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The Pointer Sis
1 Vega$
has eye
By David Baker
FHm Critic
"For financial reasons, it
would be nice if Vega$ runs a
couple more seasons," said
Robert Urich, who portrays
detective Dan Tanna in the
hit series. "It's something I
enjoy doing, but a steady
diet of any one thing gets to
be tedious after a while. I
think five years would be
quite enough for it."
Vegaf is Urich's fifth
series (Bob & Carol &Ted&
Alice, SWAT, Tabitha and
SOAP were the first four)
and, provided the current
strike by the Screen Actors
Guild is settled in the next
few months, it will open its
third season this fall with a
two-hour special in which
Dan Tanna goes to Hawaii.
"I think the Hawaii angle is
a great idea," Urich said
with a laugh. "It'll be a nice
vacation forme."
A vacation is exactly what
Urich needs after the
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tor's have released their
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on feat
grueling second season of
Vega$. He performed many
of his own stunts this past
season and one of them, in
which he dived off a stage
into an orchestra pit and
tackled a villain while
rolling over a table, resulted
in his being hospitalized for
'I'm going to stai
work. It's just get
several weeks with torn
ligaments in his shoulder.
In the coming season,
Urich said, "I'm going to
start doing less and less of
the stunt work. It's just
getting too dangerous. There
are too many things at stake
and, most of the time, you
can't tell who's doing the
stunt anyway."
One of the many things
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Urich has at stake is his
potential career in feature
films. In anticipation of
making the switch from
television to movies. Urich is
about to be seen in Fighting
Back, a made-for-television
film about former Pittsburgh
Steelers running
t doing less arid I
ting too dangerous
back, Rocky Bleier, that will
be aired soon on ABC.
The role of Bleier required
little research on Urich's
Cart, he said. "Our
ackgrounds are so similar
that it's uncanny. We both
come from small towns and
we had the same kind of
Catholic upbringing. He just
turned out to be a little better
football player than I did."
Like his good friend Burt
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David Baker.
Special
By David Green
Start Writer
ince the beginning of the Poi nter Sisters'
v musical style, which began when
inie Pointer left the group to go solo in
5, the titles of their albums have
iected the spirit and content of the songs
itained in the cardboard and cellophane,
he group's first album, Energy, coned
of songs written by Bruce Springsteen
''ire") and Kenny Loggins ("Angry
as"), and reflected a change in the
nter's style of music from a laid-back
D's style to a contemporary pace.
riorityt the Pointer Sisters' second
l.m ^ " 1
uiu, uic ^iuup singing uie same type
nusic, but it had a more powerful overall
nd because it included songs by artists
i Mick Jagger and Bob Seger.
he Pointer Sisters' latest effort, on which
Pointers themselves wrote all of the
gs, is called Special Things. The album is
atly toned down from the group's
vious efforts, but it still has the "energy"
I "priority" to appeal to today's mainjam
musical audience.
Could I Be Dreaming" and the album's
3 cut, "Special Things," combine a Latine
rhythm enhanced bv bonuos and
I a heavy brass orchestration. These
nents are mixed to form two very highrgy
numbers. Lush production on both
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ccomplished with an overpowering disco
t prevalent in most of the Sisters' songs,
nother song that is similar to
*eamin'" and "Special Things," but does
contain a Latin beat,is "We've Got the
yer." This is perhaps the best up-tempo
rich
roles ^
Rpvnnlris to whom hp hpars jflSfe*
more than a passing jjyg 4* *
resemblance, Urich attended
Florida State
University on a football
scholarship. "I played
center." he explained," but I
nobody believes that when ^pPpS[
they look at me. I guess I 1
ess or the stunt ||j|l
-Robert Urich nMllNi
look more like a running ^
back."
Urich is thrilled to be
poriraymg a DacK, ne saia,
"because after all the agony
of being knocked down in
college ball, if the script says
I'm gonna score a touchdown,
i'm gonna socre a
touchdown." s v
W%:: v ** * y?
After Urich s tour of duty ig|- .,
with Vega$ ends, * he's /
planning to do a feature ^
comedy. "It looks like we ' 7 Vs* .
may have one at MGM," he 4)
said. "Aaron Spelling %
Productions (the company \ . .
that produces Vega$) is N
moving into the feature film ; V ;
area and they're looking at a
script called Slammer. All I
can tell you about it is that
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elaborate break in to prison
ever filmed."
Many television stars have
trouble switching to features
because of their television
: i i r t_: ?u ?: A u
imugea, uui ui ten &aiu ue
doesn't think audiences will
have any trouble accepting
him in roles other than Dan
Tanna. "I don't think I'm
locked into any kind of J
image at the moment," he
stressed. "I've done so many
different kinds of things ?
comedy, drama, action
auventure ? mat i m noi | i
particularly concerned with
having to break an image.
It's never been a problem for ,w
me and I don't anticipate it v^qbs s
becoming one.
Things'
number on the album. The combination of
the Pointer's voices is very strong and
spirited, but it is filled with a large range of
dynamics. "Power" has great commercial
potential thanks to these qualities.
"Evil," which is definitely the most
unusual song on Special Things, once again
demonstrates the versatility of the Pointer's
voices. They use their talent to match the
power of the brass accompaniment. This
combination of sound is what establishes the
odd character of the song. It brings back
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tunes of the 1940's.
"Save This Night for Love" is a light and
lyrical number that has a rousing beat.
"Save This Night" is the transition point
J l-l- ?- * -
uciwwii uauceuuie songs sucn as "uouia I
Be Dreamin" and the mellower songs on the
album.
The two ballads contained on the album,
"The Love Too Good to Last" and "Here is
Where Your Love Belongs," are both very
moving and express the feelings the
Pointers were experiencing when they
wrote each song. Assisting the powerful
voice of June Pointer on "Where Your Love
Belongs" is an emotional tenor saxophone
solo that brings out very intense feelings.
These feelings are what makes this album
more than merely average. With their
voices, the Pointers create an "instrument"
that makes the listener himself feel the
emotions the song's author felt. This gives a
personal tone to the album that elevates it
above becoming merely an album recorded
by a very talented group of people. It brings
about a vinyl piece of very Special Things.
i
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tar Robert Urich. (Photo by David BakerJ