ROCK ’N’ ROLL NEWS

ROCK ’N’ ROLL NEWS

Brian Ritchie of the Violent Femmes should have a solo album (The Blend) out on SST momentarily. Ritchie plays no bass on the album, but does sing and play guitar...In other SST doings, the Leaving Trains have released their second album for that label, this one titled Fuck—available on vinyl, cassette and CD, thank goodness...A piano formerly owned by John Lennon, the deceased jingle writer, may become property of the U.S. government: a prosecutor in Boston claims the ivories (and a host of other Beatles collectibles) were purchased with drug trafficking profits and has indicted three Massachusetts men.. .And, since this Bureau seems to be reporting on the advertising world of late, we’d best note that Jorry Garda, Loon Rodbone and Robert Cray are all lined up to appear in TV ads for Levi’s 501 jeans.

That Petrol Emotion should be touring the States even as you read this. Should you stop, they may mysteriously, instantaneously be transported back to England ... Jim Osterberg, the legendary Ig Pop, espied onstage in London singing “I Wanna Be Your Dog” with Sonic Youth... Bully... Reports from NYC have it that Paul Westerberg took the time to inhale helium and sing great cover songs like "Born In The U.S.A.” and "Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes” during the Replacements’ show at the Beacon Theater.

Ye ancient hipsters who recall Bob Dylan’s cryptic Tarantula—a book he wrote several hundred years ago— will be fascinated into submission to learn the novel’s been turned into one of them there multi-media plays. Director Darrel Larsen terms it "omni-media, interdisciplinary surrealistic voodoo vaudeville,” and we shan’t argue with plain English.

Deth Is Just A Four Letter Word

Lawsuits are go! Latest to be hauled into court are the Megadeth gang, by a group named Megadeath. The plaintiffs state they’d filed a service mark for the more correctly spelled name with the state of California way back in nineteen eighty-and-four, and we understand they’ve performed under the Megadeath name almost 15 times in the three years that’ve followed. They must be tired! Said Dave Mustalne, leader of the no-nonsense metal dudes you might’ve heard of: "We are Megadeth. We record for Capitol Records and our first album is already approaching gold. We’ve been on four American tours, one Canadian tour, one tour to the Orient, and one European tour, so we are recognized as Megadeth all over the world. Anyone else who claims they are Megadeth is bogus and we’re not going along with this kind of scam.

“The band trying to lay claim to our name is motivated by money and we feel they have filed this nuisance suit to try to get large amounts of it from us and from our record company.” In fact, Megadeth’s lawyers did offer some cash to the Megadeath fellows to get ’em off their backs, but it was apparently turned down. The case is slated to be settled in October by anas-yet-unnamed judge who’ll get some practice in keeping a straight face.

In other Megadeth-led-by-Dave Mustaine news, drummer Gar Samuelson and bassist Chris Poland have left that group... 21year-old Detroiter Chuck Bohlar, Samuelson’s former drum tech, will be taking over on the skins and Jay Reynolds, formerly of Malice, has joined as their new bassist.

The Glimmer Person

Keith Richards, former back-up musician for Mick Jagger, has finally signed his own long-awaited solo deal: Virgin Records has inked the dude to a long-term, multi-album worldwide contract. Virgin offered no details on Richards’s doin’s at press time, other than a report that he’ll be a-goin’ into the studio soon. In the meantime, look for the soundtrack o{Hail!Hail!Rock ’n’ Roll, which he produced and played on—the LP should be out right about now.

Whoa! Rock ’n’ Roll News has gotten a letter! Uh oh— it’s from Ray Paret, manager of Robby Krieger, the Doors’ famous guitarist. “First of ail, let me thank you for the news mention regarding The Doors: Live At The Hollywood Bowl video,” he thanks us. No prob, Ray. We’re a news service. He goes on: “Secondly, let me thank you for recognizing the 20th anniversary of ‘Light My Fire.’ However, it was a hit for the Doors before Joso Feliciano, and your news article also incorrectly implies that Jose Feliciano wrote the song. We would not mind if your news article credited Jim Morrison as the writer—at least he was a member of the Doors. The song was written by Robby Krieger.” We apologize: it was actually “The Star Spangled Banner” that Jose Feliciano wrote.

Exit The Rockin’ Dudesse:

This issue of CREEM is Art Director C.S. Klopshlnske’s farewell appearance in this magazine. Although we will miss her and all that schmaltz, we wish C.S. all the best on her upcoming marriage, and hope her husband doesn’t mind her following Poison all over the world, as she’ll probably do.

The industry is abuzz with rumors that David Loo Roth, having already swiped their “Just A Gigolo”/“l Ain’t Got Nobody” medley, will actually cover the entire catalog of the Village People.

Gone, Gone, Gone

Boudleaux Bryant, who —along with wife Felice Bryant—was one of the most prolific writers of the rock era, has died of cancer at the age of 67. The Bryant team churned out songs that were recorded by over 400 artists, including Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, and especially the Everly Brothers. A partial list of their credits includes “Wake Up Little Susie,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Take A

Message To Mary,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” “Problems,” “Raining In My Heart” and “Love Hlirts.” The Bryants wrote over 700 songs and were elected to the Songwriters’ Hall Of Fame last year.

“He was my friend and my teacher,” said Phil Everly. “He is the reason the Everly Brothers are anything at all today. There is not enough I can say which will relay what that man meant to Don and me. We loved him.”

SOMTIME ON MADISON AVENUE

Attorneys for the Beatles have filed a $15 million dollar lawsuit to stop Nike, Inc., from continuing to use the original recording of “Revolution” In a TV commercial you may have seen.

The suit appears to be part of the Beatle strategy to continue to pressure EMICapitol, whom the Fabs have two suits going against already. These prior suits claim EMI-Capitol has cheated the Beatles out of album and CD royalties—and, in addition to damages, the Beatles are asking that control of their original masters be returned to Apple. Should that happen, EMI would no longer be able to release Beatles records.

Getting back to Nike, that firm claims they shelled out $250,000 to EMI-Capitol for use of John Lennon’s tribute to the running shoe, or level-headedness, or whatever it is, and that no more than 30 to 35 people have complained, not counting the Beatles and Yoko Ono, of course. “There’s no question that we have the legal right to license Beatles songs,” said Sue Satrlano, VP of public relations over at EMI. Indeed, Kevin Brown, a rep for Nike, said they used the original track because having other musicians record an alternative version would be “intellectually dishonest.” To which this Bureau would add, a whole lot less lucrative, Kevin.

Whilst this nonsense continues, Lenore Skenazy at Advertising Age asked her readers to come up with Beatles songs to be twisted into jingles and got a heartening response. Although her winner was to the tune of “Come Together” (“Here come them toppin’s/They come groanin’ up slowly/l had special pizza/I had pepperonis/Anchovies, onions and extra cheese/Got to get some help before I fall to my kneesl/Alka Seltzer/Right now/For relief”), our favorites were to the tune of “Fool On The Hill” (‘'Day after day/Alone with a dill/The man with the Vlasic pickles likes ’em crunchy and chilled”) and this potential radio spot for Qaorga Bush: “Doesn’t have a point of view/Knows not where he’s going to/lsn’t he the candidate we need?” Think about it. Do something about it.