HEADLINES FROM POP MUSIC’S CAPITAL

Morrissey goes solo. Michael Jackson scores big. Mick Jagger speaks out. The Jesus and Mary Chain returns with a sensational new album.

Those are just a few of the key headlines this week in the city where--despite all the dominance of American music in recent years--the pop pulse continues to beat the strongest.

Unlike the States, where the rock scene is divided into several regional centers, the focus of the British pop world is centered here and a host of aggressive, highly opinionated pop journals--from weekly tabloids like Melody Maker and New Musical Express to slick monthlies such as Q and The Face--keep fans here supplied with all sorts of news and gossip.

This week’s news:

MORRISSEY GOES SOLO--As appeared likely a few weeks ago when guitarist Johnny Marr left the band, the Smiths--one of the most original and admired British bands of the ‘80s--has called it quits. Lead singer Morrissey is writing songs in preparation for his first solo album, while drummer Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke are on their own.

“It’s taken some time to think things over, but now Morrissey has decided to end one era before beginning another,” said a spokesman for the singer. “The Smiths were Morrissey, Johnny, Andy and Mike. Any other combination would not have been the same, so the auditions to replace Johnny were never really serious. They just tried out a few people suggested by their friends.”

Morrissey has reportedly already recorded a couple of tracks and may have an LP in the stores by the end of the year. Meanwhile, “Strangeways, Here We Come,” the final studio album from the Smiths, will be released late this month.

MICHAEL JACKSON SCORES BIG--Though his much-publicized eccentricities have caused writers here to dub him “Wacko Jacko,” Jackson’s “Bad” album is a big hit here with both critics and fans. The LP, which received a maximum 5-star rating in Q and 4 out of 5 stars in Sounds, entered two of the three tabloid charts at No. 1.

MICK JAGGER SPEAKS OUT--In an interview with Q timed to coincide with the release of his second solo album, Jagger explained why he decided to do a solo tour this year rather than try to pull the Stones together again at this time. “Going on tour with the Stones would have been a disaster, or a recipe for one,” said Jagger, who has been feuding with Stones guitarist Keith Richards. “The band was not getting on at all . It was awful . The graphic experience to me of a band on tour not working was the Who’s last tour. When I saw that, it really scared me and it remained with me seeing this real kind of hatred feeling. It was horrible, you know, Pete Townshend being in another hotel and no one speaking. . . . It was then that I realized there was no way the Stones could go out because it would have been exactly the same, probably worse.”

JESUS AND MARY CHAIN RETURN--The band, led by brothers Jim and William Reid, came up with one of the most exhilarating rock albums of the ‘80s with 1985’s “Psychocandy,” an album that combined relentless feedback and endearing romanticism to underscore the complexities of personal relationships. The JAMC has dropped the feedback in its just-released follow-up, but the best moments of “Darklands” remain every bit as haunting. The LP is expected to be released in the United States around Sept. 22.

MADONNA BOOSTS THE BHUNDU BOYS--After hearing a tape of this lively quintet from Zimbabwe, Madonna invited the band to open for her at Wembley Stadium. The band, the African group with perhaps the best chance of a commercial breakthrough in the United States, has been making friends here for nearly a year with a series of shows and two albums (both recorded in Zimbabwe and released here by DiscAfrique) that have been on the independent charts for months. “True Jit,” the Bhundu Boys’ first album for a major label, will be released here soon by Warner Bros., though there is no word on when it will be out in the States.

BACK IN L.A., LIVE ACTION: Tickets go on sale Monday for James Taylor’s Nov. 14 show at the Pacific Amphitheatre, and on Sunday for his Nov. 18-21 Universal Amphitheatre engagement. . . . Tickets will be available Sunday for Tina Turner’s Forum concert Dec. 11.