MORE EVENTS: Other AIDS-related events on the...

MORE EVENTS: Other AIDS-related events on the drawing board: Veteran concert promoter Bill Graham is planning a benefit in San Francisco. And there’s talk of a satellite hook-up between London and the United States in August.

The music industry has demonstrated its power to raise money and consciousness over the past five years, with Band Aid, Live Aid, Farm Aid, USA for Africa and the Amnesty tour. But the music world’s record on AIDS is considered skimpy by some activists.

Paul Kawata, executive director of the National AIDS Network charged: “This is unfortunately a disease that the rock industry has chosen to distance itself from. This is a disease that affects predominantly homosexuals and intravenous drug users, and people are afraid that if they support this issue, it may be construed that they are either homosexual or I.V. drug users. I believe the (Radio City) concert will be an important turn-around event in really having the rock industry participate in what is a global issue.”

More than three years after Warwick teamed with some high-profile friends to record “That’s What Friends Are For,” that smash--that raised more than $1 million--still stands as the industry’s main contribution to the fight against AIDS.

Elton John has been trying for more than a year to interest other top stars in recording a song he wrote with Bernie Taupin, “Love Is Worth Waiting for,” which calls on kids to be cautious about sexual experimentation in an age of AIDS.

“It’s been a bit of a struggle trying to get other artsits to contribute to it,” John told Pop Eye after he performed the song at a benefit in July. “I thought there would be a flood of people saying, ‘yeah, we’ll do it,’ but in fact other artists have been very cool.”

Jonathan Dayton, one of the producers of “Rock Response,” agreed that there has been resistance. “It has been an issue that perhaps people have been hesitant to champion, and for that very reason, we need people of real vision to get involved,” he said.

Dayton added that things seem to be improving. He said that he has encountered little resistance in booking the Universal Amphitheatre show. “In the last couple of years, things have really evolved,” he noted.

Arista chief Davis also sees improvement. “Through fault of no one, the industry has not rallied behind the fight against AIDS the way they should have. I hate to chastise the industry when we have always done so much for so many worthy causes. We all participate in the guilt of not having come forth with this type of effort before, (but) I think this event (Rock and a Hard Place) will change all that.”