SMALL STUFF

Rip It Up, Issue 14, 1 August 1978, Page 2

SMALL STUFF

Nothing stays the same for long in the world of rock ’n’ roll. Well, that’s our excuse anyway for the fact that the David Bowie album we told you about in the last issue has now been pushed back a couple of months because of problems with the artwork. But it's still a double live recorded on his recent American tour and has now been titled Stage ... it seems Bowie has also nearly completed work on the third album in the Low/Heroes trilogy. Once again he’s recorded it with Eno . . . in fact young Mr Eno must be pretty busy. He’s recently completed work on the second Talking Heads LP More Songs About Buildings and Food and now, besides working on the Bowie project, he's assembling a compilation album of some of the new crop of New York bands playing the famous CBGB club. These include the Cramps, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, and the Contortions ... and while we’re in New York you’ll need to know that the Jersey Devil hisself, Bruce Springsteen has been wowing them on his current US tour. He’s been playing a three-hour show and when a one off gig at LA’s 500 seater Roxy was announced, fans queued overnight to get tickets. Various notables turned up too (bet they didn’t queue overnight) including Jackson Browne’, Waddy Wachtel, Gene Simmons of Kiss with Cher, and Tom Waits ... in fact a reliable source assures us that a live LP, a double of course, is in production from Springsteen ... and since a guest appearance by Spring-

steen on your album seems to be essential this year (notable sightings include appearances on Patti Smith’s Easter and Lou Reed’s Street Hassle) The Dictators are claiming that Bruce counts off “one, two, three’’ at the beginning of their forthcoming album Bloodbrothers. Yeah, sure boys . . . meanwhile back at the Roxy in LA when Billy Cobham’s band played there recently, they were joined onstage by John McLaughlin, Lenny White, Narada, Michael Walden and Tom Scott. They then jammed for a half hour. Jeff Beck, who was also present, showed admirable restraint and remained firmly in the audience . . . however Beck, Lenny White and Stanley Clarke are currently playing together as a trio for a tour of Japan and a possible album . . . and yet more scam on the Roxy. Local loonies, Mother Goose, are virtually assured of signing to recently formed American label Atlantic/Scotti. Mother Goose are to move to LA for an appearance at the Roxy Theatre before an invited audience. They’ll also record their second LP in LA . . . also recording in LA is Linda Ronstadt. She’s back in the studios with virtually'the same band she used on her last album. Among songs under consideration for the new LP are Little Feat’s “All That You Dream", Chuck Berry’s "Back in the USA", Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender” and Doris Troy’s "Just One Look". Tentative title for the album is Living in the USA . . . meanwhile the album Ronstadt was recording with Emmy-Lou Harris and Dolly Parton looks as though it may be permanently shelved. Some sources blame business problems but it appears all three are keen to try again with a different producer in a few months ... time for some Bob Dylan news. After Dylan's LA concert the usual crowd of hangers on asked to meet Dylan. But Dylan said the only person he wanted to meet was Elvis Costello. Seems Costello went backstage twice to yarn to Bob. Dylan when asked his opinion of Costello said: "He’s a pretty normal guy”. And when in Rotterdam, Dylan repaid the compliment by taking thirty people to Costello’s concert there . . . but Costello did less well at winning friends and influencing people on the recent Costello / Mink de Ville / Nick Lowe tour of the States. Willy de Ville told NME that Elvis was: "just a little f**king arse hole. ... I didn’t waste more than two

words talking to him throughout those ten weeks". Seems this kind of antagonism extended right down to the roadies for the respective artists . . . others out to see Dylan included George Harrison who attended most of Bob’s six London concerts and then the following night turned up in Oxford to see the Boomtown Rats and met the boys in the band. Bob Geldof of the Rats also had the dubious distinction of being ejected from an Irish festival with Johnny Rotten (sorry, John Lydon that should be) and then managed to get himself introduced to David Bowie after one of Bowie’s Wembley shows. You gotta hand it to Bob Geldof, he gets around ... yet more Bob Dylan news. Seems Bob played so long at the Blackbushe Festival in Britain that engineers who were recording the concert for Dylan’s personal use, ran out of tape. They'd only brought along enough tape for two and a half hours but after three hours Bob was still going strong onstage . . . Graham Parker and the Rumour who opened the show for Dylan, played with their characteristic energy and precision and in the course of their one hour set introduced five new songs’. Hope we get to hear them when Parker’s here next month . . .

