John: Singers must face music

London The music business views young artists as nothing more than moneymakers and forces them to put image over music, Elton John said Wednesday.

“We started off as songwriters and there were no videos in those days you had to work live to get a record contract,” John said on Independent Television’s GMTV morning show.

“It was all about the song. Nowadays it’s so much more about the packaging and the visual aspect of it, the videos,” he said. “And the songwriting aspect has gone out of the window a bit.”

The 55-year-old offered advice to successful young musicians: “Save your money, make sure you’re getting your money, put it in the bank, because you are just a commodity to these people.”

Blake faces lawsuit

Los Angeles Actor Robert Blake, who is accused of killing his wife, will give a jailhouse deposition next week in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by her children.

Blake will be deposed by attorney Eric Dubin at the downtown Men’s Central Jail, where he’s been held since his April arrest.

The 69-year-old former star of television’s “Baretta” is charged with murder, soliciting murder and conspiracy. Prosecutors contend he shot and killed Bonny Lee Bakley, 44, outside a San Fernando Valley restaurant on May 4, 2001.

A Dec. 11 preliminary hearing is scheduled to determine whether Blake must stand trial on the criminal charges.

Boss’ sax man has surgery

Austin, Tex. Bruce Springsteen’s concert Wednesday in Austin has been postponed because E Street Band saxophone player Clarence Clemons needed surgery for a detached retina.

Clemons, 60, underwent surgery after Monday night’s show in Houston, a spokesman for Springsteen said Tuesday.

“The surgery was successful,” said Harris Cohen of Shore Fire Media in New York City, adding he wasn’t aware of Clemons having previous eye trouble.

He didn’t know a date for the rescheduled concert, but the Austin American-Statesman reported it had been set for March 2.

The status of other performances on the tour, including the next scheduled stop Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, wasn’t known Wednesday.

Teamsters take on the Stones

San Francisco Teamsters pledged to shut down two Rolling Stones concerts this weekend at Pacific Bell Park if promoter Clear Channel Communications doesn’t agree to use union workers.

“We’ve been having trouble with Clear Channel for years,” said William Cromartie, president of Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 85. “They want to bring in kids to work for $6 or $7 an hour and give them a T-shirt.”

About 50 Teamsters picketed outside Pac Bell Park Monday as tractor-trailers began arriving to deliver equipment for the Friday and Saturday shows. At least three trucks turned around without making deliveries after Teamsters talked to the drivers.

The Teamsters say they should be unloading those trucks.