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| UA Cinema Merced. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, opening night, January of 1978. Found on Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Robin Adams. |
On September 26, 1975, the ‘Rocky
Horror Picture Show’ hit movie screens for the first time. Originally a
flop, the film became a cult classic, spawning countless midnight showings and
shadow troupes around the world. It has launched the careers of a handful of
its actors and continues to have the longest theatrical release of any film.
‘Rocky Horror’ holds a special place in cinema, as well as
rock culture. The gaudiness of its costumes and music helped to influence (and
were influenced by) the burgeoning counterculture of 1970s punk
and glam. More than four decades later, the film is still seen as a symbol of
rebelliousness, reflected in its continued popularity and musical influence.
In honor of its 42nd year in theaters, Vinyl Bay777, Long Island’s music outlet, is taking a look at how the ‘Rocky Horror
Picture Show’ influenced music. Here are seven facts about the film, its music
and its place in rock culture.
1.
It was originally a stage show: ‘The Rocky
Horror Show’ was originally a musical that started in London in 1973. The
original production was successful, something that could not be said for the
Broadway production two years later.
2.
Richard O’Brien wrote all the music: To the
casual fan of ‘Rocky Horror,’ Richard O’Brien is just Riff Raff, the alien butler.
But he is also the creative mind behind the show. He and his writing partner
Jim Sharman wrote all the dialogue and music for the production, and
consequently the film.
3.
It launched Meat
Loaf’s music career: ‘Rocky Horror’ transformed a lot of actors’ careers,
including those of Susan Surrandon, Barry Bostwick and Tim Curry, as well as
Meat Loaf. Before ‘Rocky Horror,’ Meat Loaf was a Broadway actor with a slowly
budding music career. He released an album in 1971, ‘Stoney & Meat Loaf,’
that had moderate success. But after the cult success of the ‘Rocky Horror
Picture Show,’ (Meat Loaf’s first film appearance), his popularity grew. In 1977,
he released ‘Bat Out of Hell,’ his most successful album to date.
4.
The original soundtrack didn’t have all the
songs on it: The original soundtrack to ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ was missing
two iconic songs from its track list. One was “Sword of Damocles,” sung by
Rocky after he comes to life. The other is “Planet Schmanet, Janet,” performed
by Dr. Frank N. Furter in an effort to scare Janet. Both songs were included in
later releases, although they were not studio recordings.
5.
The costumes helped influence punk fashion: Perhaps
it’s a bit of a “which came first” kind of deal, but ‘Rocky Horror’ came out
around the same time that punk and glam were starting to take hold of counter
culture. It was O’Brien’s idea to have a show inspired by rock and roll and
glam. With the Sex
Pistols being dressed by a shop in London called Sex (a place known for leather bondage wear), New York glam rock
bands embracing androgynous stage personas and the prevalence of torn fishnet
stockings and bright hair dye, ‘Rocky Horror’s’ place within punk is hard to
deny.
6.
There was even a punk cover album of the entire
soundtrack: Speaking of ‘Rocky Horror’ being a punk show, an album of punk
bands covering the entire soundtrack (Including “Sword of Damocles” and “Planet
Schmanet, Janet”) came out in 2003. None of the bands included were early bands
that would have been around at the time of the show, but it does show the
continued influence the show had on punk. Bands on the album include Me First
and the Gimme Gimmes, Alkaline
Trio, Big D and the Kids Table, Swingin’ Utters and The
Ataris.
7.
Meat Loaf wasn’t the only musician to have a hit
because of the show: ‘Rocky Horror’ did more than just make Meat Loaf a music
star. Other cast members dabbled in music in the film’s wake as well. This
included Little Nell, who released ‘The Musical World of Little Nell’ in 1978,
and Tim Curry, who released ‘Fearless’ in 1979. The later reached 53 on the
Billboard Pop Albums chart and produced the minor hit “I Do the Rock.”
The ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ has had a great influence on
music and counterculture. Not only did it create big stars like Meat Loaf, it
had an indelible impact on punk and rebellion in the 1970s. More than four
decades later, people still identify with what it has come to stand for.
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Find ‘Rocky Horror’ and other groundbreaking soundtracks at
Long Island’s top new independent record shop, Vinyl Bay 777. We have thousands
of titles to choose from ranging in genre from soundtracks to rock to rap to
classical and beyond. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records,
CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store or online at
vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time,
you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.
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