Spirit of '76 (1990 film)
Encyclopedia
The Spirit of '76 is a 1990 comedy film that spoofs American
culture of the mid-1970s. It stars David Cassidy
, Carl Reiner
, Rob Reiner
, Olivia d'Abo
, and the rock groups Redd Kross
and Devo
. The movie was initially released October 12, 1990. Columbia Pictures
released a VHS
edition on January 22, 1992, and Warner Home Video
released a DVD
edition on June 3, 2003.
all recorded history, causing such valuable documents as the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
to be lost. Three time-travelers (Adam-11, Chanel-6, and Heinz-57) are sent back to July 4, 1776, to retrieve America's heritage, but due to an unnoticed time machine malfunction, end up in 1976 instead, during the United States Bicentennial
. While pursuing their mission, the time travelers dress in period costume (e.g., tight bell bottom pants), and experience est
, The Sexual Revolution
, Pop Rocks
, Disco
, long gas lines, the AMC Pacer
and even drug paraphernalia shops.
They are in turn pursued by Rodney Snodgrass (Liam O'Brien
), a science whiz and UFO buff, who thinks they are aliens, and plans to use them to win the Bicentennial Science Fair prize at his high school. His self-absorbed, disco-dancing brother, Eddie Trojan (Leif Garrett
), pursues Chanel-6 for his own pleasure. Both are foiled by two dimwitted but good-hearted teenage friends, Tommy Sears and Chris Johnson (Steve and Jeffrey McDonald of Redd Kross
), who help the time travelers repair their craft and return to 2176, with their 1970s artifacts and a copy of the Constitution, printed on a shirt which was bought from an est seminar attendee (Barbara Bain
).
co-wrote the script with Lucas Reiner and produced the film, and sister Sofia Coppola
designed the era
-costumes used for the piece. Lucas Reiner wrote and directed the film, and his father Carl Reiner
and brother Rob Reiner
both had appearances as actors in bit parts. Lucas Reiner's girlfriend at the time played a waitress in the film, and she and Reiner later married. Barbara Bain, an actress who portrayed one of the "Be Inc, Seminars" attendees, is the mother of Susie Landau, one of the producers and casting director for the film. In the DVD commentary for the 2003 edition of the film, director Lucas Reiner noted that directing the death scene with his father in the beginning of the film was difficult. Carl Reiner also appeared on the DVD commentary, and praised Lucas' job as director, as well as the script to the film.
Lucas Reiner discussed the casting of the film by producer Susie Landau, and noted that once actor David Cassidy of The Partridge Family
was successfully signed to the project, other stars from the '70s signed on as well. Several musicians also played bit roles in the film. Members of the New Wave
rock band Devo
appeared as the "Ministry of Knowledge," and members of the band Redd Kross
played Chris Johnson and Tommy Sears. Martin von Haselberg and Brian Routh of The Kipper Kids
portrayed the CIA agents
, Tommy Chong
appeared in a scene in a head shop
, and Moon Zappa
had a cameo as "an archetypal zodiac aficionado." Reiner complimented Sofia Coppola on her costuming work for the film, noting that she was only seventeen years-old during initial production. Coppola had to research for the '70s as she had not lived through the period, and also developed costumes for two other periods - the future in the year 2171, and the future after the time-travelers returned home and changed the culture. The production budget for the film was tight, and crew members brought in '70s period items of their own to supplement props in the film. Production designer
Danny Talpers designed the prop for the time machine out of two hot tub
s - which was a reference to their popularity during the period. Instead of the more expensive cutaway technique, Reiner simply moved the camera back and forth during dialogue to save money.
of the '70s, it contains many references to popular culture
of the period. Lucas Reiner noted in the DVD commentary that at the time of the 2003 DVD release the television show That '70s Show
was popular, but at the time the film was the first to spoof the '70s. David Cassidy initially found it confusing to parody himself in the film, but later came to enjoy it, and even brought in a pair of his own period boots to wear. Leif Garett enjoyed portraying "Eddie Trojan," and slipped into the character easily once he put on the '70s period costume. All of the characters from the year 2171 were named after products. "Adam 11" was a reference to Adam-12
, "Chanel-6" a reference to Chanel
, and "Heinz-57" a reference to H. J. Heinz Company
. All of the "Ministry of Knowledge" characters were named after oil companies. "Chevron" was a reference to Chevron Corporation
, and "Dr. Von Mobil" a reference to Mobil
. The filmmakers had initially wanted to use Adam-12, but used "Adam-11" instead due to copyright concerns. The music for the police chase in the film was modeled after Starsky and Hutch
. At one point in the film, a car almost crashes into another vehicle, and the rear-end
suddenly explodes. This is a reference to a problem with the Ford Pinto
during the 1970s. The filmmakers did not wish to refer directly to Ford Pinto due to liability concerns, and instead the characters say: "Is that the kind of car you think it is?"
