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Rip It Up, Issue 13, 1 July 1978, Page 2

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Does anybody out there still care about the Sex Pistols? No? Well, in case there are some of you who do, you’ll be pleased to hear that the remaining Pistols (other than Johnny Rotten) are currently auditioning vocalists to take over the front spot in the band. Meanwhile, due for rush release is the single that Paul Cook and Steve Jones recorded with Great Train Robber, Ronald Biggs. Biggs sings “God Save The Sex Pistols” while, on the B side, Sid Vicious does his rendition of the well-known standard, "My Way’i’. Both these tracks emanate from the soundtrack of a film of the Pistols which is due for September release in Britain. Their manager Malcolm McLaren described the film as "a feature film with some documentary material tracing the early lives of the Sex Pistols”. The soundtrack album will feature mainly new studio recordings with some live tracks vocals are taken by all three members ... somewherein London. Johnny Rotten, now working under his real name of John Lydon has formed a band with ex-Clash guitarist Keith Levine, bassist Jah Wobble and American drummer Jim Walker. But Lydon estimates it will be at least 6 to 12 months before the band will be able to perform in order for Lydon to extricate himself from his obligations to former manager, McLaren ... on the Bob Dylan front. The likelihood of we far flung colonies getting the opportunity to view Dylan’s film, Renaldo and Clara are improving. At approximately four hours in length, it was considered by distributors to be “unmarketable”, particularly in view of the almost uniformly bad reviews it received. So when Dylan was offered $2 million dollars to cut the film down to 2 hours, commercial realities won out over artistic integrity and the film was duly cut .. . Dylan is now to play an outdoor festival in Britain next month. This date is in addition to the 6 shows at London’s Earls Court. The one day festival being held at Blackbushe Airfield will also feature Eric Clapton and Band, Graham Parker and the Rumour and Joan Armatrading. And while we're talking of Dylan, it’s with red faces that we report that the title of the new album will be Street Legal and not Street League as we reported last month. Release date in Britain is intended to coincide with his concerts there, which means the album could see NZ release sometime next month . . . the next Stevie Wonder LP The Secret Life of Plants, is in fact a soundtrack to a movie of the same name. Little Stevie has stipulated that the album not be released until the film also gains general release which means September is likely

for both album and film. Stevie’s soundtrack is not primarily instrumental and all bar two tracks feature vocals (although final track selection for the album is not completed) . . . the saga behind Leo Sayer’s new album also sounds intriguing. When Leo was here just a few weeks ago, he spoke of his new album as due for imminent release. Now it seems the album has been cancelled and at the end of the present, Leo will return to LA to record. What happened? . . .One time rock star John Lennon is also in the studios for the first time in a few years. Lennon is not at present signed to any record company . . . Chicago have named the replacement guitarist for the late Terry Kath it’s Donnie Ducas, who’s worked with Stephen Stills among others . . . Doobie Brothers vocalist, Michael McDonald, is to pursue a solo career on the side. He’ll be managed by. West Coast whiz-kid Irv Azoff who also looks after the careers of Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs and the Eagles . . . Walter Becker and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan are currently putting in time on a jazz album from Wayne Marsh and sax man Pete Christlieb (who took the solo on "Deacon Blues”) . . . Rod Stewart who, as we reported last month was off to Argentina to watch the World Cup Soccer, had a double tragedy during his stay there. Not only did his favourite team Scotland go down badly to Peru but when Stewart was visiting a restaurant a shootout occurred which left one gunman dead. Stewart refused the armed guards his record company urged on him and chose instead to return to London and watch the remaining games on TV .. . the delay on Nell Young’s next LP, Come a Time, is due to the fact that Young has rejected three lots of artwork for the cover already . . . Fleetwood

Mac, member John McVie, married his longtime girlfriend Julie Rubens last month and those who turned up for the reception included the complete crew of Mac, John Mayall, Peter Green and Bob Welch and, of course, Ron Wood ... Peter Green has now scrapped all the tracks he recorded in England for his comeback LP and will now work in LA with Mick Fleetwood ... Stevie Nicks also turned up onstage at Todd Rundgren’s performance in LA. Along with Hall and Oats, Spencer Davis and Rick Derringer, she joined the Runt for a grand finale on “Hang On Sloopy” ... Lynyrd Skynyrd's next album will in fact be a recording with the late Ronnie Van Zandt. Recorded in 1971, the album will be titled Lynyrd Skynyrd's First and Last Album .. .due for imminent release is Foreigner’s second LP. Big things are projected . . . Louise Goffin, daughter of Carole King and Gerry Goffin is to record with Bob Ezrin (Kiss/Alice Cooper) as soon as she graduates from High School . . . the next big music film will likely be Thank God It's Friday which stars Donna Summer and includes the Commodores. The film is currently the number one box office draw in the States and in its first two weeks of release has grossed $5 1 /2 million .. . Bette Midler is to star in a remake of Gypsy to be titled The Rose ... Elvis Costello collectors would do well to note that the B side of the new Costello single "Pump It Up’’ is “Big Tears”, a previously unreleased track that features Mick Jones from the Clash on guitar. . . and closer to home one-time Auckland promoter Barry Coburn now resident in Melbourne, manages the Phil Manning Band includes Midge Marsden and Peter Cuddihy and Tourists, which contains the front line from Beech .. . Mark Williams will be recording his first Australian album with CBS. Working with Mark will be Mai Logan, who was over here as Renee Geyer’s keyboard player. Mark

