SMALL STUFF

Rip It Up, Issue 27, 1 October 1979, Page 2

S MALL STUFF

With Slow Train Coming out, it’s clear that Bob Dylan has seen the light. How did it happen? Well, a few of his mates saw it first exByrd Roger McGuinn and post -Rolling Thunder Revue regulars, Steve Soles (rhythm guitar), T-Bone Burnett (bass) and David Mansfield (violin). The crunch came when the girl he was living with found the Lord and left Zim. She showed Bob the way and he wrote a tune, “Precious Angel’’ about her ... not to be outdone by an ex-folkie the flamboyant Little Richard is back on the fundamentalist revival trail denouncing rock'n’roll and preaching that drugs are the cause of "homosexuality and lesbianism and unnatural affectations in their different forms” (this mag is named after "Rip It Up”, one of the rock'n’roll pioneers' many classics)... support act for Pope John Paul II at his outdoor Dublin gig, is the Chieftains ... back in Florence, Patti Smith raised an American flag and was joined on stage by hundreds of angry Italian leftists. Communist stewards chanted “Vietnam! Chile!” as Smith walked off ... Arlington County medical examiners office reports that Lowell George died of an accidental drug overdose. The identity of the drug has only been disclosed to Lowell’s immediate family. Final mix has begun on the last Little Feat album, Duck Lips, with production chores now in the hands of a team of band members and friends of Lowell George ... Iggy Pop is recording in the UK with his new band, Glen Matlock and Stevie New of Rich Kids, Barry Andrews (ex-XTC keyboardsman) and Klaus Kruger (Iggy’s drummer). lan McLagen is likely to contribute a song and some keyboards to the session. Other songs are penned by Iggy or Matlock and Pop ... only hours before the first concert of Siouxsie and the Banshee’s UK tour, drummer Kenny Morris and guitarist John McKay quit the band. Roadies found the missing member’s backstage passes attached to pillows propped up in their respective hotel beds. Siouxsie, bassist Steve Severin and members of Cure performed "The Lord’s Prayer” before informing the Aberdeen crowd that all ticket money would be refunded ... John Lydon’s image conscious PIL newie is entitled Metal Box and a limited edition of 50,000 will be released in the UK consisting of three 12 inch singles in a metal box not unlike "a cross between a film can and a can of biscuits” ... new mod clothing label in Britain is Succhi-Who's 'Quadrophenia', "the Mary Quant of the eighties", says the ’Quadrophenia’ clothes promoter. No Who members were present at the launching. The Who sell out? ... A merchandising deal between Devo and Japanese clothing

manufacturers will allow Devo garb and sunglasses to be manufactured in Japan ... Diane Keaton was up and dancin’ at Al Green’s London gig and John Lydon was seen at James Brown’s show elsewhere in the same city. Were Townshend, Geldof, Lynott and Sting flicking pop corn at the premiere of the Who’s Quadrophenia? Backstage socialising at Knebworth after Led Zeppelin’s performances were the Clash’s Mick Jones, Pistols Cook and Jones and Gen X’s Brian James ... the Jam are not happy about their current association with the mod craze in the UK. The always tidy lads are adamant “we’re a punk band, we started with punk and that's where we're staying” ... on the first gig of their second US tour the Clash invited on stage for two of their encores, country rocker Joe Ely ... Mike Chapman will produce the second Knack album. Capitol thinks they’ve got another smash hit with a song on the album, "Girls Talk Dirty” ... Cars were able to choose who appeared with them on their Midnight Special. The guests were Suicide, Iggy Pop, M, The Records and Lene Lovich ... Phil Collins of Genesis is playing with Brand Xon their USA tour... nationally distributed in the States will be Thunder Road a mag devoted to New Jersey’s own, Bruce Springsteen ... Epic will release a best of Southside Johnny album with a not previously released title track, a live version of "Havin’ A Party” ... to make it clear that he is unhappy about the release of the MCA album Better Than the Rest (material recorded in 1974), Georgje Thorogood is not currently touring ... following the release of their new album The Long Run, the Eagles commence a US tour on October 8 ... both Dolly Parton and Genya Ravan have started their own labels. Dolly’s is LA based White Diamond and Genya Ravan’s unnamed label’s offices are in New York. First signing is Ronnie Spector ... ex-Supreme Mary Wilson is recording her first solo album for Motown ... new albums to look out for are the Boomtown Rats’ Fine Art of Surfacing, Blondie's Eat to the Beat, Elton John’s Thunder in the Night, XTC’s Drums and Wires, Pere Übu’s New Picnic time, Buzzcock’s A Different Kind of Tension, Penetration’s Come Into the Open, The Kinks’ Low Budget, David Johansen’s In Style, Burning Spear’s best of (Harder than the Best) and Joan Armatrading’s double live, Steppin’ Out ... in the RSO pipeline is a double Bee Gees Greatest Hits, new Andy Gibb and a compilation, RSO’s Greatest Hits. ... guitarist Larry Coryell is recording an acoustic album for Arista records.