Spinal Tap

Spinal Tap first took shape in the imagination as the centerpiece of a mockumentary about rock excess, yet after the movie's debut the act materialized into a genuine ensemble devoted to lampooning heavy metal. The premise originated with Rob Reiner's 1984 satire This Is Spinal Tap, which placed actors Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer in the roles of an eccentric, mismanaged British quintet whose popularity plummeted from the 1970s into the following decade. The picture lampooned the bombast of Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith while the accompanying soundtrack, performed by the cast on their own instruments, became an unexpected commercial triumph that convinced numerous listeners unfamiliar with the film that the group actually existed.

According to the movie's backstory, schoolmates David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel of Great Britain united in 1964 upon discovering their shared musical preferences and launched the Originals. Once they learned another act already used that name, a string of rechristenings ensued until bassist Ronnie Pudding and drummer John "Stumpy" Pepys joined, at which point the quartet became the Thamesmen. Two modest singles, "Gimme Some Money" and "Cups and Cakes," established an early identity, after which a British tour prompted further name experiments that culminated in the adoption of Spinal Tap and the addition of keyboardist Denny Upham. Pudding soon departed to form Pudding People, yielding his position to Derek Smalls. This configuration produced the 1967 single Spinal Tap Sings "(Listen to The) Flower People" and Other Favorites, whose title track "(Listen to The) Flower People" unexpectedly sold enough copies to earn gold certification in the United Kingdom and launch an international tour; the subsequent album We Are All Flower People, however, floundered commercially. Upham was dismissed in favor of Ross MacLochness, leading to the 1968 release Matchstick Men and the 1969 live album Silent But Deadly.

Pepys perished in an improbable gardening mishap in 1969 and was succeeded by Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs, with whom the band issued Brainhammer in 1970, Nerve Damage in 1971, and Blood to Let in 1972. Their seventh album, Intravenus de Milo, appeared in 1974 and remains notable as the first record certified bronze, an accolade earned only when one million unsold copies are returned. That same year Childs succumbed after ingesting an unidentified person's vomit and was replaced by Peter James Bond for the 1975 album The Sun Never Sweats. The ensuing tour yielded the live set Jap Habit. MacLochness and manager Glynn Hampton soon exited, making room for keyboardist Viv Savage and manager Ian Faith, both of whom contributed to the modest seller Bent for the Rent.

Legal friction arose when the group sued Megaphone Records for unpaid royalties, only for the label to countersue citing a "lack of talent." The band remained contractually tethered until 1977, when Rock and Roll Creation unexpectedly succeeded in the United States on the strength of the single "Nice n' Stinky." A swift move to Polymer Records followed, yet Bond spontaneously combusted onstage and was replaced by Mick Shrimpton before the 1980 album Shark Sandwich yielded the hit "Sex Farm." European dates gave way to American shows supporting the 1982 release Smell the Glove after U.S. demand surged. Several major engagements were abruptly cancelled, forcing performances in smaller venues, while the sexually explicit artwork for Smell the Glove drew public backlash and was ultimately replaced by a solid-black sleeve chosen by Faith. Declining domestic interest and creative disagreements between Hubbins and Tufnel exacerbated internal tensions, prompting the dismissal of Faith in favor of Hubbins' partner Jeanine Pettibone. Tufnel briefly walked out amid the mounting difficulties.

With no suitable substitute available, the remaining members contemplated retirement until Tufnel and Faith rejoined for a final American show and a subsequent Japanese concert. Although Shrimpton combusted without warning and temporary replacement Joe "Mama" Bessemer went into hiding after equipment thefts, both performances succeeded. In 1983 the members dispersed: Hubbins married Pettibone and established a soccer clinic, Tufnel withdrew to London to pursue invention, and Smalls toured with the Christian metal outfit Lamb's Blood. Savage and Faith each met peculiar ends.

Rumors of a reunion surfaced in 1992, confirmed when the band performed at the MTV Music Awards alongside new drummer Ric Shrimpton and keyboardist C.J. Vanston to promote the album Break Like the Wind. Released that autumn, the record featured "Bitch School" and "Majesty of Rock" along with guest contributions from Slash, Cher, and Joe Satriani. A subsequent tour concluded in London with the filming of the 1993 concert video Return of Spinal Tap. Another period of inactivity followed until a 2001 summer tour, during which the group occasionally appeared pseudonymously as the Folksmen, a persona later featured in the 2003 film A Mighty Wind. After a further pause they performed at Live Earth in 2007, then entered the studio to create Back from the Dead, issued in 2009.