MUSIC NOW! by Mike Cooper
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MUSIC NOW! By Mike Cooper Cyndi Lauper has a new album, "Hat Full Of Stars" coming out this An effort by commissioners in Shelby County, Tennessee, to re-open an month. It's her first record in over four years. "'Hat Full Of Stars' is 12 investigation into the 1977 death of Elvis Presley may not be motivat- songs, 12 little testimonials, and it tells a story from beginning to end," ed by an interest in how the singer actually died. Commissioner Vasco Lauper says. "On this record I wrote about things I knew. I wanted to Smith says the lawsuit is part of an effort to remove medical examiner Dr. speak my truth and maybe my truth will inspire someone else." After Jerry Francisco, because of the death of several suspects in police cus- Lauper's third album, "A Night To Remember," didn't do that well, Lauper tody. "While we all want to know how Elvis Presley really died, this law- decided "not to be anyone's puppet anymore." "They were telling me suit is actually about police brutality," Smith says. "Since 1973, I have what to do, what to wear. I was writing songs and they were handing me claimed that the medical officer misrepresented the facts in autopsies tapes of other people's work," Lauper says. "It got to the point where I done on individuals who were held by police officers in order to protect felt like saying, 'How old you have to be to do your own...record the way the police." Medical examiner Francisco ruled that Elvis Presley died of you want it?' I'd started to repress myself. I need to work with kindred heart disease, but Memphis pathologist Dr. Eric Muirhead says Presley spirits." Louper also directed the video for the album's first single, "Who died from a mixture of prescription drugs. Muirhead took part in Let In The Rain." She'll also appear in a film with Michael J. Fox called Presley's autopsy, but Francisco has refused to release it because it was "Life With Mikey." performed at the family's request, a position the Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld. Smith contends that exposing a cover-up in Presley's A crowd safety consultant says the nine most violent concerts in North death will provide the evidence needed tc discredit Francisco's autopsies America last year resulted in 217 injuries and $543,000 in damage. Paul in 20 to 25 deaths that Smith believes resulted from police brutality. Wertheimer says seven of those nine concerts featured festival seating "Most of them were just black individuals, and we could get no atten- — in other words, no reserved seats or no seats at all. "Concert patrons tion." The manager of Presley's estate says Smith's allegations are "in are probably the most abused patrons of public assembly, mainly error." "The story across the country is going to be that these idiots in because they tend to be younger and they don't know that they have cer- Memphis have nothing better to do than investigate the death of a rock tain rights, and that those rights include having a good time in a safe star 16 years ago," says Jack Sorden, chief executive officer of Elvis environment," Wertheimer says. Wertheimer notes that 91 people were Presley Enterprises. hurt at last year's Lollapalooza stop in Chicago when the crowd tore up the grounds of the World Music Theater, causing $13,000 in damage. The owner of a chain of Florida hair salons has paid $1,700 for a 3 1/2- Concerts by Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Arrested inch lock of John Lennon's hair in an auction in Acton, Maine. The Development, Ice Cube and Kris Kross were also on Wertheimer's guide to the auction by an antiques dealer said it was "an original curl of list of the nine most violent concerts of 1992. John Lennon," certified by a German fan magazine editor in September 1966. Gutterball releases its self-titled debut album this month. The band includes former Dream Syndicate member Steve Wynn; Bryan The "Horoscope" album Bryan Ferry set aside when he decided to do Harvey and Johnny Hott from House Of Freaks, former Long his "Taxi" album of cover versions will be released next spring. Ryders' member Stephen McCarthy and ex-Silos member Bob Rupe. Huffy Sainte-Marie has her first album in 15 years just out, called "Coincidence And Likely Stories." The album includes appearances by Former Talking Heads members Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth "pow-wow ensembles" which give the songs an American Indian quality. have produced the debut EP from Angelfish, a group from Edinburgh, Scotland. The EP, called "Suffocate Me," includes