Reiner stated that the "Absentee, oblivious, self-involved parents who don't notice their kids have a spaceship" was a reference to the self-involved nature of adults during the period and their propensity for self-improvement. A sub-plot of the film was devoted to a parody
of Werner Erhard
and his Erhard Seminars Training
or "est" training. Rob Reiner played "Dr. Hedley Cash" (only referred to as "Dr. Cash" in the film), and Lucas Reiner stated that these scenes were meant to symbolize the "'70s hunger for self-improvement," and the extreme ends that people would go to in order to improve themselves. Lucas Reiner had never personally attended one of Werner Erhard's seminars, but had heard that attendants were not allowed to leave, often peed in their pants, and were called "assholes" and insulted publicly. Reiner noted that once his brother Rob put on the "Dr. Cash" costume, he played his character perfectly.
did not think it was very funny. The Sacramento Bee called it a "cool comedy of the '70s," noting that it was a bit high-paced, but also "extremely likable." An Entertainment Weekly
review wrote that: "References to est and disco, along with someone's mint collection of Kiss posters and other memorabilia, get tossed out willy-nilly; the movie's only unifying force is that smirky irony," and gave the film a rating of "C-". Allmovie wrote positively of the film, calling it a: "lively sci-fi comedy" that makes "great fun of the '70s." The film received two stars from the TLA Video and DVD Guide 2004, which described it as: "lightweight with the occasional laugh." Brett Fetzer of Amazon.com
wrote that the film was a homage
to the '70s, noting: "It would be charitable to assume that the filmmakers put all this together lovingly and didn't want to distract from the warm glow of nostalgia by making anything actually funny."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
culture of the mid-1970s. It stars David Cassidy
David Cassidy
David Bruce Cassidy is an American actor, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idols, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and...
, Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
, Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
, Olivia d'Abo
Olivia d'Abo
Olivia d'Abo is an English actress and singer-songwriter, best known for portraying Karen Arnold in The Wonder Years and Nicole Wallace, the recurring villain in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Acting career:...
, and the rock groups Redd Kross
Redd Kross
Redd Kross, a rock band from Hawthorne, California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve McDonald while the brothers were still in middle school...
and Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
. The movie was initially released October 12, 1990. Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
released a VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
edition on January 22, 1992, and Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
released a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
edition on June 3, 2003.
Plot
By the year 2176, a magnetic storm has degaussedDegaussing
Degaussing is the process of decreasing or eliminating an unwanted magnetic field. It is named after Carl Friedrich Gauss, an early researcher in the field of magnetism...
all recorded history, causing such valuable documents as the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
to be lost. Three time-travelers (Adam-11, Chanel-6, and Heinz-57) are sent back to July 4, 1776, to retrieve America's heritage, but due to an unnoticed time machine malfunction, end up in 1976 instead, during the United States Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
. While pursuing their mission, the time travelers dress in period costume (e.g., tight bell bottom pants), and experience est
Erhard Seminars Training
Erhard Seminars Training, an organization founded by Werner H. Erhard, offered a two-weekend course known officially as "The est Standard Training"...
, The Sexual Revolution
Sexual revolution
The sexual revolution was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the 1960s into the 1980s...
, Pop Rocks
Pop Rocks
Pop Rocks is a carbonated candy with ingredients including sugar, lactose , corn syrup, and flavoring. It differs from typical hard candy in that it creates a fizzy reaction when it dissolves in one's mouth.-Background and history:...
, Disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, long gas lines, the AMC Pacer
AMC Pacer
The AMC Pacer is a two-door compact automobile produced in the United States by the American Motors Corporation between 1975 and 1980.Its initial design idea was started in 1971. The car's unusual rounded shape with massive glass area greatly contrasted with the three-box architecture with "square,...
and even drug paraphernalia shops.
