Rumours

Rip It Up, Issue 115, 1 February 1987, Page 4

Rumours

UK & USA Terry Waite, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s action man, is trying to get Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo, Keith Richards, Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler and Bryan Ferry to form a supergroup for a concert to aid Save the Children fund ... Womack and Womack, the Communards, Holly Johnson and the Blow Monkeys will perform for AIDS research and care funds on AIDS day, April 1 ... the Cure have offered to do a concert in the US, with proceeds going towards US, Lebanese and Palestinian orphanages, following Rambo-like DJs using their antiracist song ‘Killing an Arab’ to stir up anti-Arab feelings. Speculation is rife that Michael Jackson is to buy Motown Records for SUSD7S million. Motown founder Berry Gordy wants to move out of records and into video and film production ... meanwhile ace film director Martin Scorsese has directed the first video off Wacko Jacko’s new album, due in March ... Gregory Isaacs was busted for cocaine just before Christmas. Despite paying a fine of $50,000, he was kept in jail on other charges. Def Jam king Rick Rubin is to produce the Cult and possibly Mick Jagger’s new albums. Rubin has completed directing Tougher than Leather, the Def Jam movie starring Run DMC, Jenny Lumet and the Beastie 80y5... speaking of the Beasties, in the week they made Rip It Up’s cover, the NME and Village Voice did the same thing. Their headlines were “Def and Dumb" and “Three Jerks Make a Masterpiece”... Lene Lovich and Nina Hagen have released a vegetarian single ‘Don’t Kill the Animals’ ... Jools Holland has been suspended from The Tube after advising “all the groovy fuckers” to watch the show — in a promo spot aired live during a children’s TV show. A hidden cache of Jim Morrison material was found recently in San Francisco, containing poems, song lyrics and postcards that he wrote in his last weeks in Paris in 1971. Surviving Doors, while agreeing the material is “authentic, dramatic and exciting,” have stated they won’t reform to perform the material ... Abigail

Khubeka, who sang in the South African government’s propaganda song ‘Together Well Build a Brighter Future,’ is in a Johannesburg hospital following a petrol bomb attack on her Soweto home. Aretha Franklin, whose duet with Whaml’s George Michael .'.'l Knew You Were Waiting For Me’ is No 2 in Britain and rising, recently became the first woman member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although Bruce Springsteen was a presenter, Aretha didn’t attend the party: she hates flying and was busy in Detroit making a commercial... new Al Green album is Soul Survivor ... expect .new U2 album The Joshua Tree in March. Christchurch 1987 started off on a sour note as once more the Gladstone has closed its doors to original bands, • bringing in Fat Sally as resident band. Dwindling crowds over the last month or so has indicated that the “Gladstone era” is over, but it . has also meant we now have a lot of homeless • bands, especially . with the Venue also grinding to a ■ halt due to lack of funding ... Running Promotions, who had been booking the Gladstone over the last year, are presently searching for another venue to operate. In the meantime they still want to hear from all new bands, soloists,. duos, poets etc (Ph 522-270). Stig’s Place has also closed its doors, and as Phil Warren’s lease on the place has only a couple of months to run, it looks like stying closed ... ex-Gladstone regulars Mainland Blues Band have now taken up residence at the King George while Fat Sally proteges Stuka have made the Blenheim Road: their home ... Fat Sally have secured a two-year contract with EMI and will be heading to Wellington soon to record... Two Bob Bit have just finished mastering their 8-track debut recording. Their trip north was postponed. Flying Nun News: big moves afoot with the guys moving their ! office to a hidden (?) location on Manchester St and Gary Cope heading over to England late February to oversee,the overseas operations... new releases include' an EP by Max Block, albums' by . Birds Nest Roys and Sneaky Feelings, and a mini-album by the late lamented Headless Chickens ... Jay Clarkson is getting a band underway with Michael Kimes and Jean-Paul Sartre’s Gary Sullivan.

