ROBINSON'S NEW ALBUM RECONNECTS HIM WITH MOTOWN.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Smokey Robinson reveals he's laying plans for a concert trek in support of his soon-due ``Intimate'' album. He says he'll call it the Back to Romance Tour. Turns out, it's back to a lot of things for the singer/songwriter once hailed as ``America's greatest living poet'' by Bob Dylan.

``Intimate'' marks Robinson's first album in eight years. Why has it taken so long? Smokey chalks the time off to perfectionist ways, and some nerves.

``We kept thinking we had it, and then, we'd go, `No - not quite.' And you see, the longer it gets between albums, the more important it becomes that the new album is good. After two years, it should be good. After four, really good. And after eight, really, REALLY good!'' he laughs.

To the surprise of many who recall Smokey's departure from Motown nearly a decade ago, ``Intimate'' is being released by that firm - where he reigned from the '60s through the '80s, served as vice president, and wrote, produced and/or performed a succession of such hits as ``Tracks of My Tears'' and ``More Love.'' According to Smokey, as he was finally putting finishing touches on the new CD, his personal manager (now best-known as TV and movie producer/former Motown executive), Suzanne de Passe, was talking to various labels about releasing it.

``Then, one day, she told me, `We are going back to Motown.' I said, `Why?'' Smokey recalls. ``And she said, `I don't want to tell you, I want to show you.''' De Passe flew with Robinson to New York, had him visit the Motown offices there and meet the current regime. He says, ``I felt the energy was akin to what we had in the old days, when we were in Detroit.''

Inside looking out

Strange times for the Backstreet Boys and their opening act, EYC. As EYC's Trey Parker notes, Hurricane Floyd has been ``following the (scheduled) path of our tour'' - with cancellation after cancellation keeping the tour from starting.

``We're just praying to God that everyone's OK,'' notes Parker. ``Of course, the guys will be going back to the cities they missed at the end of the tour - which could mean we'll also be out there longer than we thought. The schedule we have goes till Dec. 2, but now everything's up in the air.''

Of course, opening for the teen frenzy-generating Boys is a plum job. For EYC, the tour also marks a reunion. Back in 1995, the two groups met and became buds on a European concert trek - when the Boys were a new group, and EYC was headlining. ``We were burned out and took a few years off, and during that time, the Backstreet Boys just blew up.''

Quite an offer

Janine Turner had to audition by tape for the HBO pilot Tom Hanks is producing, ``Lloyd, What Happened?'' because she was across the seas in Dublin shooting ``Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Secret Affair'' when the call from her agent came through. But the response to her tape was immediate.

``They called me at midnight in Dublin after I'd been filming for 14 hours and said, `You have to tell us in two hours if you want to do this!' ''

The ``Northern Exposure'' actress says she wasn't necessarily looking to return to series television. But since ``Lloyd'' was being directed by Harold Ramis for Hanks' Playtone productions and Touchstone Television, ``How could I say no? It's such a classy project with a great cast and wonderful writing.''

``Lloyd, What Happened?'' was written by ``Larry Sanders Show'' veteran Peter Tolan, and also stars Gary Cole, Jonathan Silverman and Ed Begley Jr. Turner, whose ``A Secret Affair'' airs on CBS Oct. 27, says if the ``Lloyd'' pilot does get picked up, it would certainly be ``an easy schedule for me with a child (Juliette, 22 months). It would be three weeks on and one week off.''

The videoland view

``It's an outrageous a--hole of a character with shades of J.R.,'' declares Bruce Davison of his part in the Sept. 23 season opener of ``Chicago Hope.'' Davison plays ``a triple-booking plastic surgeon who surfs the Internet during surgery. And his attitude toward the other doctors is basically, `I support you people and keep managed care from taking over, so kiss my ---!' It's a great part.''

Davison was asked to take on the role by ``CH'' exec-producer Michael Pressman, his longtime friend, and Bruce says there's a good chance his character may return again. And again. And so forth.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois.

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5 Photos

PHOTO (1) ROBINSON

(2) TURNER

(3) COLE

(4) SILVERMAN

(5) DAVISON