RUMOURS

Rip It Up, Issue 43, 1 February 1981, Page 3

RUMOURS

UK & US A In Britain Chrysalis Records have released a Split Enz compilation Beginning of the Enz with tracks from the Mental< Notes and Dizrythmia albums. Tracks are ‘My Mistake’, ‘Crosswords’, ‘Bold As Brass', ‘Another Great Divide’, 'Charley', 'Late Last Night’, ‘Stranger .Than Fiction', ‘Time For A Change' and ‘Walking Down The Road’. The NME. pictured Mike Chunn in early; Enz garb when reviewing the Beginning of The Enz. 'Poor Boy’ is the second single off ..True, Colours in the UK ... .also in England John Lennon’s ‘lmagine’ tops the single charts while Double'Fantasy is top selling album. 'Happy Christmas/War Is Over' is also top five ... Jam cleaned up in the NME readers’ poll winning best band, best album (Sound Affects), best single (‘Going Underground’), best bassist, best guitarist, best vocalist, best drummer and best songwriter. Second in group, album and single categories was Joy Division. ÜB4O won best new act while Adam Ant merely won best dressed ... next Werner Herzog flick stars Mick Jagger and Stones songs on the soundtrack ... ex Pistol, . Glen Matlock has joined rock scribe Nick Kent in the Subterraneans ... Joe Jackson and band have parted company as have Graham Parker and band. The Rumour are backing Garland Jeffreys on his USA tour ... new Springsteen single ‘Fade Away’ features unreleased 'Be True’ on flip. Bruce has sold out five nights at Wernbley Arena on March/April UK tour ... Ramones have no producer for next platter. Song titles include ‘She's A Sensation’ and 'The KKK Took My Baby Away’ ... David Bowie is in New York mixing soundtrack for D A. Pennebaker film of his 73 farewell performance ... Capitol USA will release a compilation The Songs Lennon and McCartney Gave Away featuring material performed by Cilia Black, Peter and Gordon, Billy J. Kramer etc ... punk/rockabilly three piece Stray Cats got rave review for first London gig ... Joe Strummer told NME, “PIL sounds to me like Uriah Heep on mandrax.” ... Bob Marley and the Wailers are recording in Jamaica ... Bowie’s new single ‘Scary Monsters’ is available on a single cassette in the UK. First with a laser etched 45 are A&M act Styx ... Young Marble Giants have split while Andy Corrigan has left Mekons to be Bow Wow Wow road manager ... new vinyl includes Costello newie Trust, Gen X Kiss Me Deadly, Stranglers Themeninblack, Stevie Winwood Arc Of A Diver, Factory Quartet (Factory label compilation starring Durutti Column, Kevin Hewick, Blurt & The Royal Family & the Poor), Boomtown Rats Mondo Bongo, UFO The Wild, the Willing & the Innocent, Spodgenessabounds. Wellington Released late February on Bunk through CBS will be Puppetz debut single, ‘Confused Again'/'ldentity Crisis’. By then the band will be

on a three month NZ tour. Forthcoming Bunk projects include Taste Of Bounty and Steroids singles and a Knobz album, financed by the band ... Ex-Backstreet kingpin Chris West has

produced at his own expense a limited edition demo record of his own songs. Entitled Mixed Emotions, the package is conceived as a promotional device. Enquiries phone 757-257. Seen around town prior to Sweetwaters shopping for a cheap (smashtime) are Beat Rhythm Fashion generally acclaimed saviours of the **** album ... now gigging regularly are ska outfit Preservatives ... with a full line-up and rehearsing new material are the Innocent ... a dose of the same seems in store for Mockers who have been more than a little overexposed of late ... the Red not only dead but defiled. Prior to calling it quits unknown persons broke into their practice room and smashed all their gear. New around town are Nobodies Heroes cattering to the devoties of the boot fad and Insects That Jive Upon Crippled Grass Blades (Insects That Jive for short) at the arty "Life in the Naked Wallsockets Dance" end of the market ... rumoured to be joining Crocodiles is Rodent bassist Jonathon Swartz. Subsequent fate of Rodents is unknown but there are a few stray ex Crocs around ... at Resort soon are Lip Service, Crocodiles and Local Heroes ana at Terminus look out for Ariel, Pop Mechanix, Rodents and Steamshack. Les Crew

Dunedin

Hank Vandervis, bassist with the up-and-coming Elevators, has been organizing successful festivals at Broom Valley over Port Chalmers way. The second and most successful was staged at the end of January and featured new band Sneaky Feelings (Martin Durrant drums, Matthew Bannister guitar), the Clean, a highly charged set from Bored Games who may be splitting, the Elevators, Broken Models and an American country boogie duo, Gypsy Mountain.

