35p USA $175 8-21 January 1981 00 esEB* January 8-21 1981 Vol.3 No 1 ?^prp%**33 "Hi there, allow me to introduce myself. I'm the new editor. Rover's the name. You've probably seen me around. Four legs, a cold nose, a smooth coat and a tail (rolling over and playing dead a speciality). On behalf of all the other chaps and chapesses down here in the kennels, I'd like to welcome you to the first entirely canine edition of your favourite music mag. For less than the price of a packet of Bonio we're offering you all the latest songwords, pin ups, news, reviews and hot info from the world of vinyl. Specifically, this means an on the spot report on The Police's tour of America, an update on Coventry's finest, Los Specials (a group containing no dogs) and a peek at The World Of Eddy Grant, one of the music scene's foremost mavericks (also the owner of a rather comely Afghan named Kate, but I mustn't bore you with my love life). Plus a special molto-fab David Bowie competition. Every page guaranteed absolutely cat-free. Beats running after sticks any day of the week." CLUBLAND Elvis Costello & The Attractions 3 LIES Status Quo 8 BLUE MOON Showaddywaddy 9 SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW Matchbox 9 FADE TO GREY Visage 12 RABBIT Chas & Oave 17 I AM THE BEAT The Look 17 RUNAROUND SUE Racey 18 HEARTBREAK HOTEL The Jacksons 19 WHO'S GONNA ROCK YOU The Nolans 22 LOVE ME TO SLEEP Hot Chocolate 22 DO NOTHING The Specials 31 SHE'S SO MODERN The Boomtown Rats 32 MY GIRL Rod Stewart 39 LOVE ON THE ROCKS Neil Diamond 39 THE POLICE: Feature 4/5/6 EDDY GRANT: Feature 14/15 DAVID BOWIE: Colour Poster 20/21 THE SPECIALS: Feature 29/30/31 GEN X: Colour Poster 40 BITZ 10/11 BOWIE COMPETITION 16 DISCO 19 CROSSWORD 23 REVIEWS 24/25 STAR TEASER 26 FACT IS 27 INDEPENDENT BITZ 28 BIRO BUDDIES 33 CARTOON 33 LETTERS 35/36 CALENDAR OFFER .36 GIGZ 38 Special thanks this issue to Michelle Mortimer (design) and Mark Ellen (editorial). This magazine is published by EMAP National Publications Ltd, Peterborough and is printed by East Midland Litho Printers, Peterborough. Copyright exists on all songs appearing in Smash Hits, They must not be reproduced without the consent of the copyright holders. and handshakes all The rock takings •HE POLICE? "Hey, nice to see you o' round. Sure. I heard from the band? guys. You just got here those guys!" told me. I Tii airport? You shoulda wasn't fully enough (Please As if he have sent limos." his mobile would occupied negotiating In the American through note the plural. of a yellow cab considered junkheap big league it is rush hour traffic our band to be New York's perfectly normal for a time to show off his driver finds driven around individually.) comprehensive knowledge of by bawling The Police catalogue PHILADELPHIA IS flat, sprawling improvised '.'Roxanne a hastily and heavily industrial. It's a window, with rhythm out of the hundred miles south of New by beating the improvised York. Just up the road in his free hand. dashboard with American terms. -ANNE! You don t n "ROCKS We're trying to keep warm put on the red light musty old aotta the Tower Theatre, a You don't have sleazy SOCKS-ANNEI vaudeville venue on the whaddya call that band . say, for the to put side of town, waiting .youcallitreggay,aint order to . In stuff?. to arrive from Canada. off that right?" the most of their time we do. make Urn. Well, maybe stayed over to do a little Park they've little further down privatejetto A skiing, hiring a where the traffic seizes Philadelphia Avenue, whisk them down to Radio Station up altogether, last minute. an otherwise at the WNEW interrupts after the road crew Foreigner and Minutes endless stream of completed their exhaustive Do, De Da have ELO to play "De Do Do equipment, the 45 checks of the the first American in from the Da Da", three of them scurry against fover, well bundled up bags witt stuck on more the biting wind, travel "I'm being "Concorde small but significant American walls slung and more luqqage labels attached followed closely . It's bloody shoulders, day . over every massive by the watchful and l, I'll tell you American painfu figure of Larry, an Sting employed to "mind" them, and Larry is a quiet, from "Zenyatta Mondatta", in particular. character who looks as it also top ten and rising. friendly tissue argument with a The DJ, owner of a toilet he could win an