Road Runner 6(1) January 1983 Donald Robertson Editor
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University of Wollongong Research Online Roadrunner Historical & Cultural Collections 1-1983 Road Runner 6(1) January 1983 Donald Robertson Editor Follow this and additional works at: http://ro.uow.edu.au/roadrunner Recommended Citation Robertson, Donald, (1983), Road Runner 6(1) January 1983, East Sydney, New South Wales, 64pp. http://ro.uow.edu.au/roadrunner/49 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] Road Runner 6(1) January 1983 Description Contents: 2. Upfront—The sP ychedelic Furs/ The ainS ts/ Great White Noise/ Ya Ya Choral/ Iron Maiden/ Zoo. 7. Singles Reviews/ The Belle Stars. 8. The Reels. 11. Go Ask Alice. 14. Mental As Anything. 16. Dexy’s Midnight Runners. 20. The eN w Cabaret. 24. Tim Finn. 28. Ivan Lendl. 32. Sounds from Senegambia. 36. King Sunny Ade. 40. Beatnix. 41. John Cooper Clarke. 42. Simple Minds. 44. Film Reviews. 46. Recording an Independent Single. 48. Les Bean (Fashion). 49. Casio Keyboards. 50. New York, New York. 53. Album Reviews. 61. Home On The Road (Fiction). 64. Black Power. Publisher East Sydney, New South Wales, 64pp This serial is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/roadrunner/49 JANUARY 1983 hterview with h Rowlands TENNIS’ RISING ng Sunny Ade % nts, Oz Albums ’82 9 \ r r S' appy G2ADOO QOE7 ROADRUNNER PUBLISHER. Donald Robertson . •* EDITOR. Donald Robertson SUB EplTOR. Larry Buttrose DESIGN AND LAYOUT. Simon Penny. ASSISTANT EDITOR. Jodi Hoffmann. V CORRESPONDENTS. ADELAIDE. Giles Barrow. 1; Toby Cluechaz. * BRISBANE. Jenny Eather. • MELBOURNE. Jinian Burt>. Adrian Ryan/Tyrone Flex. LONDON. Chris Salewicz, ‘Keith Shadwkk. NEW YORK Keri Phillips. CONTRIBUTORS. Mkhael Ladd.,: * ryupNiCxH-r o il Phot-O Patricia SheaHan. ; *' ■ Ed wiria Shannon. 'Ib t V^vue , J(?e Tdm Thompson. Arch Brown. ■ ADVERTISING SALES CONTENTS. MANAGER. Andrew Say age. UPFRONT ...... .... ...... ........ TYPESETTING. Authotype ...... 2 Photosetters Pty Ltd> 397 Riley THE REELS' ........................... .,. 8 St. Surry Hills. 2010. < •GO ASK ALICE MENTALS RETURN ................. ... • 14 PHpTOREPRODUCTIONv DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS .... 16 Rick B.alzan >/ . 4 ... 20 Printed by Oft set Alpine j THE N^W CABARET .....;..... INTERVIEW —TIM FINN ................. ... 24" • Printers. Cnr* Derby & ; .* TENNIS — IVAN LENDL . .......... 28 ' Wetherili Sts, Silverwater. ..,182 N $ W ; : ' • K *.;/.' - • AFRICABEAT ................ BEATNIX ......................... ............ 40 DISTRIBUTION. Network JIM KERR — •' Distribution Company, 54 A NOT SO. SIMPLE MIND ....• 42 Park St. Sydney. NSW, 20Qp. FILM ......../.,................... ... '44 • • RoadRunner is NEW YORK, NEW YORK, ................. ... 50 registered fo r posting .Qz albums ’82 .... 55 AS PUBLICATION N o . SBF 1813; • " • FICTION ....*... Y . ......... ....60 HEAD OFFICE: 56 Yurong St. .•{ ; : v East Sydney. NSW, 20^0. Ph. 33T69Q9. 331 6776, 331 6644; 356 1186. * • ... 4 * '-V ..-;v Recommended Retail Price.' ■ $1.80 (Australia!- Roadrunner 1 The Psychedelic Furs A Bit of Forever, Now. A phone-call's as good an excuse as any for Top 10 singles in the Land of the Long White a Furs roundup I guess. Its 2 am in New Clud and "Forever Now" is already doing well York, 6 pm in Melbourne. I'm hanging out there. for dinner, and no doubt Tim Butler's in I ask about the state of the band, general need of some sleep, but, it's to be a conver feelings, line-up, the usual guff. Things in sation nevertheless. Before the bells, I'm the Furs' past have been quite tense, but the pondering why most of the stuff I've read last reshuffle has left an air of ease in its lately has been kept bogged down in five wake. Touring's getting better, band mem year old questions, like "Why 'Psychedelic' " bers are getting along surprisingly well and and equally diversionary drivel. Well I mean, all is set for a period of healthy growth. at long last, P.F. have an album out that Apart from the core of Tim on bass, Richard should joyously excite the masses, and the Butler on vocals and John Ashton on guitar, lads are coming out in January, fresh on the the touring band includes a cellist, a new sax crest, boarding on to even greater heights. player, a keyboard person, and the latest ad Tim does sound a little battered but says dition of interest, Phil Calvert (ex-Birthday he's O.K., "just the bass player" indeed. Party) on drums/percussion. The rehearsal They've just finished their last performance period will be the first chance the new team in New York, at Radio City — went well ap will have to get down to some writing, to parently. A solid three weeks of rehearsal feeling the