Rich AfterSabba

Hi guys,

I had an idea to compile a list of as many films as I can find in which heavy rock bands had cameo appearances in the 1960s and 1970s (the years of classic hard rock!)

There's the well-known ones like The Yardbirds on stage in "Blow Up", and there's the more obscure movies/bands like Sorcery in "Stunt Rock". There are quite a lot of psychedelic exploitation movies like "Riot on Sunset Strip" and "The Trip" which had well-known '60s acts making appearances like garage/psych bands The Electric Flag and The Standells. The hardest thing is finding hard rock bands, into the 1970s. A great example (one of the best) is The James Gang playing in Zachariah.

I'm looking for movies with plots, not movies specifically about music shows like Woodstock. Can you think of any? The more obscure/low budget the movie (and heavier the rock) the better!

Ash Ketchum

I've seen a lot of movies from the 1960s and '70s, but the musical cameos I recall tend not to be hard rock, e.g. Delaney & Bonnie & Friends in VANISHING POINT (1971). The one hard rock cameo I can think of off the top of my head is Twisted Sister in PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1984), but that's a little later than what you're asking. Plus, I'm not that knowledgeable about hard rock.

COOGAN'S BLUFF (1968) has Coogan (Clint Eastwood) go into a disco and a band called the Pigeon Toed Orange Peels is performing a song called "Pigeon Toed Orange Peel," which is supposed to be more like psychedelic rock. I think the band was formed just for the film.

Groucho

The Lovin' Spoonful in What's Up, Tiger Lily?

TomOpus

Strawberry Alarm Clock in Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.
The Ramones in Rock 'n' Roll High School

Rockmjd23

Alice Cooper was in Diary of a Mad Housewife

Rich AfterSabba

Thanks for that Coogan's Bluff tip, Eastwood vs Hippies is bound to have some interesting results. Found this great Michel Pagliaro clip in a really obscure French-Canadian movie "Finalment". can't post links yet, youtube code is youtube.com/watch?v=PXXeYffUY88

The others are great, already aware of them. One of the best I found so far is The James Gang in "Electric Western" Zachariah (1970 Don Johnson) excellent hard rock! youtube.com/watch?v=xH1UumsiFUE

One more.... A great crazy band appearance in one of these Japanese "Stray Cat Rock" exploitation movies: youtube.com/watch?v=HLs8SZFbV6E

duff beer

Beau Brummels in Village of the Giants
The Del-Aires in Horror of Party Beach
Little Richard in Catalina Caper
Jimmy Bryant and the Night-Jumpers (some shitty band that never appeared again) in Skydivers
The Cascades in Catalina Caper
The Third World (not the reggae band) in Girl in Gold Boots
Whoever was the band that sung California Lady in Track of the Moon Beast
The Birds in The Deadly Bees

Mondo Kane

Country Joe & The Fish in Gas-s-s-s
Wayne Cochrane in C.C. & Company
Sparks in Rollercoaster
The Dils in Up in Smoke
The Animals & The Castaways in It's a Bikini World
Stoneground in Dracula 1972 A.D.

Rich AfterSabba

Scottish prog band Forever More had a major role in this 1970 rock groupie exploitation movie, recently re-issued by the BFI: youtube.com/watch?v=2F1eYxtVTYY

Mabuse

James Brown is in the Frankie Avalon beach party spin off Ski Party.

rw2516

Bobby Fuller Four in Ghost In The Invisible Bikini

Jaymole

The Leaves appeared in The Cool Ones
The Pretty Things appeared in What's Good for the Goose and also The Monster Club

Bobby Shalom

The Litter show up in Medium Cool - but I think they overdubbed some other band's music.

Rich AfterSabba

Thanks for those! I already looked into Medium Cool, The Litter was dubbed over with some Frank Zappa from his 1st LP. I even sent an email to The Litter singer Zippy Caplan and he replied saying he cannot remember or recognise which song they were playing in the clip that made it into the movie! There is a live Litter EP floating around which is all the tracks they recorded during the Medium Cool shoot, but I was unable to match any of them up to the scene. Seems we'll never know

DvdClon

Psych-Out (1968) had Strawberry Alarm Clock and The Seeds
Madura was in Electra Glide In Blue
Kiss was in Detroit Rock City and Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
Roadie (1980) had Blondie and Alice Cooper
Slade starred in Flame (1975)

SkullOrchard

WERE IN ...

Rich AfterSabba

Here's a good one, from a low budget 1978 horror "The Alien Factor". youtube.com/watch?v=9MVuLypdQ_k

Paff

Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters in Weekend at Party Pier