Fallen Idol
Rock star Billy Idol may have injured his career, as well as his
limbs, in that February motorcycle accident in Los Angeles. Because
of a broken left forearm and compound fractures in his right leg,
Idol may not be able to act in director Oliver Stone's new movie
about the Doors. It's also unclear whether Idol will be able to
perform live this year at all, even though a summer tour was in the
works. His new album, Charmed Life, which was complete at the time of
the crash, is scheduled to come out mid-April.
Trumped Up
Elton John will inaugurate a 5,200-seat arena at the new Trump Taj
Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City when he performs there May 18
and 19.
Solo II Solo
The lead vocalist for much of the Soul II Soul
album, Keep On Movin', is stepping out on her own. Caron Wheeler is
recording her first solo effort in England.
Scarlett-Surround
The film score for Gone With the Wind is now available in Dolby
Surround from RCA Victor. A 1973 recording of Max Steiner's music has
been digitally remastered for this omnidirectional sound feat.
Kiss On
Those veterans of the metal wars, Kiss, will start an extensive
tour in Lubbock, Tex., on May 4. Because their latest album (Hot in
the Shade) shows a sphinx on its cover, the band will perform live
with a 40-foot-tall version of the Egyptian monument.
A Ghostly Quintet
Those spunky iconoclasts of classical music, the Kronos Quartet,
will perform with the late Charles Ives on their next album. Ives is
heard in an old recording of his composition ''They Are There,'' in
which he sings and plays piano. Kronos plays a string-quartet
arrangement as accompaniment for Ives, and the new music was recorded
on old-fashioned microphones to match the audio quality of Ives'
performance.
Cinderella Story
Hard rockers Cinderella will tune up for their next album
by playing April club dates in a handful of East Coast cities.
Long Live the Queen
The Queen of the Blues is back. Koko Taylor's new album, Jump for
Joy, will be out in early May. She can also be seen in the upcoming
David Lynch film Wild at Heart.
Back to the Beach
You've seen her on TV; now hear Dana Delany on your stereo. A
soundtrack of music heard on the series China Beach will be released
in April, featuring the actress' rendition of ''Far From Home.''
Yes, We Have New Santanas
In San Francisco, Carlos Santana is finishing an album called
Spirits Dancing in the Flesh. The first new Santana band album
since 1987, it features one tune cowritten by Vernon Reid of Living
Colour and another written by saxophonist Wayne Shorter.
The Going Raitt
Last year Bonnie Raitt scored a big hit with John Hiatt's ''Thing
Called Love.'' She's returning the favor by playing on Hiatt's next
album, now being recorded in Los Angeles.
Animal Tracks
This fall, Island Records will release a benefit album for People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, including performances by Edie
Brickell, k.d. lang, Erasure, Indigo Girls and Howard Jones.
Money for Notting
Mark Knopfler will go into the studio with Dire Straits sometime
this summer. But first he's hitting the road in April and May with
the Notting Hillbillies, a rockabilly-ish band he started in his
spare time. Among the members of the group, which will tour Great
Britain only, are an old college chum and Knopfler's manager.
