Late News

Rip It Up, Issue 74, 1 September 1983, Page 26

Late News

Johnny Ramone had to undergo emergency, surgery to remove four blood clots from his brain after he was kicked repeatedly in the head. The alleged attacker was Seth 1 Mickla w, a member of the obscure punk band Sub-Zero Construction. Ramone's condition was still serious at last report ... Jamaica's top dub poet Michael Smith has been stoned to death by a gang of thugs, suspected members of the ruling Jamaican Labour Party. The attack came a day after Smith had attended a JLP meeting and verbally attacked the local MP Mavis Gilmour ... Yoko Ono has signed a contract with Johnny Carson for the making of a film about her years with John Lennon ... Lou Reed stars in Get Crazy, a film about a Dylanesque recluse making a comeback. Malcolm McDowell plays a coked-out Rod Stewart/Jagger type ... Joan Jett has had cassette copies of her new album withdrawn from half the retail outlets in the USA because of its bonus track, a version of the Rolling Stones'Starfucker' ... and the wheezy old Stones themselves have just sighed a record contract worth a cool s42m with CBS ... more obscenity \ problems, this time for lan Dury, who has been arguing with Polydor about the number of rude words on some tracks of his new LP '4OOO Weeks Holiday' ... Orange Juice are rumoured to be splitting after their

new album (reportedly titled Swansong) is released ... a new record company, Blanco-Y-Negro (literally, Black and White) has been formed by former members of the Rough Trade, Cherry Red and Crepuscle labels. Among the first acts are the Monochrome Set but the label plans to cater for all genres ... new Bruce Springsteen album is entitled Born in the USA. , Guitarist Mike Caen (Blind Date, Avant Garage) is filling in with Aussies the Dropbears. Caen is to do two months of work with the Bears but has no plans to join permanently ... former Penknife Glides, playing in the UK as Hula Palava reportedly settling into a funky groove and waiting for news about a record contract. They've been popping up in the NME gig guide but have not, repeat have not appeared on the cover of said organ . . . after several weeks of lengthy queues to get in Quays Nightclub has gone members only. Membership will. be limited to 300, with each member allowed to bring a guest. Cost is S2O (plus a photo) ... and the Quay man's band This Sporting Life has a new EP called In Limbo out this month: Tracks are: Too Proud', 'Difference', 'Patience' and 'Paperchase'. New is Maui Records through WEA. First single is ■'Poi • E'r by Dalvanius and the Patea Maori Club (backing includes Alastair Riddell and Stuart Pearce). To follow on the label:/LPs and singles from Taste of Bounty and Dalvanius ... Unsung Records has undergone an administrative, restructuring, leaving five key people running it, rather than 10 ...’John Doe's Hit Singles label has changed distribution from RCA to [WEAfMWfIWBWBIBMi—M