Late News

Rip It Up, Issue 20, 1 March 1979, Page 6

Late News

BIG CITY MUSIC BLUBS SHOW MIDNIGHT TO ONE RADIO 1X1,1332

Jess Roden may replace Marty Balin in Jefferson Starship. Seems that Balin has failed to turn up for the band’s rehearsals for their next album ... Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have lost drummer Stan Lynch. Producer Jimmy lovine is believed to be leading the group to a softer musical style with a greater emphasis on Petty ... Patti Smith’s cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Because the Night” may not have been the magnanimous gesture on Bruce’s part that it seemed. It now appears that onetime Springsteen engineer Jimmy lovine (see above) who produced Smith's Easter album pinched the song from demos he had. Springsteen is believed to have been a trifle annoyed at the theft ... Sweet’s lead singer Brian Connolly has quit. The remaining three will take over all vocal duties ... the new Tom Robinson single "Bully For You” was co-authored by Peter Gabriel ... Gerry Rafferty’s ex-partner in Steelers Wheel Joe Egan has his first solo LP released soon ... an official receiver has been appointed to sort out The Sex Pistols financial affairs. The questions of who owns the name The Sex Pistols, and the status of John Lydon’s contract with Malcolm McLaren’s Glitterbest management company are matters that the court suggested the parties settle between themselves. McLaren’s co-defendants, the two remaining members of The Sex Pistols, Steve Jones and Paul Cook, changed sides and joined Lydon in requesting the appointment of a receiver. Glitterbest has been declared bankrupt and McLaren has signed all his rights over to Virgin Records ... The Searchers of “Needles and Pins” and “Sweets for My Sweet” fame have signed to New York’s Sire Records. Elvis Costello and Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler are believed to be contributing songs for The Searchers' comeback LP ... meanwhile Dire Straits have made the big-time in the States with their first album very firmly in the top ten there. Their second album, titled Communique, was completed in late February in Nassau with producers Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler. It’s slated for May release ... next Bad Company LP is Desolation Angels ... and Cheap Trick’s next studio set will be Dream Police ... Nils Lofgren has co-written three of the songs for inclusion on Lou Reed’s next LP, tentatively titled Bells ... the Amazing Rhythm Aces’ fifth album is entitled the Amazing Rhythm Aces and includes the services of new guitarist Duncan Cameron ... the new Lou Reed live LP, titled Take No Prisoners, will be released in NZ asserts RCA Records. RCA Records Australia have refused to press the record on the grounds that it contains offensive language. If RCA NZ cannot obtain the parts to manufacture the album here, copies will be imported from Britain ... the Cheap Trick album Live at the Budokan will only be released here after their next studio set (Dream Police) has been released ... and CBS Records have no plans to import copies of the Japanese double album Bob Dylan Live at the Budokan into New Zealand ...