Artists & Music

Pretenders Return With , Tour Hynde Recruits New Band For Sire Set BY JIM BESSMAN gle and for "I'll Stand By You," the bums and tours, has returned to the first British single. fold for the first time since playing on NEW YORK- and radio "All the big radio stations want one cut on the band's 1986 album "Get stations may be excited about the new Chrissie for their summer festivals," Close." Taking over the slots first filled Pretenders album, but adds Klein. "She'll do one on June 10 by guitarist James Honeyman -Scott is ecstatic just to be fronting a real for Live -105 [San Francisco] at the and bassist -both of band again. The outfit is in London Shoreline Amphitheater in [Costa whom died of drug overdoses a year af- rehearsing for ' first Mesa], and another the next day for K- ter the 1981 "Pretenders II" album- U.S. tour in eight Rock [KROQ Los Angeles] at Irvine are bass player Andy Hobson, for- years. Meadows in L.A." merly of the Primitives, and former "Some women Amy Winslow, music director at Katydids guitarist . man New York's WNEW, hopes her outlet "Adam's become like a to need a -I partner Maggie's Farm. Following her performance as part of MN's Spoken Word tour, on need a band!" says will again get Hynde -air with key me, which is something that's been Maggie Estep, center, meets with execs from Imago and NuYo, which have Muni. in the stage -ready jock Scott missing the years since Jimmy," formed a co- venture. Pictured, from left, are Jim Coffman, NuYo; Terry Ellis, a says Hynde. Hynde, whose new "She's always been friend of the But it's the return of Imago; Estep; Ron Baldwin, Imago; and Bob Holman and Bill Adler, from NuYo. album with the lat- station, and the Pretenders are a 'her- Chambers that has really jazzed her. Estep's debut will come out April 26 on NuYo /Imago. est Pretenders itage' artist for us," says Winslow. (Continued on. page 23) line -up, "Last Of HYNDE "We've been waiting for four years for The Independ- something new from them, and I can't ents," is due May 10. "Everything's see any reason why it wouldn't be an changed for me now-I can even look automatic [add]. The Pretenders are people straight in the eye at traffic definitely a New York band: Most of Carnegie Hall Set For Benefit, Folk Festival; lights and stuff." our staff are big fans and play numer- After years of waiting, radio will get ous tracks off past daily." a new Pretenders track April 12, when For Hynde, connecting with play- Brian Wilson's Poignant Return To The Stage the upbeat "Night In My Veins" goes mates old and new was what it took to to alternative and album rock formats, get her going again. Drummer Martin says Sire VP/managing director Howie Chambers, the only other surviving LET IT RAIN: Plans are firming up for the fifth annual and said, "I can't think of anything else," tinkered with Klein. There will be a video for that sin- member of the Pretenders' early al- Rain Forest Benefit Concert, to be held April 9 at New "Do It Again" and "This Could Be The Night," and York's Carnegie Hall. Joining annual host and per- abruptly left. Sum total of minutes at the piano: maybe former Sting at this year's festivities will be Elton John, 15. The crowd applauded wildly, whooped and hollered for Branford Marsalis, James Taylor, Tammy Wynette, more, but Wilson was gone ... if he was ever really there. Hopes To Make and Luciano Pavarotti. They will be backed by an or- For some, Wilson's tortured attempt obviously chestra conducted by Michael Kamen. amounted to some triumph of the spirit, a clear improve- The Rainforest Foundation seeks to protect the rain- ment from days when he could do nothing at the piano Zap Mama's World Go Pop forest and its inhabitants through various means, includ- but rock back and forth. For others, his fragility was so ing its border protection, medical, education, and re- heartbreaking that it seemed nothing short of cruel to pa- BY MELINDA NEWMAN at retail, rather than the source management programs. rade him out like some damaged, sections. "I know when [the first rec- yet beloved, circus animal. Bitter- NEW YORK-Zap Mama's debut, ord] was placed in the pop section in STICKING WITH Carnegie Hall, sweet, either side you come down "Adventures In Afropea 1: Zap Tower Records, it sold well," he says. the venue will present its third an- on. Mama," logged 11 weeks at the top of "World music sections are often buried nual folk festival April 15 -30. Amer- And what about the other per- Billboard's Top Adult Alternative/ in the back of the store, so we'd prefer icana is the theme of this year's formers? All were fine, but Cava- World Music Albums chart last year. to be with the big guys." event, which will devote five con- here, who has a new Don Was -pro- But for the act's label, Luaka Bop/ For Luaka Bop and Warner Bros., it certs to topics with a decided U.S. duced album coming this spring, Warner Bros., sitting on top of the comes