things like: “If I have no redeeming qualities at all, I’d like to know why I’m doing as well as I’m doing.” Us, too. Howsabout: “Poking fun is one thing, but this seems to be another thing.” Yes, it’s more like Deluxe Mr. Potato Head.

And, of course, our favorite: “I’m not doing this for the money.” Heee. Have you ever wanted to be in David Bowie’s band? Well, George Simpson, of Berkeley, California, does, so he allegedly sent the multimedia star a fake bomb. Hey, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. He also included a letter (rather thoughtfully, we think) saying: “Dear Mr. Bowie (or whatever your real name is): Hi, I’m a nut from out there someplace. I assume some overzealous deputy didn’t blow the package up... Sorry to intrude in so obnoxious a fashion, but I wanted to insure that this got to your attention.” Simpson has pleaded innocent to the charges and we’d like to ask: with Bowie’s show, who needs a fake bomb?

In what is perhaps the most exciting recording news of the last 15 years, Wham! have become the first act since the Beatles to score consecutive #1 singles in both the U.S. and U.K. The Fabs did it in 1968-‘69 with “Hey Jude” and “Get Back,” amusing numbers for their time; the Dynamic Duo have done it on the strength of “Wake Me Up Before You GoGo” and “Careless Whisper “ and are now bigger than Jesus Alou.

We’re pleased to note that the Replacements, one of America’s foremost garage-rock bands, have signed with Sire

Records. You can still pick up on their critically-acclaimed earlier material on Twin/Tone.

Ed Stasium, who co-produced the Ramones' Too Tough To Die, has been cleaning up a cache of tapes he found featuring Lester Bangs and the band Birdland (Joey Ramone’s brother, Mitch Leigh, on guitar). The songs were all recorded on April

Fool’s Day, 1979, and feature such Bangsian classics as “Accidents Of God,” “Kill Him Again,” and “I’m In Love With My Walls.” According to reports, Stasium is hoping a record company will feel a “moral obligation” to put the tracks on vinyl. We’ll refer that hope to our Heee Desk right away.

More in the way of jurisprudence: Willie Dixon has filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court of New York against Led Zeppelin for your usual copyright infringement. The complaint is based on the “extreme similarity”between Dixon’s composition “You Need Love” and Zep’s moderatelysuccessful “Whole Lotta Love”. It will be remembered that the early-metal titans recorded several of Dixon’s compositions early on, including “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” “Bring It On Home” and “You Shook Me.” Of course, they gave him credit on those.

The Romantics’ quest for a drummer to replace the legendary Jimmy Marinos has ended! Thumping the skins will be Ralph Serafino, a distinguished Detroit musician for some years. You can all go back to living now.

Our long-dormant Billy Idol Desk has stepped in to sub for the Billy Squier Desk while they’re on vacation. And here’s the news: Steve Stevens, Billy’s guitar player, has been busy as all get-out lately—so busy, in fact, that he turned down a chance to produce Dez Dickerson and co-produce David Lee Roth’s Crazy From The Heat. He did find time to slip Nona Hendryx a couple of songs for her next recording venture “’cause she’s the only one who lived near me.” Steve's main preoccupation seems to be gearing up for writing the score to Idol’s forthcoming film venture, Ring Death. (He’ll be working in conjunction with Keith Forsey on that.) In the film, Idol plays the part of a “rock ‘n’ roll assassin,” a role that—no doubt—comes remarkably natural to him.

THE CREEM CHRONICLE: Where were you five years ago?

EVERYONE’S A CRITIC

David Crosby recently heard bad-mouthing “new wave” rock in a San Francisco radio interview, singling out the “talentless Elvis Costello” as especially offensive. Which must please hippiehater Elvoid to no end, judging by his recent critique of punk convert Linda Ronstadt’s reworking of three of his songs. His heartfelt response? “That was sheer torture...a waste of vinyl.”