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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSPINAL TAPA fictional rock group that turned into a real one. Well, sort of. American actors Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer starred in Rob Reiner's spoof rocumentary This Is Spinal Tap '84, in which a British rock band landed at JFK airport to embark on a promo tour for their new album: Tufnel (Guest) and St Hubbins (McKean) came from somewhere in the East End called Squatney; the film (a sort of Beavis & Butthead with real people) captured the sights, sounds and smells of a rock tour, and the music used every cliché found in a decade of heavy rock. The album and especially the video became cult classics, and a second album Break Like The Wind '92 also did well, with guests Jeff Beck, Cher, Slash, Dweezil Zappa etc. It is suspected that some Spinal Tap fans don't know a send-up when they see one. Guest is married to actress Jamie Lee Curtis; McKean played Lenny in USA TV's Laverne & Shirley; all three have been regulars on Saturday Night Live. Spinal Tap's drummer was a real Brit, Rick Parnell. |