Latest news with #Stonehenge
The Guardian
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Elton John and Spin̈al Tap release new version of Stonehenge – and correct stage prop disaster
Elton John and Spin̈al Tap have joined forces on a new version of the band's song Stonehenge – and have finally corrected one of the great scenery-based mishaps in classic rock. The song, performed in the 1984 rock-mockumentary This Is Spin̈al Tap, is at the heart of one of the film's most cherished scenes: when the band, having made a mistake when commissioning an 18ft Stonehenge stage prop, have to make do with an 18in version being lowered from the rafters. After some hired dwarves caper around it, the band's David St Hubbins complains that they looked likely to crush it underfoot. No such problems with the new version made for the long-awaited sequel Spın̈al Tap II: The End Continues, which will be released 12 September in the US and UK (and 25 September in Australia). In the scene, released today along with a recording of the song on streaming services, the band put in a considerably more triumphant performance, complete with full-sized standing stones and the return of the dwarves. Appearing in a cloak from beneath the stage is Elton John, who takes over the lead vocal, singing lyrics such as 'Stonehenge, where a man's a man / and the children dance to the pipes of Pan' with the requisite po-faced grandeur. John is one of a number of starry cameos in the film, along with Paul McCartney, Questlove, Metallica's Lars Ulrich and more. Michael McKean reprises his role as St Hubbins alongside Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel and Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls, heading up a supporting cast filled with British comedy stars such as Nina Conti, Chris Addison and Kerry Godliman. The film will have the documentary film-maker Marty DiBergi (played by Rob Reiner) following the group as they prepare for a final reunion show. The first trailer was released earlier this week. An accompanying soundtrack album has also been announced. Elton John will appear again on Flower People, while McCartney joins them for Cups and Cakes, and country music couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood perform Big Bottom.
Perth Now
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Sir Elton John joins fictional rock band Spinal Tap for new version of their classic song Stonehenge
Sir Elton John has joined fictional rock band Spinal Tap for a new version of their classic song Stonehenge. Released on Thursday (31.07.25), as the first single from the band's forthcoming album The End Continues and its accompanying film, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, the new recording and video features Elton, 78, performing much of the lead vocals as he rises from beneath the stage at a piano. The original Stonehenge appeared on Spinal Tap's debut album This Is Spinal Tap, released in 1984 alongside the cult mockumentary film directed by Rob Reiner. Starring Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer as the fictional heavy metal band members David St. Hubbins (played by McKean, 77), Nigel Tufnel (Guest, 77) and Derek Smalls (Shearer, 81), it famously included a gag where the band orders a massive Stonehenge replica that arrives at an absurdly small size. Spinal Tap II: The End Continues sees the band reunite for a final concert, with Martin 'Marty' Di Bergi (Reiner, 78) once again directing the documentary. The album going with the movie is set for release on 12 September alongside the film's theatrical debut, and features other collaborations with Sir Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. In an interview with Empire magazine, the band members reflected on their decades-long fictional partnership. Nigel Tufnel said: 'We've had arguments over the years and then made up... arguments, make up, arguments, make up. But there's no secret, because there's no solution for an old friendship.' David St. Hubbins added: 'I think that the more we can leave our egos at the door, the better. But it's not easy. I carry my ego everywhere, but having a big ego is like having a big dog. You can't expect other people to feed it for you.' The new project continues the satirical exploration of rock culture that has made Spinal Tap a lasting icon of comedy and music parody. This Is Spinal Tap, released in 1984, was hailed as a groundbreaking mockumentary that satirised the excesses of rock bands. Created by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, it pioneered the comedy-music genre and influenced countless filmmakers and comedians, becoming a cult classic and a lasting cultural touchstone in music and comedy.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Elton John Gets Druid With It in ‘Stonehenge' Remake Video From ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues'
The band is fake, but the cameo is real. Elton John makes a hilarious pop-in for an updated version of Spinal Tap's iconic tribute to the place where demons dwell, banshees wail and children dance to the pipes of pan in a just-released video for 'Stonehenge.' The single appears on the soundtrack album, The End Continues, a companion to the upcoming sequel to the OG mockumentary, 1984's This Is Spinal Tap. The 13-track LP, due out alongside the film, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, on Sept. 12, features a return to some of the farcical band's most beloved tracks with help from John ('Flower People'), Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood ('Big Bottom') and Sir Paul McCartney ('Cups and Cakes'). More from Billboard Jelly Roll & Shaboozey to Headline Australia's Strummingbird Festival Roze Oficial, Max Carra, Valen & Ramky En Los Controles Rule Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Chart For Third Week With 'Tu Jardín Con Enanitos' Kesha Announces Australian Return With 2026 Tour Dates Following the signature ominously silly intro from guitarist/singer Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) — 'In ancient times/ Hundreds of years before the dawn of history/ Lived a strange race of people, the Druids' — John emerges from the depths of the stage, throws off his hooded cloak and gets to Tapping. 