ROCK ’N’ ROLL NEWS

ROCK ’N’ ROLL NEWS

DEPARTMENTS

TWO WHEELS BAD!

Having long championed the rights of our animal friends— most particularly the cow, of course—this Bureau is pleased to call your attention to the “Don’t Kill The Animals” video. The vehicle features Lene Lovich and Nina Hagen, rightthinkers like ourselves, cutting through a laboratory fence and rescuing a bunch of our non-human chums from what we can only assume were plans to dissect ’em alive and maybe even worse.

All royalties from the song—which has topped the dance charts all over Europe and North America, proving that people who buy those records dance to some zippy topics—have gone to People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals, America’s #1 animal rights organization. You can also pick up on their Animal Liberation LP, featuring Howard Jones, Slouxsie & The Banshees, and of course, the Smiths’ uplifting “Meat Is Murder.” Write ’em at Box 42516, Washington, D.C. 20015, or call at (202) 726-0156. . .tell ’em Buttermilk sent you.

Did you know that MTV banned Motley Crue’s third video from that album of theirs? Neither did we. Anyway, the clip is for a song called “You’re All I Need,” and, according to an MTV spokeswoman, the thing is “excessively violent, both visually and lyrically.” Spokes woman, eh? Well, we can see where this is leading. Nikki Sixx, who penned the ditty, responded: “There’s a positive and a negative side to everything.” Make this man an electrician, now! “That includes the music and videos of Motley Crue. But some people seem to focus only on the negative. ‘You’re All I Need’ doesn’t condone or exploit this tragedy”—oops, we forgot to tell you it’s about a "teenage romance which ended in tragic murder”— “it clearly shows how one life is destroyed and another ruined forever.” Nikki went on to say some stuff about his band’s good relationships with MTV which, could be construed as abject grovelling, were one of a mind, but we figure we’ve wasted enough space on this item already, so just forget the whole thing, OK?

As noted last month, Billy Sheehan, the guy kicked out of David Lee Roth’s band, has indeed started up a band with Steve Stevens and Thommy Price of Billy Idol’s band. Rumor has it the new group is working on a Ted Templemanproduced LP.

While on tour in Florida— surely a bad state to come from!—the Royal Court Of China had their tour van and all their dandy custom-made equipment ripped off. Estimated losses: $15,000. And, in another brush with the law, REO Speedwagon’s tour bus was stopped by a “woman cop” for going over 80 miles an hour. Hmmm, woman cop, huh? Well, we can see where this is leading.. yep, Kevin Cronin “proceeded to charm the pants off the woman”—these are his own words, news fans!— and the cop waived the ticket and accepted some REO albums from the band. This was between Portland and Medford, Oregon, just in case any readers get pulled over in the same area and wanna spin a few tales for the gendarmes..

OK, time for our Lawson Brothers Desk to make their debut. Their report: the Lawson Brothers appeared at the Traverse City Holiday Inn for a twoweek engagement recently, apparently to the satisfaction of all. The Brothers, according to our newest desk, “play a variety of Top 40, country rock, heavy metal, easy listening and, greatest of all, old time rock ’n’ roll.” They sound like they’re really something, Desk. Wait a minute, they’ve actually got a quote here from Todd Lawson, whom they identify as the leader of the band: “You’re never quite sure what we’ll try next,” he quipped, “except that we’ll always try tequila.” Look for another update from the Lawson Brothers Desk real soon\

The Smithereens’ new album should be out in March. The ubiquitous Don Dixon produced, with guest appearances by Del Shannon, Marti Jones and Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. . . Duran Duran recording their next LP in Paris.. .we told you the Utterly Fascinating Desk was makin’ their move... Paul McCart* ney/Elvis Costello project looks to be a fait accompli, as they say in Zaire... and Ozzy Osbourne has added an unknown 21-year-old musician, Zakk Wilde, to his band, only he’s not unknown anymore ’cause their publicists have told everyone.

In live news, Mikey Jackson’s five night stand at Wembley Stadium—England’s largest venue, as all of us at R & R News know—sold 360,000 tickets, making it the biggest show in that stadium’s history. Said Mikey: “I am overwhelmed by the response of my British fans.” Quite a speech there, kid. Back here in America, John Cougar Mellencamp finally played Chillicothe, Ohio—a town that’s been begging for a Mellencampian good time for years, even getting up a petition with 6,200 signatures, which is one of every four people in that great Buckeye town. Anyway, Mellencamp played two shows there—for free, no less—saying his goal was to let in everyone who signed the thing. Declared Mellencamp: “Ever since I saw that petition I’ve wanted to thank these people.” Mikey, take note.

WIND, RAIN, SLEET OR SNOW

Principal photography for Great Balls Of Fire, a film based on the life ’n’ times of Jerry Lee Lewis, should be starting up any day now. Dennis Quaid will play the coveted role of the Killer, whilst Jim McBride will direct. (McBride, of course, also directed Breathless, which featured the real Jerry Lee’s vocals on the title track.) Although no one’s been named to play the part of Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Lee’s famous cousin, we suspect it’ll go to somebody who’s appeared with Swaggart on TV within the last several years but was, naturally, much more handsome.