They are in turn pursued by Rodney Snodgrass (Liam O'Brien
Liam O'Brien
Liam Christopher O'Brien is an American voice actor and voice director perhaps best known for his roles as Gaara of the Sand in Naruto, Captain Jushiro Ukitake in Bleach, War in the video game Darksiders, 'Vincent Law' in Ergo Proxy and 'Illidan Stormrage' in the 'Warcraft' game series...
), a science whiz and UFO buff, who thinks they are aliens, and plans to use them to win the Bicentennial Science Fair prize at his high school. His self-absorbed, disco-dancing brother, Eddie Trojan (Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett
Leif Garrett is an American singer and actor. He became famous in the late 1970s as a teen idol, but received much publicity in later life for his drug abuse and legal troubles.-Early life:...
), pursues Chanel-6 for his own pleasure. Both are foiled by two dimwitted but good-hearted teenage friends, Tommy Sears and Chris Johnson (Steve and Jeffrey McDonald of Redd Kross
Redd Kross
Redd Kross, a rock band from Hawthorne, California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve McDonald while the brothers were still in middle school...
), who help the time travelers repair their craft and return to 2176, with their 1970s artifacts and a copy of the Constitution, printed on a shirt which was bought from an est seminar attendee (Barbara Bain
Barbara Bain
Millicent Fogel , known professionally as Barbara Bain, is an American actress.-Early life:Bain was born in Chicago. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in sociology. She moved to New York City, where she was a dancer and high fashion model. Bain studied with...
).
Production
Several family members worked together on the production of the film. Roman CoppolaRoman Coppola
Roman Coppola is an American film director and music video director.-Early life:Coppola was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, the son of set decorator/artist Eleanor Coppola and Francis Ford Coppola. Coppola was born in the American Hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine while his father was in Paris...
co-wrote the script with Lucas Reiner and produced the film, and sister Sofia Coppola
Sofia Coppola
Sofia Carmina Coppola is an American screenwriter, film director, actress, and producer.In 2003 she received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation, and became the third woman to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing...
designed the era
Era
An era is a commonly used word for long period of time. When used in science, for example geology, eras denote clearly defined periods of time of arbitrary but well defined length, such as for example the Mesozoic era from 252 Ma–66 Ma, delimited by a start event and an end event. When used in...
-costumes used for the piece. Lucas Reiner wrote and directed the film, and his father Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner
Carl Reiner is an American actor, film director, producer, writer and comedian. He has won nine Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award during this career...
and brother Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
both had appearances as actors in bit parts. Lucas Reiner's girlfriend at the time played a waitress in the film, and she and Reiner later married. Barbara Bain, an actress who portrayed one of the "Be Inc, Seminars" attendees, is the mother of Susie Landau, one of the producers and casting director for the film. In the DVD commentary for the 2003 edition of the film, director Lucas Reiner noted that directing the death scene with his father in the beginning of the film was difficult. Carl Reiner also appeared on the DVD commentary, and praised Lucas' job as director, as well as the script to the film.
Lucas Reiner discussed the casting of the film by producer Susie Landau, and noted that once actor David Cassidy of The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
was successfully signed to the project, other stars from the '70s signed on as well. Several musicians also played bit roles in the film. Members of the New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
rock band Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
appeared as the "Ministry of Knowledge," and members of the band Redd Kross
Redd Kross
Redd Kross, a rock band from Hawthorne, California had their roots in 1978 in a band called The Tourists begun by Jeff and Steve McDonald while the brothers were still in middle school...
played Chris Johnson and Tommy Sears. Martin von Haselberg and Brian Routh of The Kipper Kids
The Kipper Kids
The Kipper Kids are contemporary artists who live and work in New York, USA, and Scarborough, United Kingdom.-Biography:Martin von Haselberg and Brian Routh are a performance duo...
portrayed the CIA agents
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, Tommy Chong
Tommy Chong
Tommy Chong is a Canadian-American comedian, actor, writer, director, activist, and musician who is well known for his stereotypical portrayals of hippie-era stoners...
appeared in a scene in a head shop
Head shop
A head shop is a retail outlet specializing in drug paraphernalia used for consumption of cannabis, other recreational drugs, legal highs, legal party powders and New Age herbs, as well as counterculture art, magazines, music, clothing, and home decor; some head shops also sell oddities, such as...