Kaye, Paul and Mai of the Bats have performed occasionally with Jay and this line up could play with the Bats in Timaru and at Summertimes, Christchurch. Christchurch’s other alternative label Onset Offset have also been busy with an LP of women’s music (with three songs each by the Thunderbirds, Sacred Sisters, Sarah Richards and Rachel Grant) due out soon along with LPs by the S Pilchard Band, Ritchie Venus and the Blue Beetles and Dillinger Brain (titled In the Deep End). The label is also working on film clips by Sarah Richards and Dillingers Brain. A large proportion of the bands recording at Audio Access have been taking their time paying the bills. So if you’re one of the guilty ones, how about getting yourselves together and paying up smartly ... new bands include Night Musique, Arena, Tabacco Roadies, Expose, Written in Red and Boy. John Greenfield Auckland Hello Sailor replaced Ardijah as support act for the Eurythmics after the band’s management insisted that a band with a woman vocalist could not open the show. ‘Sisters are Doin’ it for Themselves,’ indeed... the Eurythmic’s sax player Jimmy Zavala did join Ardijah on stage at the Brat however... also bopping with the locals were the Waiters, seen on the dancefloor at Nu Vision’s Gluepot gig. Spatz is a new live jazz venue at 17 Albert St featuring Frank Gibson’s Trio plus Dave Macrae. Gibson’s Jazzmobile can currently be seen on Monday nights at the Gluepot ... Al Hunter’s superbly programmed country music show Hillman Hunter's Honky Tonky Heaven returns to Campus Radio on Sunday Feb 22 in the new slot of 4pm till 6pm. Al’s debut album Neon Cowboy is scheduled for a March release on CBS. It features Hunter originals, plus contributions by Dave Dobbyn and producer Stuart Pearce. Australian comic Sue Ingleton presents her show Strip Jack Naked at the Maidment from March 24 to April 4 ... Johnny Specific lineup is Lynn Buchanan drums, Richard Cotter percussion, Ken Pearson bass, Steve Sheath lead guitar and Johnny Spacific, guitar and vocals... Ebony Sye are

recording their debut album If You Want to be King at Progressive ...

Wellington’s South Indies have changed their address to P 0 Box 7151, Wellington South, phone 892-727. Recent releases include the Builder’s ‘Ginger Jar’ and the Haemogoblins’ LP Psychodelicatessan... the Trephines’ ‘Ray Columbus’ and the Soluble Fish Sound Cues are out on South Indies on Feb 23; both bands play the Gluepot March 7.

The NZ Music Promotion Committee are holding a Kiwi Music Convention at Wellington’s West Plaze Hotel on April 7 and 8. Many panel discussions will be held, covering all aspects of the music industry. For further details write P 0 Box 9241, Wellington ... the Warners will have two EPs out by mid-year, one in conjunction with Bygone Era ... local reggae band Mana, which includes several exHerbs members, have a minialbum Ain’t Gonna Stop out on Reaction ... Herbs are working towards a May release for their new album. They’ll be supporting Jimmy Buffett at the Mandalay on Feb 19. A Festival of Health and Harmony is to be held at Potter’s Park, Mt Eden (near Charley Gray’s) on Saturday Feb 14, from 10am. It will feature many groups in the holistic health field (iridology, meditation, yoga, rebirthing) plus Te Kani Kani o te Rangitahi, Sweet Harmony, Nick Smith, Mahina Tocker plus others.

The Fourth Southern Comfort International Jazz and Blues Festival will be held at Auckland’s Sheraton Hotel from May 30 to June 1. Visitors include British R&B legend Georgie Fame, US guitarist Cal Collins, US sax and flautists Bud Shank and Tom Mason, expatriate NZ pianist Alan Broadbent, plus nearly two dozen local acts.

The Keynote Club for musicians and entertainers is a venue at 192 a Hobson Street, open for members and guests from Wednesday to Sunday evenings. It seats 140, has a new stage and lighting, PA and band equipment supplied. The club also offers rehearsal facilities. For further info phone 389-156 ... and at long last, radio relief is nigh: Campus Radio begins broadcasting again from February 15, 24 hours on weekends and from 6.30 am to I.ooam on weekdays.

Chris Bourke