RUMOURS

Rip It Up, Issue 47, 1 June 1981, Page 2

RUMOURS

Auckland

Most notable . demise ’ this month is that of Billy and the Blue Flames, who lost their rhythm section shortly after turning down an offer of a contract with EMI. Present plans are "uncertain" ... Jan Preston has joined the fame drain to Australia, but don't worry, because Ben of the Bombers. is on' his way back from the US ... Newmatics are beginning to swell, with the addition of a new sax player. Plenty of new records out, or about to be out: the Screaming Meemees have a Propeller 12" of 'See Me Go' (two versions), 'Till I Die' and 'Poison Boys'. After the first 500 are snapped up, there will be a’7" of 'See Me Go' and 'Till I Die'. Look for them in mid-June. Two weeks later, Blam Blam Blam will release '(There Is) No Depression In NZ'/'Gotta Be Guilty', also on Propeller. Another fortnight later you will be able to pick up a Newmatics' EP, featuring 'Riot Squad', which will also include contributions from members of the Blams and Youth For A Price. This time it's not on Propeller,' but on an associated label.

Also being recorded at Harlequin this month are the Dum Dum Boys, who have plans for a twelve track album, and the last Wave, Graham Gash who also, has his sights on the LP stakes ... Arms For Children have just linked up with multinational Rem Records, of Herco Pilots' fame, to release 'Danny Boy' ... Ocean Records will have Fusion's cassette album, Can’t Trust A King out by the first week of June. After last- year's Pop Shots exhibition, with its very successful poster, Closet Artists Gallery in Queen St will be repeating the dose. Interested photogs and bands seeking immortality should get in touch

with the gallery. Before we go, don't forget that this is election year, and you should be asking which’ party is going to buy your vote by removing sales tax from records. Word has it that the Labour Party are already committed.

Midge Marsden and his Connection have 'Slow Walk Jive Talk'/'Never In A Million Years' out on Mandrill through Polygram ... Blind Date have a double-A single ready to go courtesy of WEA. On the A Side is 'Don't Let It Get To You', while on the A Side is 'Apache', courtesy of the Shads the new five-piece Valentinos (new member is keyboardist Peter Haslan) have 'Playtime', 'Looking At You' and 'Don't Let Go' scheduled for release ... Pop Mx are recording a five track EP in Australia. A single from the sessions will be released in NZ

... New Ray Columbus album, Anthology, includes two tracks recorded live in Perth, 1964 'She's A Mod' and 'The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt'. A version of the Beatles' If I Fell' from the same show is the flip of next single, 'Till We Kissed'. Broken Dolls guitarist Simon Lynch wants to play keyboards, so the band are looking for a guitar player. Auckland's shortest guitar hero, Dave Dobbyn has finally put together a band the Divers and is on the circuit this month. Rumoured line-up is; Lisle Kinney (bass), Peter Warren (drums), Rob Guy (guitar) and Dobbyn. After 'Lipstick Power', could fame be on the way? The Tall Dwarfs, otherwise known as Chris Knox and Alec Bathgate, have a single due for release through Propeller. Tracks are 'Loveliness', 'Hollowness' and 'Nothingness', recorded in the bedroom and mixed at Mandrill.

Australia Newest Swinger, lan Gilroy, was unable to shake off his North Shore roots when he went to Australia. Lured into off-roading, he promptly fell off and broke his wrist. Bad enough, you might think, but the band were in the middle of recording their debut album at the time. All is consternation and delay. Meanwhile, we can look forward to the release of 'lt's Not What You Dance, It's The Way You Dance It' as an interim 45. Pop Mx now have a highpowered Australian agency deal to keep them warm at nights ... the Newz are getting over the setback of their NZ Customs run-in and are fishing for a record deal, with Mushroom and CBS both not uninterested. Missing Link Records have had a bad month or so with the cancellation of the Snakefinger tour and a warehouse accident destroying stock, but they do have a genuine runaway cult success in Britain with the

Birthday Party. The Party's album, Prayers On Fire, will be on release in NZ soon through Propeller. Phantom Records are pinning their hopes on the Flaming Hands, and forthcoming are releases by Surfside 6, \ the Machinations and ' the [ Dagoes?lHHßßflH|HHH|| The Women's Weekly Sweetheart, Kim Hart, is on the road for a 16-week tour which- is aimed at seeing her new’ single, 'Young Girl', make it. Wellington „ Puppetz back in town;for. a month's break, have lost guitarist Dave Berry. At this stage, it seems the band will continue with plans • for touring and recording ... new are the Spines fronted by John McLeary (exNegative Theatre) ... sundry ex-Rodents rumoured to be putting together a new band, with original songs and a heavy reggae flavour. Meanwhile former vocalist Peter Marshall is on his way to Auckland ... Steroids are taking a couple of months off ... Tony Richards, late of the Protons, is putting together a new band, provisionally called the Heaters ... BRF bassist Dan Birch recently spent a spell in hospital after an assault on his person ... Mockers have just clocked up a year together ... Bunk have the Wellington Zone album, and singles from the Red and the Protons in the starting blocks. Les Crew Christchurch Solatudes' single, 'Home Again'/.'Mother Suburbia' is to be released in late June ... Gordons album on the cards ... Liz Wylie (vocals) has joined the Volkswagens ... Zero Bars are now at. the Imperial ... Jellibabies are - now Dramatix

... Xtine Simpson now playing keyboards with Direct Descendents ... Thumbs of Brass return to Dunedin and Invercargill in early June. A series of ZM concerts is planned for June and July bands include Newtones, Newmatics, Techtones and Screaming Meemees ... Radio U's first benefit concert, featuring Ballon D'Essai, Exploding Phone Booths, Droogs, Drowning is Easy, Mainly Spaniards will be held on Sunday, June 14. New bands in town include: Over the Line (remains of Old Dennis), Art Decade, Pin Group, Cause for Doubt and Master Race. Rose Stapleton Dunedin Bored Games have split up through frustrated ambitions and personal differences ... lead vocalist Alf Joseph has left the Nerve ... Jeff Dickie is back after a short visit to America, and he's currently playing with Strictly Blues on a casual basis and plans to join Julian Finnerty's This Side Up. Broken Models, now with bassist Mick Dawson, have an unnamed original mapped out for recording in Christchurch as part of their prize for winning Battle of the Bands. Hoax are breaking up ... the Pictures with ex-Drones Brent Alexander (drums) and Richard Laverty (guitar) are near completion. A suitable bassist is all that is needed. All?

George Kay

Errata STUDIO 132 RATES FROM $5 AN HOUR! Rip It Up made its most serious typographic error ever in last month's issue. Ad copy for STUDIO 132 Rehearsal Studio should have read RATES FROM $5 AN HOUR, not sls as our ad read. So for the correct details of the services STUDIO 132 offers, check the revised ad on page 22 of this issue.