Rumours

Rip It Up, Issue 106, 1 May 1986, Page 4

Rumours

UK & USA ; ; After their ‘Living Doll’ success, Cliff Richard and the Young Ones, will record a follow-up; possiblities include Cliff oldies ‘Summer Holiday’ (1963) and ‘The Young Ones’ (1962) ... a Velvet Underground box-set has been issued in UK; includes an album of unreleased tracks from 1967-1969. Five albums for (ouch!) 25 pounds. VU also subject of a South Bank Show documentary recently ... Mick Jagger and Daryl Hall have collaborated on themetune for Walt Disney movie Ruthless People. Jagger sings lead, Dave Stewart produces ... Paul Weller will produce a single by General Johnson, formerly with Chairman of the Board; also, Style Council’s first live album, Showbiz from Wembley concerts, plus video, planned for release. UK Subs refused entry to US recently after difficulties with Musician’s Union ... The Firm (Paul Rodgers and Jimmy Page) have new album, Mean Business, with single ‘All the King’'s Horses' ... Annabella Lwin is to cover Peggy Lee classic ‘Fever’ ... Siouxsie and the Banshees, currently touring Europe and the States, ninth album is Tinderbox, with new guitarist John Curruthers ... McDonald Lydon is the new label of Jock McDonald and John Lydon. First project is live Sid Vicious LP; then they’ll release Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg’s original erotic version of Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus, a hit for Jane Birkin in 1969 ... Ronnie Ross, top UK sax player, on onetime pupil David Bowie: “He was bloody awful. He made a dreadful racket” ... at the farewell to the GLC concerts in London, Smiley Culture and Eddy Grant, among

many others, performed. Mick Jones and BAD have recorded tribute to GLC chairman Ken Livingston, ‘Mr Livingston, | presume. : : ;

Soul great Jerry Butler (‘For Your Precious Love) is running for Commissioner of Cook’s County, Chicago. During the campaign, he's performed with the Impressions and the Four Tops ... Motown plan to expand .into designer label clothing and furniture ... Inrecent concerts, Prince covers Jerry Lee Lewis's ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’ and James Brown’s ‘Living in America’ ... the Blasters have split. Lead guitarist Dave Alvin has joined X, while his brother Pete may continue with the Blasters’ name ... “Don’t know much about. history” — Sam Cooke’s ‘Wonderful World" has reached No 2 in Britain, a quartercentury after original release ... Linda Creed Epstein, composer with Thom Bell of ‘“You Make Me Feel Brand New’ and ‘Could it be I'm Falling in Love, has died of cancer aged 37. : . Renowned African political musician Fela Kuti has been released from a Nigerian prison after serving 19 months for“currency violations” The judge of his case visited him in jail and admitted political pressure affected his verdict ... the Topper Headon Band looks set to split after poor sales of Waking Up caused bad vibes with record company ...

Watch out world! Iron Maiden begin a seven-month tour in spring, “pbigger and better” than their “World Slavery Tour” ... Genesis, after a two-year hibernation, release an album next month, then plan a massive world tour — not, they insist, their farewell tour. Consequently, .Phil 'Collins promises no more solo projects till 1988. Whew ... however Trevor Horn is reportedly back in the studio with Yes. Finally, barefoot 60s star Sandy Shaw will soon

release an LP with songs by Lioyd Cole.

New releases. Albums: Nico, Behind the Iron Curtain, a double live from her tour of Eastern Europe; Screaming Blue Messiahs, Gunghy; Bryan Ferry, Streetlife, a 20-track compilation of Roxy and solo years. Singles: The The, ‘Sweet Bird of Youth’; Simple Minds, ‘All the Things She Said’; Big Country, ‘Look Away’; the Alarm, ‘Knife Edge’; Ashford & Simpson, ‘Time’; Peter Gabriel, ‘Sledgehammer’; Freddie Jackson, ‘Helll Never Love You (Like | Do)’; Joan Armatrading, ‘Kind Words (and a Good Heart)’; the Cure, ‘Boys Don't Cry’ remix.

Auckland Touring in June are Otis-Mace and the Psychic Pet Healers — after Otis's solo tour last month, it's the full band this time, they stress

... on high rotation at KPFK, Los Angeles’ “new music” station, are Tall Dwarfs, Ponsonby DCs, Marie and the Atoms tracks. The DCs recently received rave reviews in Option and Spin magazines. In Spin, — their ‘Queen St’ is “Lou Reed meets Dire Straits” ... Flying Nun's Tuatara also gets thumbs up ... Strange Weekend Records, the San Francisco outfit who released the DCs record, are soon to produce Unexplored, a NZ compilation including songs by the Blams, Car Crash Set, Sonya Waters, the Mee Mees, Big Sideways, Scott Calhoun, the Androidss, Johnny Bongo, and Martial Law. Write to Strange Weekend, 396 A Frederick St, San Francisco CA 94115, USA. Bad news for heavy metallers — the North Island Heavy Metal Music Club, an amalgamation of the Auckland and Wellington

clubs, is disbanding, according to the latest letter from their hardworking president Christine (aka “Countess Bathory”, “Bloody Mary” and “Lonesome Crow” — “Being genuinely concerned about local- ‘Metal’ bands and having gone out of my way to promote them and give them fair reviews makes it difficult to announce that the club is being disbanded. This is due to being nearly killed by violent and catty female groupies/girlfriends of two local bands at a recent club meeting in Hamilton. I'll never stop being proud to be a ‘Metaller’ and will always defend the faith.” Anyone wanting to continue the club’s work should write to: Box 19517, Avondale, Auckland. Sound Advice is to be the directory of the NZ music industry, listing musicians, skills, equipment companies, studios, etc.

