RUMOURS

Rip It Up, Issue 127, 1 February 1988, Page 27

RUMOURS

UK & USA The Housemartins have split. Their management said: “In an age of Rick Astley, Shakin’ Stevens and the Pet Shop Boys, quite simply, they weren’t good enough ... Springsteen will embark on a 22 city Tunnel of Love tour in late Feb with the E Street Band ... ex-Stax record exec Al Bell has been appointed “president of the creative division’’ of Motown, which together with many staff layoffs in the pop area of the label, may see to a narrower R&B focus at the 30-year-old black company. Judas Priest have been working with pop maestros Stock, Aitken & Waterman... guesting on Joni Mitchell’s new LP Chalk Marks in a Rain Storm are Billy Idol, Wendy & Lisa, tom Petty, Willie Nelson and Peter Gabriel ... the Who are to perform two numbers at the British music awards this week. Rumours abound of a summer reunion tour... the Long Ryders have split. Robert Plant has been doing warmup shows in UK for a world tour. His upcoming LP Now and Zen features Jimmy Page, though he's not expected to tour with Plant ... the Stranglers have released a version of the Kinks’ 'All Day and All of the Night’... due in April is an LP by Van Morrison and fellow Irishmen the Chieftains, recorded in Dublin. After two weeks with Van, chief tain Paddy Moloney said, “I got to know this strange man. We had our ups and downs, rows, and disagreements, but it’s there. Van is his own man — he does things his way, and that’s it’’... expect new Talking Heads LP soon ... after a Village Voice critic wrote a scathing review of Sting’s Nothing Like the Sun headlined “Bring Me the Head of Gordon Sumner" Sting wrote in calling the critic “a dipshit fascist simpleton”. MTV want to censor Billy Idol's video for ‘Hot in the City,’ which features his girlfriend being raised on a cross. “MTV is trying to say that my video is dirty and bad," said Billy, "but they’re wrong.” Billy’s longtime girlfriend Perri Lister is expecting a little Idol on May 29 ... Beach Boy Carl

Wilson married Dean Martin's daughter Gina... Beastie Boy Adam Horowitz makes is film debut in Lunatics, playing a mental patient... Tom Waits stars in Ironweed with Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson. zydeco master Clifton Chenier died recently in Lafayette, Louisiana, aged 62 ... Robbie Robertson's LP cost USD $1 million, so it should sound good ... working on Feargal Sharkey's second solo LP are Keith Richards and Benmont Tench

Paul McCartney wants to record some songs by John Lennon: “It would be interesting. Everyone has messed around with his stuff except me. I’d like to have a a go at ‘Beautiful Boy' and 'lmagine,' and one of the early ones, Til Get You.' Of his recent collaboration with Elvis Costello, which spawned ‘Back on My Feet Again,’ B-side of Macca's UK single ‘Once Upon a Long Ago,’ McCartney said: “One of the nice things about working with Elvis is that he’ll tell me straight, ‘That’s gonna come out corny.’ He doesn’t mince his words, and I like that.”

Johnny Marr is everywhere. After playing live dates with Bryan Ferry, Marr flew home from sessions on Roy Orbison's LP while Roy was supposed to come to the Neon Picnic, composed the theme tune to a UK TV show APB... Miami Vice theme man Jan Hammer has written and performed all the instruments, except saxophone, on two cuts from Clarence Clemons new LP Wow, can’t wait ... touring again is Frank Zappa, while Motorhead have joined Alice Cooper for a double bill

US tour, with Warlock supporting ... Ted Nugent is currently opening Kiss shows ... to open his Miami rock’n'roll club at New Year, Ron Wood organised an all-star gig that became a reunion of the Faces including Rod Stewart. Nile Rodgers is producing the soundtrack to Eddie Murphy's new film ... after their Run DMC comeback, Aerosmith are doing a duet with Willie Nelson, ‘Once is Enough.’ Jon Bon Jovi recently joined the group on stage ... tentative tracks on Prince’s Black LP are: 'Le Grind,' 'Cindy C,’ ‘Dead on It,' 'When 2 R in Love,’ 'Superfunkycalifragisexi,' ‘Bob George,' '2 Nigs United 4 West Compton,’ and 'Hard Rock in a Funky Place.’ A live LP is also rumoured this year... the Cars have not broken up, report General Motors.

Auckland The Bats were in Taupo when they heard the Neon Picnic news, some fellow campers mentioned the Tokoroa Country Music Festival, so they turned up and asked to play. “Sure,” said the organisers. They did a half hour spot of their “nicer" numbers, ones they could “pass off as country songs,” plus covers of Gram Parsons ‘Streets of Baltimore' and Mike Nesmith's 'Different Drum’ ... Ode are leading the way with local CDs. On catalogue now are Maori Chants and Songs, Brownie McGhee Blues is Truth and the Phil Broadhurst Trio Fabric. A Mike Nock CD is upcoming ... Big Rehearsal are recording at Mandrill with John Boylan. They play the Gluepot this month with the Ponsonby DCs, who include Jay Foulkes and Johnny Bongo in their lineup. Campus Radio is back on air Feb 13, with a new transmitter in the Waitakeres that should cover as much of Auckland as the Concert Programme. RWP simulcasts this year will be in “real stereo,” and two new specialist shows are Colin Hogg playing new releases Monday nights, and Apollo Angugo, recently seen on the RWP African music show, doing an African show on Wednesday. All the regular specialists will be back, and watch out for a Frank Chickens live to air.

The Tunnellers single 'Harvest Songs in Hailstorms' will be out on 12” only next month on Pre-recorded, thru Ode ... Ross Mullins has recorded 10 more songs at Progressive with Last Man Down, this time with a more guitar-based sound ... Ardijah are to play in Singapore next month, invited by the NZ Tourist and Publicity Board, with a trip to Japan in the pipeline ... touring the Nl this month are West German band Kiwi Sex, with Hamilton goths Cygnet Committe. Chris Bourke Palmerston Nth A major blow to the region is the decision of the Dolphin recording studio to close. Anyone interested in their sale of recording gear should phone Richard (067) 81-265 for details ... Dolphin's last recordings have been nine tracks for the Papatoetoe Pop Parcel and George Nepia's cover of 'The Wanderer,’ all engineered by Pop Parcel's Andrew Loy ... look out for the End on their Nl tour, with Bassett Rd Murders' Des Kerr guesting on guitar

Meltdown Records has received overseas interest in some of their releases ... Harry Death are recording two tracks in the Skeptic's Rise studios in Wellington, for a NZ hardcore compilation to be simultaneously released in NZ and Germany.

Arnold Splendour are recording demos on Greg Malcolm-Boelee's four-track .. Three Leaning Men, although still considering plans to move north, are recording demos at 2XS's studios.

Gerard Martin