SMALL STUFF

Rip It Up, Issue 37, 1 August 1980, Page 2

SMALL STUFF

Mark Phillips

The Professionals

Roxy Music concerts in France and England were cancelled when Bryan Ferry collapsed in his French hotel room. He was flown to London where his illness was diagnosed as a serious infection of the kidneys ... new David Bowie album is Scary Monsters. The album features a Tom Verlaine song “Kingdom Come", Pete Townshend on one track and a surprisingly 'commercial' single, "Ashes to Ashes." Bowie is currently acting in US stage play, ‘Elephant Man’ while 1974 D.A. Pennebaker film of Bowie’s final Spiders From Mars performance, is showing in New York ... mod man Sting may play chief baddie in James Bond flick, For Your Eyes Only, if Police committments allow ... Malcolm Owen, Ruts lead singer was found dead in his bath. Cause given was heroin overdose ... currently mixing their live albums, are the Eagles and Supertramp (Paris, a 2LP set) ... next Bruce Springsteen is entitled The River and Jon Landau, his producer-manager, says there’s more ballads but the rockers are very aggressive ... the shelved Capitol Records album by Mink De Ville (Le Chat Bleu) will now be released ... the fourth Talking Heads is not yet titled, but David Byrne summed it up, it’s "psychedelic ethereal funk." The Byrne/Eno project will be released after the Heads album ... new XTC album is Black Sea (out in NZ in September). We're told that XTC fitted all 11 songs (9 Partridges, 2 Mouldings) on one album with some difficulty, as there's 26 minutes a side ... Tom Robinson's band, Sector 27 has been dropped by UK EMI ... wrong as usual, England’s NME (July 26) reports that "New Zealand band Split Enz reformed recently, a year after breaking up." ... after stealing their own album’s master tapes to improve their bargaining position with their record company, Dexy’s Midnight Runners then placed ads promoting their debut album and knocking NME, Sounds, MM etc. The ads read, "we won’t compromise ourselves by talking to the dishonest hippy press.” The LP is entitled In Search Of The Young Soul Rebels ... in studios are the Who, Rod the mod, and the Buzzcocks (with brass and strings)... solo releases are planned by Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson and Boston's Barry Goudreau (John Boylan producing) ... asked to leave Jethro Tull, were John Evans, Dave Palmer and Barriemore Barlow. New members are Eddie Jobson (keyboards) and Mark Craney (drums) ... Steve Jones and Paul Cook, the ex-Pistols, have a new band, a three piece known as the Professionals. Eat ya heart out Bodie and Doyle ... Magazine guitarist, John McGeoch has left to pursue a solo career. He is replaced by ex-Ultravox sideman Robin Smith ... Bob Andrews does not play on

the new Rumour album, Purity of Essence. The keyboardsman was fired and now produces records for Stiff ... Do it yourself department: Emotional Rescue cost the Rolling Stones a msre $1.3 million to record ... new Arista signings are soul man Eddie Floyd (wrote "Knock On Wood" and "Raise Your Hand") and exCapricorn act Sea Level ... producer of next Blondie album is once again Mike Chapman as Giorgio Moroder instill busy on Donna Summer newie ... Yes have scrapped tapes recorded with wiz producer Roy Thomas Baker and are now working with Eddie Offord again. Tentative title is The New Yes Album (wow, cool man)... ex-Dury band guitarist Chas Jenkel is recording a solo album for Stiff. Also Stiff is new UK four piece Any Trouble whose debut Where Are All The Nice Girls prompted Melody Maker's Allan Jones to write “the most exciting new rock and roll group since the

Pretenders.” ... first Ultravox album for Chrysalis is entitled Vienna ... Nils Lofgren has signed to Backstreet (Tom Petty’s label) ... Wilko Johnson has not disbanded his Solid Senders ... in London, three skinheads bashed Lynval of the Specials, shouting, "you bloody nigger.” Though hospitalised, his recovery was rapid ... new and vinyl in foreign lands: Chic Real People, Carlene Carter Musical Shapes, Professionals The Professionals, Desmond Dekker Black And Dekker, Jah Wobble Blueberry Hill (his second Virgin solo album), Jeff Beck There And Back.

The Son of Rock and Roll is the title of Rocky Burnette’s debut album. With a hit single in the US, Australia, and here, Rocky, son of Rockabilly star Johnny Burnette, is making a determined attempt to live up to it. Burnette was in New Zealand recently to promote hisalbum, and he hopes to return in January and tour here with his band. Son of Rock and Roll has taken years to put together. Frustration with the disco trend in America saw Rocky head for Britain, where the much-sought after recording contract was signed. The British public, however, didn't warm to the 'Son of Rock and Roll’ tag, and, tapes in hand, Rocky retreated to the US. With all this moving around, the album was made in a number of different studios, and features hordes of musicians. - Rocky explains, “There are only six musicians in my band, but I've made so many friends over the last few years and I wanted everyone on my album.” Among those featured are Dave Edmunds and ex-King Crimson member, Mel Collins, who now plays sax permanently in Burnette's touring band. Live, Rocky Burnette performs almost straight rock and roll. On record it’s a different matter. “I worked for many years as a professional songwriter. Consequently, I sometimes produce commercial songs subconciously. Tired of Toeing the Line' is a prime example.” Despite that song’s success, Rocky maintains that the next album will be far more rock and roll. "I think we shall stick to one studio, one producer and just my touring band. It will be back to roots a bit more.”