Listings start at S2O. Write to Word Perfect Ltd, Box 33-559, Takapuna, Auckland, or refer to ad on page 19. Deadline for info is June 13 ... new band playing in Auckland are the Strand — contact Manu Taylor, ph. 501-513 ... Radio Active, formerly of Auckland, are working hard on the Sydney pub circuit, and have been recording in Paradise Studios ... a new band to come out of ?Fog is Robert. They'll be touring soon. Goblin Mix are not breaking up — they’ll carry on with a new bassist. Their Dunedin tour has been postponed while guitarist David Mitchell recovers from a broken jaw he suffered when he was attacked walking home after their last Windsor gig ... the Bird Nest Roys are working on their LP at Progressive ... a new all-woman three-piece Alfalfa Louts have im-

pressed with their first couple of gigs ... will the real Doubting Thomas's please stand up? A year after the demise of the Thomas's an unrelated group called the Thomases has appeared ... the Java Jive Cafe, new on College Hill, will hold fortnightly concerts each Sunday. First up on May 25 are Auckland Acoustics ... in New Plymouth, Smashed Ears Productions are booking the Lion Tavern. Phone Brian Wafer at 83301 or write to Box 407, New Plymouth ... Waihi band Ebony Sye are embarking on a threemonth Winter tour of the North Island. According to, their promotions manager, the band “is setting its own course in musical enjoyment without the benefit of drugs and alcohol” ... Auckland poet Sandra Bell is currently recording an EP at Last Laugh, to be released in June. Chris Bourke \ Palmerston North . The last few months have seen a big upsurge in local music thanks largely to the Commerical Hotel developing as a venue for local bands. However just as

things got going someone decided the pub would look better as a shopping complex. To mark the closing of the venue the Remarkables, Three Leaning Men, Cement Garden, Harry Death, Statmox, the Polar Bears, Fetch Jones, Glance Backwards and Sticky Filth combined to put on a two day Anzac Weekend closing down party. It was a sellout and those that got in seemed to have a wild time. Dolphin is the name of the new 16-track studio in town and they can be contacted at PN 81265. A group of people called Triad Video are also setting up in town and they can be contacted through the studio. ; A lot of local bands have already used the studio and there are a lot of projects coming out soon on Palmerston’s Meltdown Records. This month sees a special project single from the Remarkables which was recorded to help raise money for the South African Scholarship Trust. Other releases out soon willbe a single from Cement Garden, and EP from Auckland band the Warners, an album from Three Leaning Men, and EP by the End and a

compilation album. Peter Shepherd Christchurch : Flying Nun'’s year has already been abusy one and it looks like getting busier as they prepare to release a host of new recordings at home as well as overseas with an American distribution deal reaching the final stages. First up Stateside will be Tuatara, and if all goes_well America should be hearing from the Verlaines, Sneaky Feelings and Tall Dwarves in the near future. Closer to home though, keep an eye out for new releases from Look Blue Go Purple, Sneaky Feelings (LP), Alpaca Brothers, Axemin (double LP), the Puddle, the Clean (Live Dead Clean 12") and the Chills’ Kaleidoscope World which was previously only available in the UK. And on a sightly smaller scale, Arnie at Nightshift has been busy with the Jumblies (recording a follow up to ‘Stuff of Dreams), Bushfire, Middle East and Antix all spending time in the studio ... whilst Failsafe are hoping to have their new compilation tape out very soon, with the impressive

track list including the Chills, Birds Nest Roys, Jean Paul Sartre Experience and Mea Culpa, it is well worth investigating. Mea Culpa are a band worth catching if you get the chance, although since reforming, the guys seem to have been jinxed with both Clay Paviell (bass) and Floyd Rudolf (guitar/vocals) injuring a hand each (twice in Floyd's case), various pieces of equipment being mislaid, as well as supporting the Hoodoo Gurus at the Aranui but (due to lack of space) not actually getting to play. Fortunately Ken Haines (drums) has managed to stay accident free and Mea Culpa should be appearing more regularly without these hassles.

Jean Paul Sartre Experience are expanding their lineup with the addition of a saxophonist and a harp player. The band are hoping to do some recording soon, probably at a local studio and at Strawberry Sounds in Dunedin. Wanted people at the moment seem to be drummers with both the Dukes (Grant Alexander and Lyall Stone, ph. 596091 —

vocalists also) and the Chamelias (ph. 324486) looking for someone to fit the position, while Louie and the Hotsticks are after a saxophonist (ph. 288256). Tony Rabbit (ex-News, Big Race) is back at the Carlton — this time playing bass for the Party Pros ... Stephen Mcintyre (ex-Ballon D'essai) has joined All Fall Down ... Original “Bushperson’ lan Costello has left Bushfire (now back at Warners) and has formed the Mulligans ... Lizzie Cook’s new band is Stop That Train ... old favourites the Venetians have reformed ... the Two Timers have gone their separate ways for now. Stay tuned to Radio U for a weekend special hosted by Alan Parkes which will feature only local bands. Rob Mays is also helping out the local bands by having them perform live on his Wednesday night shows. - Keep an eye on the Gladstone for a War of the Bands type event during May. Being billed as the only alternative for bands, the competition has already attracted over 20 local bands and an impressive prize list. All interested Pparticipants are advised to write to Running Promotions, Box 2382, Christchurch, or phone John on 488695, ext. 840.

John Greenfield