Also at the end of last month was the 4XO Festival hop, which attracted a thousand people to see the Clean, Millie Grant’s Last Deal and Broken Models ... Steve Haggie (ex-Knobz,

keyboards), Kevin Mahoney (drums) Neil Henderson (bass) both ex-Axis and Graham Blair (guitar) have formed a band, working title Mr X the Suspects have a new vocalist, John Bennett (ex-Second Helping) and a light show. The G. J. K. in the Weekender is definitely no relation to yours truly. George Kay

Christchurch The Androidss have recorded several originals in Arnold Van Bussel’s studio.' Before returning to Auckland they play the Coast, Nelson and the Hillsborough ... Freddie Loiinder and the Soles (aka Hook Line' & the Sinkers) are Brad : Coates (keyboards), Tony Wain (bass), Allan Cattermole (drums), Tony Rabbit 1 (guitar)' and Lance Parkyn (keyboards). They play the Hillsborough for two weeks before the three Newz members depart for Oz ... by the way, “the Newz would like to thank everyone in NZ for supporting the band," said Simon Darke before fleeing the country. Lance Parkyn has quit the Hoovers. Paul Kean is now mixing the Playthings ... new Activities Officer at Canterbury University is Martin McPherson. Orientation (Feb 27 to March 7) will include gigs by Top Scientists, Playthings, Newtones and Topp Twins ... the Cowboys intend to hire out their old rehearsal rooms complete with PA. Contact them at the Carlton. ■MM In town soon are . Citizen Band, Hammond Gamble, Newmatics, Shoes This High and the Gordons ... at Gladstone soon are Solatudes and Old | Dennis ... Yo Yo and } Zerobars will share a six week Aranui/Doodles residency. JW Auckland

Out now is Dave McArtney & Pink Flamingos’ album with ‘Virginia’, ‘lnfatuation’, 'Lonesome Old Star' etc. Expect soon Propeller Records’ Class Of 'Bl. It retails for $7.99 and features 12 acts including Newmatics, Screaming Meemees, Blam Blam Blam, Ainsworths, Newtones etc.

The Shoes This High EP is available now. Tunes are 'The Nose One’, ‘Foot’s Dream’, ‘A Mess’ and 'Not Weighting’. It’s available from Record Warehouse and Rock & Roll Records, Auckland or by sending three bucks to PO Box 6972, Wellesley St Auckland ... Ripper double A side, Newmatics ‘Judas'/Screaming Meemees ‘I Can't Take It' out late Feb ... the Pop Mechanix are now on CBS distributed Mike Chunn label, XSF (pronounced “excessive”). The new single is ‘Jumping Out A Window’ (with horns and Eddie Rayner production)/'The Way I Dance’... next Techtones on Propeller is ‘Shed A Tear’/'Same Old Game’ ... Steinlager kings

Herco Pilots are saving up to press their Wonderbook EP. Tracks are 'Wonder Book’, ‘Essential Services’, ‘Extinguisher’ and ’NZ Rec’. It will be on Rem Records (“Remuera" abbreviated) with catalogue number POSH 1. From Oz: Dick Driver (ex Pop Mechanix) has a band in Melbourne known as Hip Singles ... Roland Kileen is no longer in Citizen Band. The new bassist isTimlumsdaine, ex D. Minor & the Dischords. New CB plan to tour NZ March 5-16 ... James Pinker and Ronnie Recent and bass player are recording for Missing Link. Gig with Birthday Party likely Feb 28. Jed Town, Mike Dooley and bassist are jamming together. New in town are Blind Date a three piece with Mike Caen guitar, Andy MacDonald bass and Lyn Buchanan drums. First chance to dance is Feb 18 & 19 at Station Hotel. Of their 25 originals, seven were played in Street Talk days, six are Andy’s and the rest are Mike’s ... Rick Bryant will leave Top Scientists. The band is looking for a new singer... Youth For A Price (on Class Of ’81) debuted in a Manurewa hall, playing ten songs in 21 minutes. Where did the other seven minutes go? YFAP join Blams at XS soon ... Zig Zag have split. Mark Vincent and Jerry Stutterd are forming a new band.