Morning Report - News from Oct. 8, 1998

ENTERTAINMENT

Pop Chart: Rappers Jay-Z, OutKast and A Tribe Called Quest captured the top three spots on the nation’s sales chart in their albums’ first week in the stores, according to SoundScan. Jay-Z’s “Vol. II . . . Hard Knock Life” sold an estimated 352,000 copies, about 125,000 more than OutKast’s “Aquemini” and almost 180,000 above Quest’s “Love Movement.” New releases by Sheryl Crow and Kirk Franklin also finished in the Top 10, with Crow’s “The Globe Sessions” ranking fifth (123,000 sold) and Franklin’s “The Nu Nation Project” finishing seventh (104,000).

Rap Woes: A dancer who said she was paid $75 to be in a Wu-Tang Clan video has sued the rap group for more than $100,000, alleging assault, battery, defamation, emotional distress and false imprisonment. Bridget Gray claims she and other dancers were touched inappropriately and “subjected to a continuous barrage of demeaning, defamatory, despicable, disgusting and profane remarks and gestures” during a nine-hour filming delay. A spokesperson for the group could not be reached for comment.

‘Spin’ the Bottle?: Several former girlfriends of Michael J. Fox’s “Spin City” character, Mike Flaherty, will revisit the ABC show on Oct. 20, including original series star Carla Gugino as Ashley; Fox’s real-life wife, Tracy Pollan, as Renee; Courtney Thorne-Smith as Danielle; Daphne Zuniga as Carrie; Paula Marshall as Laurie; and Heidi Klum as herself. One new girlfriend will also guest on the show--Paula Abdul (as herself).

QUICK TAKES

“Scream” co-stars Courteney Cox and David Arquette are engaged, but their representatives are keeping mum on when the wedding might occur. . . . VH1’s Sunday broadcast of “Shania Twain: Behind the Music” was the cable network’s second highest-rated program of all time, drawing an estimated 4.6 million viewers. Twain also co-starred in the network’s all-time ratings champ, April’s “VH1 Divas Live.” . . . Burt Reynolds’ plan to get out of bankruptcy was approved by a Florida judge Wednesday and will allow him to keep his home and all of his personal property. Reynolds--who declared $10 million in debts when he filed in 1996--agreed to make payments over three years. . . . People for the American Way honors former National Endowment for the Arts Chairwoman Jane Alexander and Recording Industry Assn. of America Chairman Jason S. Berman during the group’s annual Torch of Liberty awards dinner tonight at the Beverly Hilton. Also at the event, the group’s founder, producer Norman Lear, will unveil the organization’s new “Let’s Move On” TV ad aimed at stopping “the political game-playing in Washington.”