covers of Patti Julianna Raye, whose current album was produced by Jeff Lynne of Smith's "Kimberly" and Holly Beth Vincent's "You Can Love Her." the Traveling Wilburys, began her career as an actress. The daughter of two psychotherapists, Raye's singing has been compared to Chrissie After Brian May finishes his solo tour of North America, he'll go back in Hynde, Edith Plat Edie Brickell, Carole King, Carly Simon and the studio with the other two members of Queen to finish the album they Joni Mitchell. "People try to find someone to compare you to, so they had started with Freddie Mercury before his death. can feel more comfortable. They need to find something familiar in you," she says. "The greatest gift from my parents was that I always felt my Now that Donald Fagen has released his second solo album, opinion was valued, that I had a right to speak my mind." "Kamakiriad," his colleague in Steely Dan, Walter Becker, is work- ing on his first-ever solo project (for Giant Records) at his studio in A group of 15 employees who have run the concert promotion business Maui. of the late Bill Graham has made an offer to purchase the business. The longtime staff members have reached a tentative agreement with Vancouver guitar player Devin Townsend was invited by guitarist Graham's estate. Steve Val to join his band after Townsend sent in a tape to Vai's label. New York band St. Johnny gets a U.S. release for its debut album, Veteran Cleveland rocker Michael Stanley has put together a new "High As A Kite," at the end of July (on Caroline Records). band called the Ghost Poets. The band also includes Jonah Kosien, Bob Pelander and Jennifer Lee. The band is about to release a self- Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden are working on titled album that includes a cover of LoVert's 'Casanova." a project called Hater which they descrioe as "Muddy Waters meets Bongwater." Elliott Murphy has an album coming out (on Razor & Tie Records) called "Unreal City." Carlene Carter's new album, "Little Love Letters," is produced by Howie Epstein, bass player for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. Ivan Neville, the 33-year-old son of Aaron Neville, is working on a Epstein, who lives with Carter in Los Angeles, also worked on her 1990 solo album in New York Neville's been a member of Keith Richards' album "I Fell In Love." "He has great stamina as far as keeping focus on X-Pensive Winos for the last few years, and he was able to get stuff," Carter says. "I'm flighty. I like all kinds of music, and I'll go off Richards to lay down some tracks for his solo album. Richards has also and do something maybe that wouldn't in with what we're doing." asked him about possibly contributing keyboards to the next Roiling Stones album. Guitarist and lead vocalist Robb! Robb of Tribe After Tribe played a solo acoustic set in New York City to raise money for research into debil- Giant Sand has just released its third album (on Restless Records) itating diseases affecting the human nervous system. Tribe After Tribe called "Center Of The Universe." The LP features guest appearances from has a new album, "Love Under Will," coming out in early July. Vicki Petersen of the Bangles and Susan Cowslit The band was formed by Howie Gelb in Tucson, Arizona, in the early 1980s. A Toronto newspaper reports the Rolling Stones plan a world tour in 1994 or early 1995. The report says the firm that handled the band's Former Noiseworks member Jon Stevens is working on his debut "Steel Wheels" tour has been negotiating with the Stones for the past solo album in London. year about the new tour. Rapper Young MC says he'll never again appear on Howard Stern's Elton John has been named an Officer of the Order of Arts & Letters in radio show. "He was really cool at first, but now he's walking all over France. Culture Minister Jacques Toubon gave John the award in a pri- everyone," Young MC says. "He's the kid that got picked on in school, vate ceremony at the French government Culture Ministry in Paris. and he's just striking out at everybody. It's unfortunate because a lot of Toubon called John a "legend, a musician who inaugurated a form of us weren't treated well in school and we're doing OK" stage show never seen before." John was given the award a few days after playing concerts on four consecutive nights in Paris. James Taylor has a "James Taylor Live" album coming out in August, mostly recorded in New England. "I'd say it's mostly from the two Jon Bon Joyl and his wife, Dorothea, have a new baby girl, (Boston) Orpheum shows we did last year, and a good deal from Stephanie Rose.