Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation’s press.

POP/ROCK

Singing Solo: An album featuring 16 tracks sung by the late Linda McCartney will be released in November, Paul McCartney’s spokesman announced Thursday. The album--Linda McCartney’s first solo project, featuring songs she recorded privately over the last 20 years--will include 13 original songs written by her plus three cover songs. No song list has been released yet, but the album is expected to include six songs reported to have been recorded by Linda with Paul shortly before her death from breast cancer in April. The couple’s son James is also featured on the album, which is to be released on Capitol Records.

Beastie Vanguards: The Beastie Boys will receive the 1998 Video Vanguard Award at the annual MTV Video Music Awards Thursday at the Universal Amphitheatre. The award recognizes the rap ‘n’ roll group’s “outstanding contribution to the music video medium.” Previous winners include Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Madonna and Aerosmith. Meanwhile, Southern California Virgin Megastores are now offering free MTV Ignition Key Cards that will procure discounts and priority admission for “MTV Live in Los Angeles” week, a series of special events tied to the awards that are taking place through Thursday at area nightclubs. Events include Sean Lennon on Monday night at the Viper Room, Fastball on Tuesday at the Troubadour, and a show including the Goo Goo Dolls and Barenaked Ladies on Wednesday at House of Blues. (For a full schedule, call (323) CLUB-LINE.) And in other video award news, MTV will air this weekend a “Video Music Awards Uncensored” special with behind-the-scenes moments from past awards, including a backstage fight between rockers Vince Neil and Axl Rose, a search by police to arrest a Bone Thugs-N-Harmony member for drug possession, and a pre-show scuffle between Courtney Love and Madonna.

STAGE

‘Corpus Christi’ Security: The Manhattan Theatre Club said it has received thousands of postcards of both protest and support in the three months since announcing it would go ahead with “Corpus Christi,” Terrence McNally’s play about a gay Jesus-like character. The New York theater reinstated the production after initially canceling it amid anonymous threats of violence. Previews are scheduled to begin Sept. 22, with an opening date planned for Oct. 14. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, which led the initial outcry, plans a protest at the theater on opening night. In a statement Wednesday, the theater said it has hired Kroll Associates, a private investigation and security company, to supplement security efforts provided by the New York Police Department. An NYPD spokesperson had said earlier in the week: “It is a situation that we will be monitoring closely, and we will assess the needs as we go on. Obviously, we will have a greater presence on opening night.” The theater warned its subscribers in a note accompanying tickets that “temporary inconvenience” might occur during the play’s run. The theater also noted that those who wished not to attend could receive a full refund, but asked that tickets be returned to the subscription office and not sold to a “stranger.”

RADIO

Bruce Using Union Muscle: Former KFI-AM (640) talk-show host Tammy Bruce, whose contract is not being renewed by the station, is letting her union, the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, do the talking. With Bruce and her lawyer standing by at its Los Angeles office, AFTRA representative Kristen Harper told reporters Thursday that the union has filed grievances against KFI for issues involving “disparate treatment based on gender and sexual orientation, unpaid vacation, enforcement of the term of her contract with two additional months of pay, failure to investigate sexual harassment complaints, and retaliation for filing sexual harassment complaints.” She said that Bruce’s last harassment complaint was made on July 8. Bruce was suspended two days later for making on-air remarks about Camille and Bill Cosby that station management said were inappropriate. Bruce, who has been ordered by the station not to speak about the dispute until her contract ends in November, declined to give any specifics about the harassment issue. But she said she would “absolutely” file suit against the station. KFI Program Director David G. Hall declined to comment on Bruce’s allegations because of the union grievances and potential civil action, though he quipped that he loves the attention she’s giving KFI.

VIDEO

‘Titanic’ for Kids?: A Utah business is offering to make the PG-13-rated “Titanic” more family-friendly by deleting the scene in which Kate Winslet poses nude as well as a love scene between Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio. Sunrise Family Video in American Fork, which is charging $5 for the service, said that customers dropped off 50 copies of the Oscar-winning film for editing on Tuesday--the video’s first day in stores. A Paramount Pictures spokeswoman called the practice illegal and said the studio may take action. Store owner Don Biesinger said his attorneys advised him that editing customers’ videos is legal, and said he plans to continue offering the service. “We wanted people to be able to enjoy [“Titanic”] without being embarrassed,” he said.

QUICK TAKES

Reporter Aidan Pickering, a legal correspondent at KTTV-TV Channel 11, was commended by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors this week for “exemplifying the highest standards of broadcast journalism.” The board specifically cited the British-accented Pickering’s reports on hate crimes. . . . The rock en espan~ol band Mana will wind up its U.S. tour with an Oct. 16 show at the Greek Theatre. Tickets go on sale today.