Whispers
Talk about making a molehill out of a mountain, or two mountains to be more accurate. The story which set Fleet Street buzzing last week — that tiff between Bananarama and sexy Page Three girl Sammy Fox —
Bob ‘Jock’ Hodgens, aka Bobby Bluebottle, sorry bell, is ill in bed after taking on the Frankie lads at their favourite pastime, “getting bevvied”. Can’t take the pace, eh, Robert?…
Got any record tokens left? Good, because Tin Tin, the original Duran member who left before fame engulfed them, has a forthcoming single called ‘Kiss Me’ that features the backing talents of the Art of Noise. If that doesn’t grab you then wait for Marilyn’s fab ‘Baby You Left Me’, his best ditty to date…
Producer Malcolm Gerrie tells Whispers that Boy George was nearly a TV presenter for The Tube. George turned up for an audition dressed to kill in a huge dress and acres of petticoats but was most distressed on alighting from a cab to find several yards of his garment caught in the door. The driver still hasn’t recovered from the verbal bashing he received. As for George’s audition, Gerrie says “he was magnificent, a natural, but a week atter he came up Culture Club took off”.
Band Aid continues to gather momentum. Bob Geldof is talking about a live simultaneous telecast between London’s Wembley and New York’s Madison Square Gardens featuring some of the biggest stars in the world…
Top fashion photographer Iain McKell, who shot the stills from the ever so arty video for Nik Kershaw’s ‘The Riddle’, was surprised to hear the truth about the song from the horse’s mouth. According to young Nik: “the song isn’t about anything in particular.” Geddaway…
Christmas may have come and gone but the party of recent months was held last week to celebrate the departure of gossip columnist John Blake from the Sun to the Mirror. Whispers caught a bus to the Gardens, Kensington but deigned to hob nob with the pop gentry including various Spands, a heavily pregnant Kirsty MacColl, Paul Rutherford, a tanned, blonde Steve Strange and a crew-tutted Matt Johnson just back from his African travels in Mombassa…
The orange wig which Russ Abbot’s creation Jimmy the Scotsman sports with such aplomb was originally made for a David Bowie impersonator. Russ’s agent told us that Abbo’s single ‘She’s Lost Control’ “would have been number one if it wasn’t for that Band Aid mob”. We beg to differ…
Spotted: Martin Kemp doing his shopping in a late night Islington supermarket. Martin’s bag was bulging with hair spray, bottles of Brut (the drink not the aftershave) and cook-in-the-bag lasagne. Before anyone could say “Who was that masked man?” Kempie stuffed his purchases into his white Porsche and disappeared into the gloaming…
Sade, trying to write songs at home, is a trifle put out by constant calls from hacks anxious to update the story of her saving a drowning Scotsman’s life in Sri Lanka. If only they’d asked us we could tell them that Sade leapt in, swam out and told the chap to “hang onto my glove” before escorting him to safe sand.
Is all strictly kosher in the weird world of Phil ‘Brookside’ Redmond, creator of the soap series? First he loses key members of his cast, then he throws a wobbler over John ‘Snappo’ Stoddart taking publicity pix on the set of the much loved soap. Could it be that Redmond’s beef with Stodders concerns a negative in the lensman’s possession which apparently doesn’t show the Redmond nez to maximum advantage? Young Phil is rather touchy on the subject of his schnozzle…
Meanwhile, all those of you who have written in bemoaning Barry Grant’s departure, fear not! Expect to hear Paul Usher soon in his new guise, as a hopeful pop singer…
Don’t say we told you but Whispers nearly ran over Malcolm McLaren as he scuttled out of a classical records shop in Holborn last week. Malcolm’s next venture? Let’s just say that he was carrying a pair of ballet shoes and a brace of tutus and leave it at that, shall we…
The Angel Boys, a co-production between Bob Elms and David Johnson charting the rise of Spandau Ballet is nearly finished. It’s supposed to be pretty good.
Movie buffs corner: Emilio Estevez, young star of hip hit flick Repo Man, is none other than Martin Sheen’s son using his real surname. Meanwhile Prince fans will be pleased to note the presence of the fab Vanity in Eddie Murphy’s gutbuster, Beverley Hills Cop. She’s singing ‘Nasty Girls’ when Murphy visits a strip joint, strictly in the line of duty…
Mark O’Toole’s brothers Colin and Vinnie are in a group called Fantasy, one of seventeen Liverpool bands featured on new album ‘Jobs For The Boys’. This worthy project, financed by Liverpool County Council is a response to Mr Tebbitt’s injunction to “get on yer bike”, retails cheaply and gives you a good opportunity to cop an ear of emerging Scousers like Cook Da Books, Discipline and The Faction…
Mixed news concerning the Bucks Fizz recovery. Sadly, Mike is still quite ill in hospital while Jay is convalescing. Future group plans are held in abeyance for now but Cheryl is in Newcastle presenting a new childrens programme for ITV…