can voice (soft but oh so strong), 3 above the din a brief hello, Sting, just about be heard After Alright Andy are straight on of warring car horns; Stewart and t the introto that's The Police. I don stage, pumping out people, before you'd call that kind of "Walking On The Moon" know what outdoor it shed their music. Maybe you'd call they've even minutes later reqqay. Whatever, it's clothing. Ten dressing Supertramp time on WNEW... they're back in the soundcheck completed. Click. room, „_ n„ at rocK enough, De Do You realise you're looking Interestingly of Police 45 to most efficient users Do Do" is the first and roll's success taste American chart time. j. .. favourite Overapre-gigdmnej-irone since our cab driver's the street, Andy two years ago. Back then they restaurant across Airport on the emphases arrived at Kennedy prods a salati-and with a between this tour cheapest flight available the difference POUC Kim forays road crew comprising and their first THE deal to blast for us to Turner, no real record "It was a big foggiest idea London, where we speak of and not the come from would gigs, and then be ha spaciflc^whara^ra™ how The Land Of The Free couldn't get any Phi.ade.phia «o novelty group, playing react to them. this big in Coast of These days they're all smiles around the East above But of course now we re the A&M offices high America. Anything the and heavy and we re selling Madison Avenue. biq love to say hello. It not, But it's fun ma that want the boys get. s lots of records. seem to really expect restaurant has been boys all People The to bring up now. It wasn t Important however, advisable different way specially filled with In A first time. ° to have the subject of "Message misery the These pressures seem People, powerful radio Police single that significant mark on producers. Bottle," The left their most programmers and TV all over the world hasn't actually approaches topped charts long as it feels Sting. Maybe he The man from A&M ground in "As signs that suggestion but failed to get off the changed, but there are Kim Turner with the one still rankles natural and right and skin m circulate a the States. That he's growing a second that "the boys" should than a bit. carry fend off the constant "hi", shake a few more dignified, then we'll order to little, say everyone s to regard But these days attention. He seems influential hands. making on. challenge, the talking platinum and every approach as a Kim qently broaches concert at the aggressive response plans for a January adopting a rather subject with Sting. The Madison Square pressures are different he's satisfied that As soon as his 20,000 seater "But the attitude until is emphatic. "No!" business. insidious now; to keep threat. departs, Garden. Big and more there is no real meal is finished he promoting goods, to be piece of his the girls The gent who's coming up with the Everybody wants a running the gauntlet o concert in Philadelphia be wonderful in sign this Sting? to get back to tonight's always great, to time. "Could you at the stage door Andy with a be original Interview? There s and a nttie greets Sting and interviews, to always Picture, Sting? the dressing room his box office every moment. here who d really Smile as big as and interesting at somebody over privacy. swoop down to the front, but up with a lot of crap, performing that strange through, )ust of eventually you win loose-limbed jogging dance shed a little through grit." , ,. u. they're ready to ;) thet his, The problem is — and its are SW problem that The Police The band wind up with a clutch to face -a balance house up slowly having of encores, the entire maintained between in the white has to be on its feet, bathed Making It that Making Music and the huge spotlights obvious light of "Zenyitta", despite its iswontto describe as the that The Andy highlights, suggested punter-blinders". Chalk up the price for roll. The Police are paying another one for rock and the road- moves spending so long on ^colonisation of America they have Whereas previously 0n sternest critics, of kids been their own After the show, queues was not as the quality control attempt to talk their way might have been. stringent as it backstage. As I'm hustled of the danger grabs my AndV ^ aware through the door, a girl Z "Tell them I'm your two years arm. the last I apologise °"With us, girlfriend.