, and Moon Zappa
Moon Zappa
Moon Unit Zappa is an American actress, musician and author. She goes by the name Moon Zappa; "Unit" is her middle name.-Personal life:...
had a cameo as "an archetypal zodiac aficionado." Reiner complimented Sofia Coppola on her costuming work for the film, noting that she was only seventeen years-old during initial production. Coppola had to research for the '70s as she had not lived through the period, and also developed costumes for two other periods - the future in the year 2171, and the future after the time-travelers returned home and changed the culture. The production budget for the film was tight, and crew members brought in '70s period items of their own to supplement props in the film. Production designer
Production designer
In film and television, a production designer is the person responsible for the overall look of a filmed event such as films, TV programs, music videos or adverts. Production designers have one of the key creative roles in the creation of motion pictures and television. Working directly with the...
Danny Talpers designed the prop for the time machine out of two hot tub
Hot tub
A hot tub is a large tub or small pool full of heated water and used for soaking, relaxation, massage, or hydrotherapy. In most cases, they have jets for massage purposes. Hot tubs are usually located outdoors, and are often sheltered for protection from the elements, as well as for privacy....
s - which was a reference to their popularity during the period. Instead of the more expensive cutaway technique, Reiner simply moved the camera back and forth during dialogue to save money.
Cultural references
As the film was intended to be a spoofParody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the '70s, it contains many references to popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
of the period. Lucas Reiner noted in the DVD commentary that at the time of the 2003 DVD release the television show That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
was popular, but at the time the film was the first to spoof the '70s. David Cassidy initially found it confusing to parody himself in the film, but later came to enjoy it, and even brought in a pair of his own period boots to wear. Leif Garett enjoyed portraying "Eddie Trojan," and slipped into the character easily once he put on the '70s period costume. All of the characters from the year 2171 were named after products. "Adam 11" was a reference to Adam-12
Adam-12
Adam-12 was a television police drama which followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12. Created by Jack Webb who is known for creating Dragnet, the series captured a...
, "Chanel-6" a reference to Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
, and "Heinz-57" a reference to H. J. Heinz Company
H. J. Heinz Company
The H. J. Heinz Company , commonly known as Heinz and famous for its "57 Varieties" slogan and its ketchup, is an American food company with world headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Perhaps best known for its ketchup, the H.J...
. All of the "Ministry of Knowledge" characters were named after oil companies. "Chevron" was a reference to Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
, and "Dr. Von Mobil" a reference to Mobil
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
. The filmmakers had initially wanted to use Adam-12, but used "Adam-11" instead due to copyright concerns. The music for the police chase in the film was modeled after Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
. At one point in the film, a car almost crashes into another vehicle, and the rear-end
Rear-end collision
A rear-end collision is a traffic accident wherein a vehicle crashes into the vehicle in front of it, usually caused by tailgating or panic stops...
suddenly explodes. This is a reference to a problem with the Ford Pinto
Ford Pinto
The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car produced by the Ford Motor Company for the model years 1971–1980. The car's name derives from the Pinto horse. Initially offered as a two-door sedan, Ford offered "Runabout" hatchback and wagon models the following year, competing in the U.S. market with the AMC...
during the 1970s. The filmmakers did not wish to refer directly to Ford Pinto due to liability concerns, and instead the characters say: "Is that the kind of car you think it is?"
Reiner stated that the "Absentee, oblivious, self-involved parents who don't notice their kids have a spaceship" was a reference to the self-involved nature of adults during the period and their propensity for self-improvement. A sub-plot of the film was devoted to a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of Werner Erhard
Werner Erhard
Werner Hans Erhard is an author of transformational models and applications for individuals, groups, and organizations...
and his Erhard Seminars Training
Erhard Seminars Training
Erhard Seminars Training, an organization founded by Werner H. Erhard, offered a two-weekend course known officially as "The est Standard Training"...
or "est" training. Rob Reiner played "Dr. Hedley Cash" (only referred to as "Dr. Cash" in the film), and Lucas Reiner stated that these scenes were meant to symbolize the "'70s hunger for self-improvement," and the extreme ends that people would go to in order to improve themselves. Lucas Reiner had never personally attended one of Werner Erhard's seminars, but had heard that attendants were not allowed to leave, often peed in their pants, and were called "assholes" and insulted publicly. Reiner noted that once his brother Rob put on the "Dr. Cash" costume, he played his character perfectly.