'Stonehenge! Where the demons dwell/ Where the banshees live and they do live well/ Stonehenge! Where a man's a man/ And the children dance to the Pipes of Pan,' John sings over the song's prog rock thunder and unnecessary series of instrumental solos. Whether he's singing about crying dew drops or cats meowing, John capably rocks the arena, except this time, instead of the embarrassingly puny 18-inch recreation of the iconic prehistoric megalithic stone structures in rural England from the original film, the band's crew got the proportions right and a massive, 18-foot-high rock arch descends from the rafters in time for mandolin and gong solos. John totally got into the spirit of the bit on Instagram, writing, 'This was a blast, rocking out with @spinaltap for their new movie, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, and re-recording their epic 'Stonehenge' – this one is best played at volume 11!' Along with the returns of the four Tap classics, the album will also feature nine new songs with predictably laughable titles, including: 'Let's Just Rock Again,' 'Brighton Rock,' 'The Devil's Just Not Getting Old,' 'Rockin' in the Urn' and 'Blood to Let.' When the movie hits screens in September, director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) will be back in the fold to crank the joke amps up one louder, along with guitarist/singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) and Polymer Records publicist Bobbi Fleckman (Fran Drescher). There will also be cameos from McCartney, John, Brooks and Yearwood, the Roots' Questlove and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and Metallica timekeeper Lars Ulrich. Watch John rock 'Stonehenge' below. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Elton John and Spin̈al Tap release new version of Stonehenge – and correct stage prop disaster
Elton John and Spin̈al Tap have joined forces on a new version of the band's song Stonehenge – and have finally corrected one of the great scenery-based mishaps in classic rock. The song, performed in the 1984 rock-mockumentary This Is Spin̈al Tap, is at the heart of one of the film's most cherished scenes: when the band, having made a mistake when commissioning an 18ft Stonehenge stage prop, have to make do with an 18in version being lowered from the rafters. After some hired dwarves caper around it, the band's David St Hubbins complains that they looked likely to crush it underfoot. No such problems with the new version made for the long-awaited sequel Spın̈al Tap II: The End Continues, which will be released 12 September in the US and UK (and 25 September in Australia). In the scene, released today along with a recording of the song on streaming services, the band put in a considerably more triumphant performance, complete with full-sized standing stones and the return of the dwarves. Appearing in a cloak from beneath the stage is Elton John, who takes over the lead vocal, singing lyrics such as 'Stonehenge, where a man's a man / and the children dance to the pipes of Pan' with the requisite po-faced grandeur. John is one of a number of starry cameos in the film, along with Paul McCartney, Questlove, Metallica's Lars Ulrich and more. Michael McKean reprises his role as St Hubbins alongside Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel and Harry Shearer as Derek Smalls, heading up a supporting cast filled with British comedy stars such as Nina Conti, Chris Addison and Kerry Godliman. The film will have the documentary film-maker Marty DiBergi (played by Rob Reiner) following the group as they prepare for a final reunion show. The first trailer was released earlier this week. An accompanying soundtrack album has also been announced. Elton John will appear again on Flower People, while McCartney joins them for Cups and Cakes, and country music couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood perform Big Bottom.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spinal Tap Welcome Elton John For Rebuilt ‘Stonehenge'
Spinal Tap gets a glorious do-over of its disastrous 'Stonehenge' performance from the original 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap during the movie's upcoming sequel, this time with a little help from Elton John. The artists' new take on the cut is the lead track from the soundtrack to Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, due Sept. 12 from Interscope in tandem with the film's theatrical release. In an accompanying video, John (wearing a druid cloak, naturally) and his grand piano are seen emerging from beneath the stage to accompany Spinal Tap members David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) during a raucous live concert. This time, the stage prop Stonehenge monument has been built in the proper dimensions (18 feet tall, rather than 18 inches) and the band is able to complete the performance without major embarrassment. More from Spin: Foo Fighters Tap Nine Inch Nails' Ilan Rubin As New Drummer IDLES Record Score, New Tracks For Darren Aronofsky's 'Caught Stealing' Rare Jeff Buckley Live Footage To Screen With New Doc As previously reported, The End Continues features numerous real-life music stars, including Paul McCartney, who lends a hand on a remake of Spinal Tap's 'Cups and Cakes,' and Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, who help enliven 'Big Bottom.' John also guests on a fresh take on 'Flower People,' which in the film's mythology was a hippy-dippy 1967-era early Spinal Tap single in a Beatles style — or, prior to St. Hubbins, Tufnel and Guest being christened 'one of England's loudest bands.' Spinal Tap director/co-writer Rob Reiner announced in 2022 that he and the principal cast of the peerless mockumentary were reuniting for a sequel. The plot is based around the now-septuagenarian Tap reforming to fulfill a contractual obligation with their late manager Ian Faith (Tony Hendra, who portrayed the character in the original film, died in 2021). Here is the track list for The End Continues: 1. 'Nigel's Poem'2. 'Let's Just Rock Again'3. 'Flower People' with Elton John4. 'Brighton Rock'5. 'The Devil's Just Not Getting Old'6. 'Cups and Cakes' with Paul McCartney7. 'I Kissed a Girl'8. 'Angels'9. 'Big Bottom' with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood10. 'Judge and Jury'11. 'Rockin' in the Urn'12. 'Blood To Let'13. 'Stonehenge' with Elton John To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here. Solve the daily Crossword
