Rock 'n' Roll News

Rock 'n' Roll News

DEPARTMENTS

Scheduled for a fall release is Sting’s new film, which will have something to do with his new LP, The Dream Of The Blue Turtles. The movie will be filmed in Paris and document the development of ol’ Gordy’s new jazz band. A guest appearance by Flipper cannot be ruled out!

San Francisco-based rock mogul Bill Graham’s offices were destroyed by fire recently, resulting in the loss of considerable rock memorabilia and his only photograph of his parents. Graham believes the blaze was set by neo-Nazi types, as the incident occurred the day after President Reagan’s well-publicized trip to Bitburg. “If there had been no Bitburg, I don’t think there would have been a fire,” Graham said. Meanwhile, federal investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.

The right to paint 40-foot murals of Kiss on his high school wall was denied David Lemancke, a senior from Avoca, New York. Some students, regarding Kiss as Satanists or something like that, were outraged by the mural and—despite a sit-in by some 50 Simmons-smitten scholars—school officials ordered Mr. Janitor to paint over the masterpiece. As James Brown once noted, “Without an education, you might as well be dead.”

Reissue notes: PolyGram’s releasing The Best Of The Runaways—the band that brought us Joan Jett and Llta Ford.

Tour In The U.S.A. Dept: Bruce Springsteen’s next American tour will begin in August, after his current overseas stint. As has been rumored, the Boss will play only ih, stadiums, to the disgruntlement of many purists.

CBS is denying reports that they’ve dropped Paul McCartney from their label. If anyone knows why, let us know, too.

Mac Attack: Paul McCartney may not have lost a record label, but he has lost a fan. Aw. Here’s how it happened: it seems that Macca was driving six-year-old son James to school when he was confronted by several picketing teachers. According to one of the instructors, Brian Moses, Paulie curtly asked: “Were your teachers on strike when you were at school?” The famous musician elaborated his position to a London newspaper, saying he “was angry because in this dispute i^s the innocent who are suffering—the kids. I don’t disagree with the teachers’ pay claim, but their timing is unfair on pupils sitting exams.” As for Brian Moses, he “grew up with the Beatles’ music and Paul was my hero. But this, sadly, has changed my opinion of him.” We wouldn’t dream of suggesting that anybody flunk young James...

Our favorite church, the Church Of Scientology, has staged a Religious Freedom Crusade in Portland, Oregon recently. So what? Well, the crusade—a protest of a court decision awarding a former Scientologist $39 million because the religion didn’t do all it claimed— attracted such well-known children of God as Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Jarreau, Edgar Winter, Nicky Hopkins, John Travolta and—of course— Melanie. Said Corea: “I know that Scientology has the potential to, and is, creating a new civilization. That’s why I’m aboard.” That’s why we’re abored, too, Chick.

Although well out of range of Prince’s now-legendary bodyguards, New York Daily News photog Dick Corkery learned of the power o’ rock thrpugh a confrontation with the beautiful Madonna’s entourage. Corkery claims one of her bodyguards punched him and bounced him off a wall when he tried to capture the Virginal One’s image on film. What will these crazy photographers try next?

Stephen Pearcy, our favorite lead singer in Ratt, was about town (New York, that is), looking for something to do, or maybe trying to find a mailbox for his mom. In any case, Steverino ended up at a nightclub where a birthday party was in progress. Now, do you suppose the birthday gal was a big fan of Ratt? Do you suppose that Stephen “was delighted” and presented her with the ear cuff from his very lobe? Do you suppose the lucky guest was child actress Drew Barrymore of E. T. and Children Of The Corn fame? Do you suppose it’ll rain tomorrow?

From our Endless Legalities Desk: a New Orleans judge has ordered nude photographs of John Lennon and Yoko Ono returned to Ms. Ono. The pix had been held as evidence in an arson case against Gary Westcoatt, who claimed he had found them in a Manhattan garbage can. Sounds plausible to us.

Cronin Moanin: This Bureau’s pleased to report that REO Speedwagon—those diplomats of rock—set a new standard for niceness by visiting the governor of Puerto Rico, Rafael Hernandez Calon, and performing live in his living room! Perhaps touched that the guv couldn’t attend their two sold-out shows on the island, the REO’s dropped in on his mansion, where Kevin Cronin sat down at the grand piano and knocked off “I Can’t Fight This Feeling.” ‘‘When I turned around,” said Kev, “he had tears in his eyes.” An august executive, yet still a man of deep feeling!

The video for Paul Hardcasfle’s “ 19”—which has hit #1 in the U.K.— had to be redone when ABC and NBC vehemently, objected to the inclusion of their own network news clips. Said Richard Richter, senior producer of documentaries for ABC News: the “nature of rock video as a medium for something of ultimate seriousness—death, destruction, mayhem and national trauma” was a “corruption.” The song, of course, deals with the Vietnam War. Richter also characterized the video as a “trivial” piece of “rock bop.” This bop’s giving all music a bad name, we’ll tell you.

In case you hadn’t already guessed: Stewart Copeland has announced that the Police are officially gone. “The belief that we have taken a sabbatical is utter rubbish,’’ the long drink o’ water told the London Daily Mirror. “We officially broke up at the end of our 1984 tour of America...there is definitely no decision to get back together.” Ostensibly, there will be a final Police LP—their live disc— released this summer.

Remember a few months ago when this Bureau reported the brouhaha brewin’ between Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship over the legal rights to that most honored of rock names? Well, our Endless Legalities Desk tells us that Kantner has won the lawsuit and that the band will henceforth be known as Starship. Somebody tell NASA.

Next season’s Miami Vice will kick off with a special two-hour episode, we are told, and will feature new songs from Eric Clapton, Glenn Frey and others. Producer Michael Mann reportedly plans to release a soundtrack LP at the same time; Mann also says that Phil Collins is interested in making his appearance on Vice. Heck, were Brian Jones still alive, they could cast the first Stone.

Go-Go’s to continue? That’s what displaced members

Kathy Valentine and Gina Schock are saying in the wake of Belinda Carlisle and Charlotte Caffey’s announcement that they were leaving the band. Added drummer Schock: “We didn’t know what was happening until the day it happened. It was terrible. After working with these girls for six goddamned years, to have to find out this way.” C’mon, Gina, it’s better than having it spelled out in your morning bowl of Alphabets. The Go-Go’s still owe I.R.S. two albums; Schock and Valentine plan on giving them a demo soon.

His life was saved by rock 'n* roll? Yep, it’s hats off and a rousing cheer for Joan Jett, who dragged three-year-old Jeb Bellsy from the water after hearing his mother screaming. Ms. Jett then helped revive young Jeb via mouth-to-mouth. Said the modest heroine: “I ran in the water with my clothes on...I didn’t even think about it. I just did it.” By the way, this probably won’t work on older people at Joan’s concerts.

Quote of the month from this Bureau’s perennial fave, John Denver: “I don’t feel that I really need career guidance right now. I can do anything I want to do.”

We Want The Fishing Rights Dept.: Governor James Blanchard of Michigan set aside a special day honoring Aretha Franklin and also designated the songstress “a natural resource.”