new shape out. Tim describes starts soon, in preparation for the Aust Phil as "sort of avant-garde, with some weird ralasian leg of the tour, a major date being sounding rhythms running across things," the Sweetwater Festival in N.Z. Tim's quite but seems pleased at the propsect. I must excited with the prospect. They've had five admit after hearing "Forever Now” as the first 2 Roadrunner Todd Rundgren/P. Furs collaboration, I'd be quite chafing at the bit to hear what Todd's transparent production could bring out of this new combination. On the question of the recent vinyl effort, the matter of stand-out choruses comes up ("Forever Now” being full of the brazen be asts). More than previous songs, these have quite simply been written from the chorus out, keeping Richard's rambling phrase list ings to a minimum. “The earlier stuff was more abstract, but you should talk to Richard about that.'' Things keep swinging back to the upcom ing tour, with a strange set of references to Tim's curiosity about the layout of Australian cities. He wants to know if everything's as square as in the U.S., or more interestingly structured, like London. As usual, he has the impression that this is quite a 'fun' place, and relative to Britain, or even the States, it could well be. The impression will probably be helped along with Phil Calvert's impend ing engagement, to be celebrated during the tour, “a chance for a good piss-up!“ On the final leg of the conversation, Tim “ We’re pretty pissed off with a from the tedium of live electronic music, above very closely echoes Jim Kerr's sentiments lot of music being played around, searing heavy metal and clone rock ’n roll. It's a about breaking thru in the U.K. and the U.S., especially funk bands. They’ve just nice change. radio-wise. “ People are starting to listen The group has no vocalist, no semblance of a taken that rhythmic idea, more and more, and its just been mounting prescribed treatment to their music and an over the last five years and three albums. simplified it and made it dead and almost offhand approach to a performance. And now its starting to break thru those bar boring to the point where there is John Gillies assures me that Great White riers, where people that never took any no energy.” Noise don’t expect an audience of well-informed notice are having to, because of the sheer It was this disgruntled feeling, shared by jazzites ready to scrutinise and pressure." In the U.S., the College radio seven musicians which led to the formation of compartmentalize. network has been the key to a wider audi Great White Noise, according to the band’s ‘‘Great White Noise means a lot of things, ence, and at last that's starting to shift the drummer, John Gillies. really it’s a bit confused.” “ Categories don’t Furs from the 'small time' circuit of recogni Great White Noise are inextricably linked with seem important." tion to the more rewarding 'international' jazz, but play like few groups you’re likely to Often found playing in small city pubs, Great level that bands like Simple Minds and encounter at jazzy haunts like The Paradise Jazz White Noise assemble themselves a bit like an Human League now (well, at least for the Cellar or The Basement. orchestra. There’s soprano, alto and tenor moment) work on. Buy the record, catch the Groups like Kill The King and the now saxaphone, trumpet, guitar, bass and drums. tour, and as for the superlatives, time will London-based Laughing Clowns have also been The members originally come from tell. noted for their passion for jazz, but Great White Toowoomba, Brisbane, Melbourne and New Noise are a lot purer. Zealand, and now call Sydney their musical TYRONE FLEX The sound is fresh and spontaneous with a home. subtle order that carries you over yonder, away Patricia Sheahan The Saints have just completed their spare time in the pub. The tour kicked Return of the Son of Grogg’ tour. But it off with a wild party at the North Sydney looks like Chris Bailey and bass player offices of Ogilvy and Mather, the large Janine Hall will be staying in the country advertising agency, where the Saints for at least a little while longer. played a loud and enthusiastic set on a The tour certainly lived up to its name Chris Bailey in interview poses. Photos: Jodi gravel floored balcony above the traffic with Bailey spending just about all his Hoffmann. (shades of ‘Let It Be’!) Roadrunner 3 YA YA CHORAL Squared could well become an important breed I found an ordered run of the mill eight track rocks off. ing ground. studio, surrounded by the built up domestic disar PATRICK — Or you don’t play it to get angry at TC — Do you find that Australian audiences in ray of the M Squared office and adjacent living the government or something .