Daily News from New York, New York • 75

the hits was single of song have says had a if Entertainment Entertainment Thursday, February 13, 1986 TONIGHT. IN NEW YORK Here's a tip "Room Service," one of the great zany comedies, opens tonight at 8 at the Roundabout Theater (100 E. 17th 212- 420-1883). Starring Mark Hamill and directed by Alan Arkin, "Service" traces the misadventures of a group of theater folk holed up in a hotel room trying to raise money to put on a play. One added problem: they can't pay the hotel bill.

Written by John Murray and Allen Boretz, the show was first produced on Broadway in 1937. Black theater In celebration of Black History Month, the Triplex Theater (in Manhattan Community Col-. lege, 212-618-1980) opens "Thirty Years of Black Theater," an exhibition of photographs by noted theater photographer Bert Andrews. The display bows at 10 a.m. today and will remain open until 6.

It's free. More Whitney The Whitney Museum of American Art (787 Seventh 212-570-3633) opens its fourth and largest branch today at 11 a.m. It is located in the new headquarters of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, which is funding all its programs. Admission is free. 1,000 in 1 Actress Leigh Clarkgranville returns tonight to Panache (in the Magic Pan, 149 E.

57th 212-935-0244) with her show, "Hatbox." In this entertainment, Clarkgranville is credited with creating "thousands" of characters, which is an awful lot of people to let loose in an hour plus. Showtime is 7:30. There is a $7 cover and a $7.50 minimum. -Don I Nelsen ANNAN CLUB HOPPING PALLADIUM: 126 E. 14th St.

10 p.m. $15. Rita Jenrette celebrates the publication of her second book, "Conglomerate." THE KITCHEN: 512 W. 19th St. 11 p.m.

The 8 B.C. crew regenerate (thru Saturday) with all those acts you loved at the old 8th St. club. There's bands: They Might Be Giants, His Master's Voice; the Alien Comic as emcee; Carlo McCormick as deejay; Karen Finley does her stuff, and on and on! KAMIKAZE: 531 W. 19th St.

10 p.m. $10. And across the street, party for Rudolf E. Kuenzli's book "New York Dada" which features such Dada figures as Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp and Arthur Cravan. -Karen Croke 75 75 LOVE ON THE WING Oh, those wonderful mushy, sentimental songs! How come nobody writes them any more? By DAVID Daily News Staff Writer 'AS civilization romantic sider this: In 1957, reached No.

board charts: "Love Sand," "Chances Me," "April versions of Now what have in catchy tunes tions and which transcend blings of hear the whispering Tammy, Tammy's Let's face not what to get Diane mood. It's raised to the Tomorrow tine's Day, deserve praise, us back to tioned decline civilization. In all of Billboard No. criteria above: You" by, Madonna. Throw you get two Richie's "Hello" Wonder's Say HINCKLEY WESTERN lost its' soul? Con- these records 1 on the Billmagazine national Letters in the "Tammy," "Diana," Are," "You Send Love," and two "Young Love." these songs common are 1) and 2) declaraimages of love the mummere mortals.

"I cottonwoods above Tammy, in love." it, guys: This is Warren murmured or Julie into the sweet nothings level of art. being Valenagents of love and that gets the aforemenin Western 1985, exactly one 1 song met the "Crazy for of all people, in 1984 and more: Lionel and Stevie Just I Love You." ART BY MIKE PETRONELLA CALL CUPID: Whitney Houston, Barry Manilow, Carole King, Lionel Richie (clockwise from top right) and Dan Fogelberg (bottom left) Going into Valentine's week 1986, Billboard's Top 50 listed just three such songs: Richie's "Say You, Say Me," Klymaxx' "I Miss You," and Barbra Streisand's "Somewhere." Maybe Sade's "The Sweetest Taboo." Maybe. The point is, it's a wonder anyone gets married at all any more. What do they play at weddings? "Wake Me Up Before You The reason for this decline in mushy love songs comes down to one fact: Fewer people write them because fewer people sing and buy them. First Tin Pan Alley closed.

Nelson Eddy retired and Bing Crosby died. On Broadway lately, a sloppy love song is Gene Barry singing to George Hearn. Which is okay. It just isn't the same. The moving finger points also to rock 'n' roll, wherein "C'mon, baby" has largely replaced "I love you." True, some rockers have given us great mush (Elvis' "Can't Help Falling in But that's faded.

Would you trust Michael Jackson with Prince with "On the Street Where You Bruce Springsteen with "Twilight Seems the only people who still do sentimental love songs now are black pop singers like Lionel, Stevie, Whitney Houston and Teddy Pendergrass. Where else can we turn? Dance music? That's not for slow dancing any more, pal. Even the old reliables aren't coming through. Just 'C'mon, baby' has replaced love you' in rock 'n' roll recently we've more or less yawned at new albums by Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand Diana Ross and even Sinatra. And yet, we need sloppy love songs; if we don't get new ones, we sing old ones.

"A simple song grabs the tightest hold," says Ellie Greenwich, whose '60s songs included "Be My Baby" and. "I Can Hear Music." "There's a universal thing about love in songs, so a simple songdirect and straightforwardbecomes part of your life. "What happened in the late '60s and '70s was that business started to transcend music. You had accountants judging songs. Some it was good, but for the money they spent, it was nothing." There's also a suspicion these days about mushy love songs; even the hits are regarded as flukes.

Dan Fogelberg says that his which has cost "Lohengrin" millions in lost wedding royalties, never could been released as a he hadn't had other first. "To a company, that taking a chance," he says. "I to kind of slip it in." "It's not hard to figure what's going to last," Carole King, whose love tunes include "You've Got Friend" and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow." first, you have to write to sell, and realistically, that means writing kind of things being played." So is the love song gone with the passenger pigeon, the Ed Sullivan show and the decent corned beef sandwich? Not a chance. See all those people with headphone radios? How do you know they're not listening to "Young Love," Are" and Gotta go. I think I hear the cottonwoods whispering..