Grammys Put Celebratory Spin on Parties

As soon as the miniature golden gramophones were scooped up at the Grammys on Wednesday night, super-stretch limos buzzed through city streets carrying celebrants who cross-pollinated the night’s hottest parties.

Besides the official Grammy party at the Biltmore, record companies celebrated their winning and nominated artists at fetes around town, from A&M;’s bash at Campanile to Columbia/Epic’s late-nighter at Rex to the China Club.

“Who won?” asked A&M; President Herb Alpert as he arrived at Campanile for his label’s Grammy party, a terribly civilized sit-down dinner and buffet.

“Bonnie Raitt won everything,” was the reply, and the veteran singer’s triumph was the main topic at the celebrations that followed the awards.

Among those spotted at Campanile: Sting and his fashionably mussed hair; his former Police mate Andy Summers, who arrived with family; Herbie Hancock; Wilt Chamberlain (in a Lazers T-shirt under a brown suit); Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Grammy winner Aaron Neville. Michael Damian was there with Courtney Cox.

Across town at the Four Seasons hotel, where MCA was welcoming guests, things were a lot more crowded, with the likes of Grammy winners Don Henley, “Batman” score composer Danny Elfman, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, as well as “Born on the Fourth of July” director Oliver Stone, Michael Douglas, ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones, Byron Allen, Sally Struthers, Colin Hay, Tone-Loc, and the Hollywood Kids.

Lyle Lovett, whose brand of Texas existentialism earned him a statuette for Best Male Country Vocal, was dressed in a faultless tuxedo and cowboy boots, and was being pulled in every direction. .

Lovett, who introduces himself on stage as “the man who sits next to you and reads the paper over your shoulder,” is one of the few male country singers around who could get away with a version of “Stand By Your Man,” or sing a song about the unattractiveness of fat babies. What’s he planning next? “The death album,” he said. “Lots of songs about death.” The lighter side of death? “Of course,” he grinned, before cracking up completely.

After considering the possibilities of “Lyle Lovett, The Black Album,” there was nothing left to do but gorge on lamb chops, sushi, caviar, shrimp, rich desserts, and a fresh mushroom bar.

Meanwhile, in Hollywood at the China Club, L.A.’s jam palace for professional musicians and their loyal leather-clad following, it was a quiet night. Usually the spot where rockers flock on Monday and Wednesday nights, the jammers must have flocked elsewhere.

While Eric Burden and band performed on the postage stamp-sized stage, a few celebs cruised the club, including Julian Lennon, Paul Stanley and Shadoe Stevens.

Not all celebrating was done the night of the awards. Arista had its buffet dinner party the night before the Grammys at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where artists, managers, record company presidents and industry execs caught up with each other and braved a deafening sound system.

Among those crammed into the hotel’s Crystal Ballroom were soon-to-be Grammy winners Milli Vanilli, and Michael Bolton, nominees Lou Reed and Kenny G, plus Taylor Dane, Expose, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Jellybean Benitez, Jennifer Holliday, Atlantic records chairman Ahmet Ertegun, Mick Jones, Pia Zadora, Dave Stewart, Brian Wilson, Tommy Lasorda, Byron Allen, James Ingram, Downtown Julie Brown and songwriter Diane Warren.

The invitation read “Dressed to kill,” but those in the record biz always wear whatever they want.

Milli Vanilli wore their usual uniforms of hair extensions, leggings and Frankenstein boots; Taylor Dane was head-to-toe leather and spandex; Dave Stewart donned dark glasses and a long yellow coat and the industry executives looked a lot like their counterparts in the movies, but a shade more hip, with longer hair, baggier suits and cowboy boots.

“Of course a Grammy would be nice,” said Arista president Clive Davis, “but tonight we’re here to celebrate the music.”

Kevin Allman contributed to this story.