Tag: Spinal Tap

Feature LP

Wednesday 5/4/22 8pm ET: Feature LP: Spinal Tap – This is Spinal Tap (1984)

This Is Spinal Tap (or simply Spinal Tap) is the soundtrack to the film This Is Spinal Tap, released in 1984. It was re-released in 2000 with lyrics and two versions of “Christmas with the Devil” as bonus tracks. The cover art is identical to that of the fictional album Smell the Glove featured in the film.

  1. “Hell Hole” 3:07
  2. “Tonight I’m Gonna Rock You Tonight” 2:38
  3. “Heavy Duty” 4:28
  4. “Rock and Roll Creation” 4:08
  5. “America” 3:31
  6. “Cups and Cakes” (arranged by Harlan Collins) 1:33
  7. “Big Bottom” 3:32
  8. “Sex Farm” 3:20
  9. “Stonehenge” 4:36
  10. “Gimme Some Money” 2:26
  11. “(Listen to The) Flower People” 2:38
  12. “Christmas with the Devil” 4:24
  13. “Christmas with the Devil” (Scratch Mix) 4:42

David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) – lead vocals and guitar, bass guitar on “Big Bottom”
Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) – lead guitar, mandolin, and vocals, bass guitar on “Big Bottom”
Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) – bass guitar and vocals
Viv Savage (David Kaff) – keyboards and vocals
Mick Shrimpton (Ric Parnell) – drums and percussion
Harlan Collins – synthesizers
John Sinclair – keyboards

In Memoriam

In Memoriam: Ric Parnell (1951 – 2022)

Richard “Ric” J. Parnell (August 13, 1951 – May 5, 2022) was an English rock drummer. Notable for his work in the band Atomic Rooster, he is probably best known for his role as the ill-fated drummer Mick Shrimpton in the film This Is Spinal Tap.

The group — fronted by actor-musicians Michael McKean (as David St. Hubbins), Christopher Guest (as Nigel Tufnel) and Shearer (as Derek Smalls) — crossed the line between fiction and reality from their inception: the band literally road-tested tested their concept shortly after making the film, opening shows for psychedelic sludge-rockers Iron Butterfly, and no one in the audience was for the wiser.

Spinal Tap’s drummers are a running punchline in the film — all of the group’s previous drummers had died, one from spontaneous combustion — and although Parnell appears throughout the film, he too spontaneously combusts at the end. He performed on the soundtrack album that accompanied the film as well as a follow-up album.

Parnell passed away May 1, 2022 and cause of death was not disclosed.