Peter Frampton suffered five broken ribs, three cracked ribs, a fractured right arm and a mild head wound when a car he was driving crashed into a tree while he was in the Bahamas. As a result the premier of the movie Sergeant Pepper's was put back to late last month in the hope he’d be able to attend. But plans for Frampton’s world tour later this year should remain unaffected unless any complications arise . . . the Russian rock show that was to feature the Beach Boys, Santana and Joan Baez was cancelled at the last moment last month. It appears that the concert was a casualty of worsening relations between Russia and America . . . Wings are back up to full strength with the recruitment of two new members. The new boys are dummer Steve Holly who has played with Kiki Dee and Elton John and guitarist Laurence Juber who has been a session musician

. . . and ex-Wings drummer Joe English is sitting in with Sea Level ... bet you’re wondering where this month’s Sex Pistols news has got to, well here it is. Seems that Sid Vicious is now officially out of the band and Jones and Cook have been recording alone, with Jones handling guitars, bass and vocals while Cook bashes the skins. The results are reported to be pretty good. But manager Malcolm McLaren is believed to be insisting on bringing in another one of the Great Train Robbers to do vocals. The band are resisting the suggestion . . . but Virgin Records have signed all seven of the Great Train Robbers. They have recorded an album reflecting their experiences. But the record has been delayed because a publishing firm is claiming full rights to all the train robbers reminiscences . . . and while we're on the subject, Neil Young has written a song about Johnny Rotten which features the refrain; "This is

the story of Johnny Rotten. Out of the blue and into the sky. There’s more to the future than meets the eye”. OK thanks Neil . .. Maggie Bell, former Stone the Crows singer, has made a comeback. At her London concert she was backed by Jon Lord (keyboards), lan Paice (drums) and Roxy Music’s sax man Andy Mac Kay, together with Crawler’s lead guitarist Geoff Whitehorn and session bassist Paul Martinez. Basically the same line-up will assist Maggie in recording her new album ... there is also a strong rumour floating round Britain that Deep Purple are to reform, probably for a one-off concert. There is a possibility that such a concert could feature former members of the band as well as those in the line up at the time of the

break up two years ago . . .seems that Atlan- - tic Records are recording the Stones’ US dates. Surely not another live album already? . . . Anyway after the Stones finished a concert in front of 100,000 people in Philadelphia, Jagger flew by helicopter to Madison Square Gardens to catch Bob Marley in front of a crowd of 20,000. Marley returned the favour two days later by turning out to catch the Stones at their Palladium gig in New York . . . also while in New York, Marley was awarded the Third World Peace Medal by the Senegalese Ambassador at a reception held at the United Nations. The award was made on behalf of the African nations in recognition of Bob’s peace activities in Jamaica . . . latest white blues sensation George Thorogood, whose debut album has become something of a cult success, has re-signed to the tiny Rounder Records label despite the fact that many major record labels were out to. woo George. George’s first album has been Rounder’s biggest success so far, selling in excess of 40,000 copies . . . Jack Casady didn’t waste much time after Hot Tuna broke up. Casady and three other musicians from the San Francisco area are now playing new wave music under the name of the Jack Casady Band.: . . Cream reformed to play a benefit for Ginger Baker’s polo club in Ash-

ton, England. The show was open to members of the club only at a cost of $25 a head who had the pleasure of witnessing Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker who were also joined by Steve Winwood ... The Stranglers may have to perform in London under an assumed name. The Greater London Council has repeatedly blocked attempts by the band to find a venue and now promoters in the area are refusing to book them because of the expected reaction from the council ... LA hipster, Tom Waits has finished scoring tfte music for and acting in Sylvester Stallone’s new movie Paradise Alley and is now to write the text for Guy Peellart (of Rock Dream's fame) new book Vegas . . . 10cc to reform in original line-up? ... Now for the recording news. Joni Mitchell is currently recording in New York. Nothing unusual about that but she’s recording with veteran sax player Gerry Mulligan and bass player Stanley Clarke. The music they're recording has been written by jazz bassist Charles Mingus with lyrics written by Joni Mitchell . . . Yes have finished recording their new album, only mixing remains to be done. September release is likely .. . Jethro Tull’s next LP likely to be a live double and lan Anderson is on record as saying that Tull

will return to hard rock and his acoustic material will be featured on a solo album . . . Fleetwood Mac have booked 6 months in an LA recording studio to work work on the follow-up to Rumours .. . Ron Wood has completed the backing tracks for his new solo album which is being produced by Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker. Among those helping out Ron are Charlie Watts and Mick Fleetwood . . . Van Morrison is remixing his Wavelength album with producer Brooks Arthur . . . the Doobie Brothers are working on their next LP with producer Ted Templeman ... Emerson, Lake and Palmer have completed recording in New York and are believed to be aiming for a hit single ... The Eagles have finished the basic tracks for their album v . Carlos Santana’s working on a new solo album ... and Mick Ronson is to reunite with lan Hunter for an album . . . enough of this rubbish. This is where we get to the really important news. Right first . .. Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich have reformed though without Dave Dee ... Al Green has opened the Al Green Hair Salon in Memphis ... and finally Graham Nash and David Crosby went bowling together and silly Graham dropped a ball on Dave’s foot and broke it. Shucks ... for more news of equally vital importance to the nation, tune in next month to Rip It Up's Small Stuff. Remember you read it here first or second or third . . .