Musicians - Spinal Tap

Spinal Tap is a mostly fictional heavy metal band best known from the 1984 rockumentary/mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. The band members are portrayed by Michael McKean (as "David St. Hubbins"), Christopher Guest (as "Nigel Tufnel") and Harry Shearer (as "Derek Smalls"); they first appeared in a 1978 ABC comedy special, The TV Show.

The band is "mostly fictional" in the sense that its primary members have always been actors parodying heavy metal stereotypes, yet by playing concerts and releasing albums, they've blurred the line between fact and fiction. The film was accompanied by an album of the same name.

Back story

Fans of Spinal Tap have assembled the "mostly fictional" details about the band based on the film, albums, concerts and related promotional material. This includes a list of the band's former members and a discography (below) compiled by Chip Rowe, webmaster of the Spinal Tap Fan Site at spinaltapfan.com.

Spinal Tap has had a succession of drummers, all of whom have died under odd circumstances: one in a "bizarre gardening accident"; another "choked on vomit," (although it was never determined whose vomit it was, it was not his own) and a third from apparent spontaneous human combustion.

Former band members

Guitarists

"Ricky from San Francisco" (1982)

Bass Guitarists

Ronnie Pudding (1964-1967)
Danny Jarman (1967)

Backing Vocalists

Lhasa Apso (1965-1966)
Julie Scrubbs-Martin (1965-1966)

Harmonica Players

Little Danny Schindler (1965-1966)

Tambourine Players

Jeanine Pettibone (1982)

Horn Players

Jimmy Adams (1965-1966)
Geoff Clovington (1965-1966)

Keyboardists

Jan van der Kvelk (1965)
Tony Brixton (1965-1966)
Nick Wax (1965-1966)
Dicky Laine (1965-1966)
Denny Upham (1966-1968)
Ross MacLochness (1974-1975)
Viv Savage (1975-198?)

Drummers

John "Stumpy" Pepys (1964-1969)
Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs (1969-1974)
Peter "James" Bond (1974-1977)
Mick Shrimpton (1977-1982)
Joe "Mama" Besser (1982)
Ric Shrimpton (1992-1999)
Plus at least 10 other drummers at various times of whom most, if not all, are dead

Studio albums

Spinal Tap Sings "(Listen to the) Flower People" and Other Favorites, 1967
We Are All Flower People, 1968
Brainhammer, 1970
Nerve Damage, 1971
Blood to Let, 1972
Intravenus de Milo, 1974
The Sun Never Sweats, 1975
Bent for the Rent, 1976
Tap Dancing, 1976
Rock 'N Roll Creation, 1977
Shark Sandwich, 1980
Smell the Glove, 1982
Break Like the Wind, 1992

Live albums

Silent But Deadly, 1969
Jap Habit, 1975

Compilation albums

Heavy Metal Memories, 1983
This is Spinal Tap, 1984

Singles

Gimme Some Money, 1965
(Listen to the) Flower People, 1967
We Are All Flower People, 1968
Breakfast of Evil, 1969
Silent But Deadly, 1969
Big Bottom, 1970
Swallow My Love, 1970
Nerve Damage, 1971
Blood to Let, 1972
Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight, 1974
Stonehenge, 1975
Nice 'N Sticky, 1975
Heavy Duty, 1976
Bent for the Rent, 1976
Tap Dancing, 1976
Rock 'N Roll Creation, 1977
Sex Farm, 1980
No Place Like Nowhere, 1980
Hell Hole, 1982
Christmas With the Devil, 1984
The Majesty of Rock, 1992
Bitch School, 1992

Compilations, bootlegs and unreleased material

Compilations:

Heavy Metal Memories, 1983

Bootlegs:

Top Hit For Nows, 1968
Audible Death, 1969
Live At Budokkan, 1975
Openfaced Mako, 1980
Got Thamesmen On Tap, (unknown date)
Maxium Tap, (unknown date)
It's A Dub World, (unknown date)
Ultra Rare Tap, (unknown date)
None More Black, (unknown date)

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Spinal Tap (band) ]

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