down to continuing to cross the bent, ranging from baseball to cow- was the only one who didn't have world may not be enough. With the borders at radio and retail, just as Zai boys to music from the Lone Star "Nostalgia Act" stamped across his band's May 24 release, "Sabsylma," it Mama's music transcends several dif- state. We like the sound of April by Melinda Newman forehead. Phillips' songs, such as wants to conquer the pop market, too. ferent genres. Like those on the band's 22's "Circus Blues" night, which "California Dreamin' " and To that end, Luaka Bop president debut, the largely a cappella songs on will showcase singing members of "Creeque Alley," transport the lis- Yale Evelev says the label will ask to "Sabsylma" blend lyrics in French, circuses and medicine shows from the '30s, '40s, and '50s, tener instantly, almost magically, back to the '60s, have the record slotted in the pop bins English, and the West African dialect including blues shouter and gospel singer Diamond whereas Cavaliere's best tunes are timeless. "Groovin' " Bantou with African and Western mel- Teeth Mary and blues singers the Snake Lady, Guitar fits in any time, any sunny day, any decade. Thankfully, odies. Leading the group is Marie Gabriel, and Blind Willie James. We aren't talking Rin- there's a place, if not a need, for both. Daulne, who created the unique sound gling Bros. here. The festival's April 30 finale, dubbed "A by combining the Western music she Country Hoot," will highlight bluegrass music and fea- BY THE TIME you read this, it's likely that all the tick- heard growing up in with an ture Alison Krauss & Union Station, Ricky Skaggs, ets to Barbra Streisand's 12 U.S. shows will be sold out. African singing style she learned, in the Johnson Mountain Boys, and others. The tour opens May 10 at the USAir Arena in Landover, part, from the pygmies who were at Md., and ends at New York's Madison Square Garden her birth in Zaire. Daulne was born to INSIDE OUT: At a recent edition of the Songwriters In- June 26, with dates in Detroit, Anaheim, and San Jose in a Zairean mother and Belgian father, side -Out series at the Algonquin Hotel here, the theme between. Although sources tell us no extra dates will be who was later killed in a political revolt. was "East Meets West: The Musical Legacy Of Both added, we notice that there are a lot of days off between raised her in Bel- Coasts." Well representing the subject were Phil- concerts, so we wouldn't be surprised if a few more shows ZAP MAMA: Sabine Kabongo, Sylvie Daulne's mother John gium, Zaire as an lips & The Papas, McKenzie, Fe- are added due to what we commonly to as over- Nawasadio, , Sally Nyolo, but Daulne revisited and the Mamas Scott refer and learned the African vocal lix Cavaliere, and Ronnie Spector, but the person ever- whelming demand. and Marie Afonso. adult (Continued nn page .37 ) yone, including the participants, came to see was Brian Wilson. The evening's format, with each act performing THIS AND THAT: Extreme's Gary Cherone will play a few numbers acoustically in the hotel's small, legendary the lead role in "Jesus Christ Superstar" with the Boston Oak Room, had an air of disarming intimacy. And when Rock Opera. Performances run April 2 -7 . .. Two benefit Wilson was led to the piano more than an hour into the concerts will be held April 7 -8 to raise money for Leon- evening, the room's atmosphere became charged with an- ard Peltier's defense fund. Rage Against The Machine E® ticipation and hope. Wilson sat down, and after staring will play both dates. Also appearing on the April 7 bill SHU at the keyboard for a few long seconds, woefully con- will be X, John Trudell, and the . Ameri- fessed he couldn't remember how to play "Caroline, No." can Indian Movement leader Peltier has been serving a The microphones The artists surrounding him gently and supportively life sentence for allegedly killing two federal agents dur- urged him to play anything he wanted, and, with some ing the Lakota uprising on South Dakota's Pine Ridge the professionals hesitation, he launched into "God Only Knows," only to Reservation. ... Ozzy Osbourne obviously was just jok- quit after two verses. And so it went. Perhaps as an horn - ing when he finished his "No More Tours" outing last stand behind. age to his hero, Phil Spector, Wilson then tackled "Be year and announced that he would be performing live no My Baby," unintentionally stealing it away from Ronnie more. In one of the shortest turnarounds in recent mem- THE SOUND Bel Biv Devoe Spector, who, only minutes earlier, had told the audience ory, he says he's now looking for a new band to back him OF THE PROFESSIONALS° that it would be her show closer later in the evening. After when he heads back out on the road later this year. What WORLDWIDE a few verses of "California Girls," he nervously laughed a kidder.

APRIL 2, 1994 12 BILLBOARD

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