Reception
The Spirit of '76 received mostly positive reviews, though some were mixed. The Denver Post described it as both "idiotic" and "aggressively bright", and a review in the Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
did not think it was very funny. The Sacramento Bee called it a "cool comedy of the '70s," noting that it was a bit high-paced, but also "extremely likable." An Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
review wrote that: "References to est and disco, along with someone's mint collection of Kiss posters and other memorabilia, get tossed out willy-nilly; the movie's only unifying force is that smirky irony," and gave the film a rating of "C-". Allmovie wrote positively of the film, calling it a: "lively sci-fi comedy" that makes "great fun of the '70s." The film received two stars from the TLA Video and DVD Guide 2004, which described it as: "lightweight with the occasional laugh." Brett Fetzer of Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
wrote that the film was a homage
Homage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
to the '70s, noting: "It would be charitable to assume that the filmmakers put all this together lovingly and didn't want to distract from the warm glow of nostalgia by making anything actually funny."
Soundtrack
- Average White Band – "Pick Up the Pieces"
- ChicagoChicago (band)Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
– "Saturday in the ParkSaturday in the Park (song)"Saturday in the Park" is a song written by Robert Lamm and recorded by the group Chicago for their 1972 album Chicago V, with Lamm on piano and lead vocals and Peter Cetera on bass and backing vocals. The single version hit #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's highest-charting single...
" - The CarpentersThe CarpentersCarpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of sister Karen and brother Richard Carpenter. The Carpenters were the #1 selling American music act of the 1970s. Though often referred to by the public as "The Carpenters", the duo's official name on authorized recordings and...
– "Top of the WorldTop of the World (The Carpenters song)"Top of the World" is the name of a 1972 song by The Carpenters. Originally recorded for and released on the duo's 1972 studio album A Song for You, the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in late 1973, becoming the duo's second U.S. number-one single...
" - Grand Funk RailroadGrand Funk RailroadGrand Funk Railroad is an American rock band that was highly popular during the 1970s. Grand Funk Railroad toured constantly to packed arenas worldwide. A popular take on the band during its heyday was that, although the critics hated them, audiences loved them...
– "We're an American BandWe're an American Band (song)"We're an American Band" is a 1973 song by the band Grand Funk Railroad. It was the group's first number one single. Written by Don Brewer and produced by Todd Rundgren, the huge chart success of this single broadened Grand Funk's appeal to a much wider audience...
" - Starland Vocal BandStarland Vocal BandStarland Vocal Band were an American pop band, known primarily for "Afternoon Delight", one of the biggest-selling singles in 1976.-Career:The group began as 'Fat City', a husband/wife duo of Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. The band was also composed of Jon Carroll and Margot Chapman...
– "Afternoon DelightAfternoon Delight (song)"Afternoon Delight" is the title of a song recorded by American group, Starland Vocal Band, featuring close harmony and sexually suggestive wordplay. It was written by Bill Danoff, one of the members of the band. It became a number-one U.S. Billboard Hot 100 single on July 10, 1976...
" - Love Unlimited Orchestra – "Love's ThemeLove's Theme"Love's Theme" is an instrumental piece recorded by Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra and released in 1973. It is one of the few instrumental and purely orchestral singles to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, in early 1974...
" - Maria MuldaurMaria MuldaurMaria Muldaur is a folk-blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s...
– "Midnight at the OasisMidnight at the OasisA version of this song was recorded by the group Brand New Heavies, attributed to "Brand New Heavies featuring N'Dea Davenport". This version reached #13 in the UK in 1994 and was their biggest hit up until the departure of Davenport, when Sometimes made #11....
" - Hues CorporationHues CorporationThe Hues Corporation was a pop and soul trio formed in Santa Monica, California in 1969. They are best known for their 1974 hit, "Rock the Boat" which sold over two million copies.-Career:...
– "Rock the Boat" - Peter ToshPeter ToshPeter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh , was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers , and who afterward had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari.Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica, an illegitimate child to a mother too young...
– "Legalize It" - Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
– "(Don't Fear) The Reaper(Don't Fear) The Reaper" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
" - Walter MurphyWalter MurphyWalter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
– "A Fifth of BeethovenA Fifth of Beethoven"A Fifth of Beethoven" is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band. It was adapted by Murphy from the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The record was produced by noted production music and sound effects recording producer Thomas J. Valentino. It was one of...
" - Bachman–Turner Overdrive – "Takin' Care of BusinessTakin' Care of Business"Takin' Care of Business" is a song written by Randy Bachman and first recorded by Canadian rock group Bachman–Turner Overdrive for their 1973 album Bachman–Turner Overdrive II.-Development:...
