BRIT BUZZ

BRIT BUZZ

Sylvie Simmons

Belgians? Who needs them?! Not content with being just across the road from England and speaking something that sounds like A-Ha’s aged grandparents choking on a goldfish, they have to go and come between Simon Le Bon and True Glory. Simon steered his muchdented dinghy Drum over the finish line in the latest leg of the Around The World Yacht Race after 30 days at sea and would have finished first, only those unnecesary Belgians just tipped him to the post! Still, Simon said he was pretty pleased—before running for the hills with Yasmin, whom he hadn’t seen since flying back home a month ago to do a Duran Duran video—and reckons he might make the top three overall.

He also told Smash Hits that his obsession with the Life of Briney stems from when, at the age of 11, he was “seduced by a woman pirate.” Funny thing, ever since George Michael was ravaged by a particularly-shapely dumbbell he’s been obsessed with going to the gym! Three hours a day, every day, he’s been working out—says it’s to do with getting in shape for Whami's farewell show in the summer. You’d think he’s getting enough exercise, what with lifting the receiver and calling up lots of Famous People to guest with him and Andrew onstage.

Poor old Andy hasn't got much else to look forward to these days. George has taken away Wham!, and now Renault have taken away his nice little sports car—possibly something to do with the fact that, like Simon LeBon, he keeps crashing; unlike Simon LeBon he doesn’t come in second (first if someone would do something about those pesky Belgians...!)

George was on TV the other night talking about his childhood. Mrs. Michael apparently didn’t think too highly of little Andrew when her son brought him home in the beginning, he revealed. We also found out that George had pin-ups of Jacqueline Bisset on his bedroom wall, and wanted to be an airline pilot!

Meanwhile, George’s dad got to meet the newly-betrothed Royal, Prince Andrew, at Elton John’s party. George’s dad owns a restaurant and invited the Prince over for a free meal, any time.

Maybe they should have gotten him to do the catering at Madonna’s big party—celebrating the end of the British part of the shooting of Shanghai Surprise and leaving the country at long last!— since our spies spotted Madonna and Sean Penn tossing the food around willy-nilly. There’s been reports that the singer-actress is off her food because of morning sickness—all denied, of course. The nearest Madonna came to seeing a doctor in England was when her contact lens got hit by a gale-force wind of 100 mph and blown halfway around the film set! But she did spend some time in a mental hospital while she was over here—a lovely old building in the countryside which they used for shooting several indoor sequences of the film!

Madonna’s become a vegetarian these days. Howard Jones has been one for ages: in fact he's so hardcore, he even feeds veggieburgers to his dog! He’ll probably feed veggieburger rusks to his new baby too, when Jan gives birth in the summer. Howard reckons it’s going to be a boy—something to do with dangling a pendulum over Jan’s belly; these vegetarian types are rarely scientific! Howard’s off to Dublin, Ireland, to record his third album. Arif Mardin—who worked on Culture Club’s latest—is producing.

Boy George has just gone vegetarian, too, according to his little brother. Quite the health nut these days. As opposed to nut—a London evening paper implied there was something Not Quite Right with George’s mental health, and he stormed over to the newspaper fices to sort out the writer! The papj have been full of stories about Geoi and drummer Jon Moss fighting or the Boy’s latest girlfriend, Alice T( pie; according to reports, Jon threw brick through George’s window! true,” Jon told us. “I called him upo night and he forgot to put the phone ba on the hook, so I went around and kn# ed on his door until I woke him up,”

Soon Jon will be able to throw abriBj in George’s swimming pool. He’s havS two of the things built at his new Haifl stead (a debonair area of London) horl one in the usual swimming pool son;f|e place, the other under the house. ■§ posh neighbours are not amused.

Neither, it seems, is the publislij0n company that advanced George lotsi^n money to write his autobiography, o Parade Of Assumptions. They wanththe cash back, because George still hatjhat gotten around to finishing it!

Sade burst into tears onstageLid Frankfurt, sobbed "Hold on tight toy® love—I can’t hang onto mine,” and off and locked herself in her dresi room, according to the daily pa| upset with her boyfriend Spike Deni “The reason I walked offstage because I was tired, exhausted,” said later, adding that she’d neveri Ha^t with a trite line like that one anyway, hwand two-and-a-half thousand people in soii|e audience could back her up. She could always do what Robert Smith of the Cure’s supposed to have fislvjone: shaved his hair off and gone into lots|monastery for some peace and quiet! Or she could change her name. On the her hand, Elvis Costello’s done atf-changed it back to the one on his iirth certificate, Declan McManus— d [that hasn’t stopped reporters chasing nim and his girlfriend, 21-year-old Sait O’Riordan of the Pogues, about ressjhe tbwn. Some say the two are planning run off to Ireland to marry in the sumenttnerlMeanwhile, the Pogues are working on alsong for the soundtrack of Love Kills, &he film about the dead Sex Pistol Sid ;rco|cious and his equally-dead girlfriend ancy. Johnny Thunders and Iggy 'op are on the soundtrack too.

an Ferry’s next bit of music will |r a British documentary film about the Himalayas. ^dy Taylor’s back in England, lookr bands to work with—he caught the cing bug while he was staying in nd now no one’s safe! Latest vicre new band Love And Money. Taylor’s not doing much of ing while he’s fighting a heinous iction to pizzas”... thmics are hard at work on their Ibum; Dave Stewart’s producing, roducing the new Daryl Hall solo over here too, and busy denying s that Paul McCartney, Feargal key and Mick Jagger are going _ke guest apperances on it. So far oni Mitchell’s been roped in, as king singer. Oh yes, Paul McCartbeen doing daily workouts too—two ( every morning, in preparation for that won’t even start until next year, ly Simon LeBon had such line, those Belgians would have what for!

A-Ha are getting in shape for their firstever tour—nine months long and starting in Australia in June. While they’re away, a whole bunch of Norwegian bands have booked up studios in Britain hoping to cash in on their success. A-Ha have been so succesful that they even turned down lots of money to do a Vidal Sassoon commercial. Perhaps they ought to get hold of Limahl. The ex-Kajagoogoo frontman’s had a nice Miami Vice haircut to get him in the mood for recording a new album.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood have been finishing off their new album in London and getting ready to release their Fab New Image on the salivating world. Part of it has something to do with Paul Rutherford shaving that silly moustache off.

Paul showed up for the big party on the night of the Absolute Beginners premiere—the film about '50s teenagers that the whole town’s talking about and, by the looks of the box-office receipts, the whole town’s flocked to see. Partying alongside Paul were Bob Geldof, Paul Young and his girlfriend Stacey, Nick Heyward, Annabel Lamb, Patsy Kensit, Samantha Fox and David Bowie.

Sting is heading your way with U2 this summer to play a series of stadium shows in aid of Amnesty International. U2’s only European date this year is a benefit gig in Dublin, in aid of unemployment...David Bowie’s “Heroes” has been rerecorded for a children’s charity; the new version features the Kinks, Suzi Quatro and Bronski Beat.

But what about a benefit for Bruce Watson of Big Country? He was thrown out of his hotel bar the other day when the barman told him they “don’t serve punks'.” And what’s their policy toward Belgians?