upfront

Rip It Up, Issue 147, 1 October 1989, Page 2

upfront

Neneh Cherry quit the Fine Young Cannibals USA tour after the opening night due to physical exhaustion related to her failure to rest-up following the birth of her child. . . Lou Reed cancelled his USA tour after slipping backstage in Cleveland and fracturing an ankle. Lou has written a poem, “Cans” for Life magazine about New York’s “Can People”, . homeless people who live off the collection and sale of * aluminum cans. .. U2 guitarist the Edge and his wife recently had a baby daughter named Blue Angel Evans. .. Paula Abdul and Michael Jackson have signed promotional deals with competing athletic footwear companies. Jackson’s deal is with L.A.Gearand Abdul’s signed to endorse Reebok . . . as Batman the movie opens Nov 15 in NZ, the video is released in the USA ... Morrissey has sought the services of Stone Roses

guitarist John Squires. New Morrissey single is ‘Ouija Board Ouija Board’ and producers are Langer and Winstanley (Madness, Elvis Costello) . . . after the departure of drummer James Kottak Kingdom Come have split ... . the sexy vid Cher shot with 200 sailors on the USS Missouri for ‘lf I Could Turn Back Time’ has angered naval authorities. “It was disrespectful of Cher to do what she did on the Missouri. This isn’t “The Love Boat” ... Boy George duets with 60s singer Connie Francis on Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Something Stupid’ . . -the Bangles have notsplit but they’re doing solo projects. ...

Tone Loc has cancelled his UK tour suffering from exhaustion

after a frantic year. Too much ‘Wild Thing’, too little sleep . .. at the MTV Awards the rockers meet sometimes for the first time (Jon Bon Jovi and W.Axl Rose ) and others sort out grievances. Vince Neil “sucker-punched” Izzy Stradlin of Guns N'Roses, as Izzy had had Neil’s wife thrown out of a private party at an LA. club, lastyear ... the Gap Band vocalist Charlie Wilson is touring with the Eurythmics and Wilson will then record a solo LP with Dave Stewart. .. U2 plan to televise their New

Year’s Eve show in Dublin and ihvite musician friends to help

welcome in the new decade . . . Robert Smith says the Cure will tour no more. “I personally can’t cope with it so I've decided this is the last time we are going to tour.” Smith found he couldn’t walk about in Europe with out being recognised even wearing a disguise . .. Simple Minds will do a concerta

the Supertop, Mt Smart Stadium, December . . . R.E.M. will release a 30 minute video compilation of old and new tracks . . guest performers on the fifth Laurie Anderson LP Strange Angelsinclude Bobby McFerrin, Steve Gadd, Leon Pendarvis and Chris Spedding . .. Ax] Rose joined Tom Petty on stage in Syracuse to do ‘Free Falling’ and ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’. Rose then performed with Petty on the MTV Awards . .. China Crisis have left Virgin Records after the poor sales of their LP Diary ofa Hollow Horse . .. Japan have reformed and are

recording an LP in Italy. Line-up is David Sylvian, Mick Karn, Richard Barbieri and Steve Jansen . ... the Los Angeles police closed down the Aerosmith video shoot for ‘Love inan Elevator’. It was to be filmed in the Huntley Hotel glass elevator while 500 female extras watched from below but

fans also showed up and neighbours called the police.. . the Van Morrison UK tour

band includes Georgie Fame on ‘keyboards and Pee Wee Ellisonsax... Mick Jagger tried to purchase a Scottish Island with a title, but businessman - Malcolm Potier out-bid him (six million pounds ) to become the new Laird of Gigha . .. Neil Young obliges with a little harmonica on several tracks on the new Tracy Chapman LP Crossroads. .. Prince has collaborated on ‘The Sex of It’, a track for the upcoming Kid Creole LP ... ÜB4O are recording Labour of Love Part 2another LP of cover versions. Includes the Temptations soul classic “The Way YouDo (The Things YouDo)'... Linda McCartney has published a cookery book of “quick, easy and economical vegetarian dishes for today” — and Linda is moonlighting on keyboards on the Paul McCartney USA tour. Their songlist includes ‘Fool on the Hill’, ‘Let It Be’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ and ‘Long and Winding Road’ . . . next post Living Colour metal funk hybrid is Raging Slab ... Elvis Costello duets with Christy Moore on Moore’s album Voyage. .. Billy . Idol has decided to record another track for his upcoming LP so release is delayed until next year. Billy has recorded a version of the Doors oldie ‘L.A.Woman’ for the theme toanew TV cop show LA. Takedown ... U2 bassist was not convicted of possession of marijuana but was ordered by the Dublin court to donate 21,000 pounds to charity . .. meanwhile in London Shane McGowan was convicted for possession and fined 150 pounds .. . anew world record —in Gaffney, South Cafolina, 447 guitar players played ‘Louie Louie’ for half an hour straight . . . the Roy Orbison TV jam/home video A Black & White Night will be released as an album before Xmas. Roy is accompanied by a superstar band: including Bruce Springsteen, Elvis 5 Costello, K.D.Lang, Tom Waits, T-Bone Burnett and Bonnie Raitt ... new REM. B-Side is their version of Ohio Players funk classic ‘Skin Tight’ . .. the USA Record Industry Association has stopped its oposition to the sale of DAT . (digital-audiotape ) machines in the USA. ' The record biz campaign against DAT had been lead by CBS boss Walter Yetnikoff but his role was neutralised when Japanese hardware maker Sony purchased CBS | Records last year . .. David Byrne started his solo tour (fronting a large band of Latin musicians ) in Japan. He is promoting his new samba LP Rei Momo but the band will play songs from Byrne’s entire careet, .. unlike the Rolling Stones and the Who, the Village People reunion tour is not playing stadium venues ... next George Michael LP may be a double album. ..