and Mai have written at least two of the songs that will be recorded . . . and Dragon are also hitting the studio trail and work on their third Oz album has begun. Title is O Zambezi. Once again it’s produced by Peter Dawkins who’ll mix and cut the final product in the States ... as you no doubt know the Rolling Stones have opened their American tour. The first date in Florida was before a crowd of 10,000 and the band were aided and abetted on keyboards by lan McLagen, late of the Small and Big Faces. The show kicked off with “Let It Rock” and proceeded through "All Down the Line” "Star Star”, “Honky Tonk Women” then into 8 songs from the new album, Some Girls, and finished off with “Love in Vain”, “Brown Sugar” and finally "Street Fighting Man”. The 13 city, 5 week tour includes dates at clubs (where tickets will be on sale only the day before the date), as well as 90,000 seater stadiums. The album has entered the US charts at 18, making it the highest debuting album of the year. Some Girls was released in NZ on July 3 . . . Led Zeppelin are reputedly rehearsing in a country castle in Britain . . . new LP from Van Morrison due very soon. Recorded in Britain and also in The Band’s Shangri-La Studios, the album features Garth Hudson as well as a host of British session men Herbie Armstrong, Peter Bardens, Bobbie Tench etc . . .

Santana, Joan Baez and the Beach Boys are booked for a concert in Leningrad that is to be recorded both for album and film release. The concert is sponsored by Levi-Strauss and produced by Bill Graham . . . forgot to tell you that Bianca Jagger has withdrawn

her application for a divorce from Mick ... the Amazing Rhythm Aces have lost guitarist Barry Byrd Burton, but correspondent John Malloy reports that his replacement was: "hot stuff and equally slick at clean country leads and pedal steel” ... Mr Malloy also reports that causing a stir on the West Coast of the States is Washington based band, Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band. But these guys are not your average punks —” The bassist, guitarist and drummer are all well over six feet and beefy. It’s hard to tell if they’re ex-football players or just heavy beer drinkers ... but you tend to forget about the band when Root Boy Slim takes the stage. Right away you know he’s not, well, normal. A big man with an even bigger beer gut, he’s dressed in a track suit at least a size too

small, baseball cap and glasses that say Root (you look through the O's). Now here is a guy without any semblance of good taste. I mean he is gross." The Root’s songs consist of such tasty titles as ”My Wig Fell Off”, “I'm Not Too Old to Love You" (complete with middle section devoted to Roman Polanski) and the classic “Boogie Till You Puke”. Still the guy must have something going for him as Becker and Fagen helped out on their first album and it's produced by Steely Dan producer, Gary Katz. Could be interesting ... on a slightly different subject Peter, Paul and Mary have reformed, George Martin is to produce their comeback LP . . . The Who album originally scheduled for June is now reset to appear in August ... Neil Young working on a mov.ie from an idea of his. Title is Human Highway . . . the first disco TV programme has begun in the States . . . pedal steel player Al Perkins (Manassas etc) is to produce an album featuring other steel players such as Red Rhodes, Sneaky Pete and Tom Brumley . . . Peter Frampton is to undertake a world tour late this year and early next. It’s understood this could be Frampton’s last for some time. He’s already committed to two further feature films after he completes his role in Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. . . The Sex Pistols single recorded with Ronald Biggs has been retitled “The Biggest Blow (A Punk Prayer by Ronald Biggs)”. A preview of the single shows it to be a surprisingly catchy little item on which Ronald Biggs proves he can sing

(sort of) and (if he wrote the words) that he’s got quite a sense of humour. The song is played in the characteristic Sex Pistols style, while Biggs sings “God save the Sex Pistols/ they’re a bunch of wholesome blokes / they just like wearing filthy clothes and swapping filthy jokes.” While the chorus goes (as far as we can figure out): “Ronald Biggs was doing time / till he done a bunk / now he’s glad he’s seen the light / and sold his soul for punk. “While on the flip side you’ll find the world’s only punk version of "My Way”. Your mother won’t like it . . . expect to see in your record shop later this month Dylan’s Street Legal, Al Di Meola’s Casino, the second Peter Gabriel album (title Peter Gabriel), Firefall’s Elan, Cheap Trick’s In Colour and a re-issue of the first Springsteen album Greetings from Asbury Park and at some undetermined time in the future Leon Russell: Americana, Leon Redbone: Champagne Charlie, Lowell George: Thanks I’ll Eat It Here and the next Doobies album.