George Michael doesn’t know who will release...

George Michael doesn’t know who will release his next project--he’s suing Sony to get out of his contract. But he is at work on “Trojan Souls,” an album of songs he’s writing and producing to be sung by other artists. He just completed work on a track with Elton John. . . .

Prince has been in a Los Angeles recording studio writing and producing songs for teen protege Tevin Campbell. . . . In the same L.A. studio, singer Vince Neil and drummer Steven Adler were spotted comparing their tattoos of logos of the bands they were fired from--Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses, respectively. . . .

Neil Young is now saying that his long-discussed “Decade II” multi-disc collection of mostly unreleased songs could be released by the end of next year. . . . Nona Gaye (see interview Page 59) isn’t the only Marvin Gaye offspring to plunge into the music business: Capitol has signed NuBreed, a band featuring her brother, Marvin Gaye III, as well as Lou Rawls II. . . .

Depeche Mode is finishing its next album with its usual producer, Flood. The album is due for a March release, with one insider reporting that it’s “rougher” than past efforts. . . . Veteran alternative trio the Meat Puppets might be getting smoother. Mainstream hard-rock producer Tom Werman has signed on to produce the band’s next album. . . .

Helmet’s new video (for the song “Give It”) was directed by artist Robert Longo, who did R.E.M.’s “The One I Love,” and features an appearance by actor Eric Bogosian. . . . Look and listen for hard-rockers Exodus in a fantasy sequence of next Sunday’s episode of the Fox sitcom “Great Scott.” . . .

R&B; singer Stacy Earle has recorded two songs for the movie “Baboon Heart” starring Christian Slater. RCA will release them as a single. . . . L.A. singer Toni Childs, who recorded two albums for A&M;, has signed with Geffen, with an album tentatively scheduled for late spring. . . . The current version of Lynyrd Skynyrd has an album due in early ‘93, with one song co-written by Cinderella’s Tom Keiffer. . . .

Actor Matt Dillon, fresh from “Singles,” will direct Dinosaur Jr.’s next video. . . . Former Replacement Tommy Stinson’s new band has a name: Bash & Pop. An album titled “Friday Night Is Killing Me” is due in early ’93. . . .

Rykodisc is assembling a three-CD Richard Thompson boxed set, with rare and unreleased material, for a February release. . . . Capitol has just signed the band Subject to Change, which features actress Cree Summer, who plays a new-age hippie on NBC’s “Different World.” . . .

Robert Altman Jr., son of the director, is directing a video for the hard rock band Kyuss. Altman shot the Palm Desert-based group in a recent Phoenix concert.