" - Van McCoyVan McCoyVan Allen Clinton McCoy was an accomplished musician, music producer, arranger, songwriter, and orchestra conductor. He is known best for his 1975 internationally successful song "The Hustle", which is still played in dance halls and on radio to this day more than thirty years since his death...
– "The HustleThe Hustle (song)"The Hustle" is a famous disco song by songwriter/arranger Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony. It scored #1 on the "Billboard Hot 100" and the "Hot Soul Singles" charts during the summer of 1975. It also peaked at #9 on the Australian Singles Chart and #3 in the UK...
" - Peter FramptonPeter FramptonPeter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
– "Do You Feel Like We DoDo You Feel Like We Do"Do You Feel Like We Do" is a song by Peter Frampton originally on the Frampton's Camel album released in 1973. The song became one of the highlights of his live performance in following years...
" - SweetSweet (band)Sweet was a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as one of the most prominent glam rock acts, with the classic line-up of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker.Sweet was formed in 1968 and achieved their first...
– "Fox on the RunFox on the Run (song)"Fox on the Run" is a popular glam rock song by the British band Sweet, first recorded in 1974. It was their 14th single and in 1975 reached number 2 on the British single list, 5 in the US, 1 in Australia, 1 in Germany, 2 in the Netherlands and 2 in Norway...
" - Eli's Second Coming – "Love Chant"
- Carl DouglasCarl DouglasCarl Douglas is a former Jamaican-born, UK-based, singer, best known for his song "Kung Fu Fighting", which hit number one in both the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. The R.I.A.A. awarded gold disc status on 27 November, and it won a Grammy Award for Best Selling Single...
– "Kung Fu FightingKung Fu Fighting"Kung Fu Fighting" is a disco song written by Jim Brusatto and Vivian Hawke performed by Carl Douglas, and composed and produced by Biddu. It was released as a single in 1974, at the cusp of a chopsocky film craze, and eventually rose to the top of the British and American charts, in addition to...
" - Wild CherryWild Cherry (band)Wild Cherry was a funk/rock band best known for their funk song "Play That Funky Music".-History:Rob Parissi was raised in the steel mill town of Mingo Junction, Ohio. Parissi graduated from Mingo High School in 1968. Rob formed the band Wild Cherry in 1970 in Steubenville, Ohio, one mile north of...
– "Play That Funky MusicPlay That Funky Music"Play That Funky Music" is a funk song written by Robert Parissi and recorded by the band Wild Cherry. The performers on the classic recording included the members of the band at the time: lead singer Parissi, guitarist Bryan Bassett, bassist Allen Wentz, and drummer Ron Beitle, with session horn...
" - Rick DerringerRick DerringerRick Derringer is an American guitarist, vocalist, and entertainer.-1960s:When he was seventeen years old, his band The McCoys recorded "Hang on Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, which became the number one song in America before "Yesterday" by The Beatles knocked it out of the top spot. The song was...
– "Rock and Roll, Hoochie KooRock and Roll, Hoochie Koo"Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" is a rock song written by Rick Derringer. It was first recorded by Johnny Winter with Derringer in 1970. In 1973, Derringer recorded a solo version and it became his only Top 40 chart hit, peaking on the Billboard Hot 100 at #23...
" - Vicki Sue RobinsonVicki Sue RobinsonVicki Sue Robinson was an American theatre and film actress and singer, closely associated with the disco era of late 1970s pop music; she is most famous for her 1976 hit, "Turn the Beat Around."-Early life and career:...
– "Turn the Beat AroundTurn the Beat AroundIn 1994 , the song was recorded by Gloria Estefan for the soundtrack to the film The Specialist. Released as a single, it became a hit reaching #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is also featured on Estefan's fourth solo album Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me. She also sang the song as her opening...
" - Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-LettesDisco-Tex and the Sex-O-LettesDisco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes were a disco group of the 1970s headed by Sir Monti Rock III .-Career:...
– "Get Dancin'" - Edgar Winter Group – "FrankensteinFrankenstein (song)"Frankenstein" is a rock instrumental by The Edgar Winter Group from their album They Only Come Out at Night.In live performances of the song, Edgar Winter further pioneered the advancement of the synthesizer as a lead instrument by becoming the first person ever to strap a keyboard instrument...
" - The SylversThe SylversThe Sylvers were a popular R&B/soul and disco family group during the 1970s. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, the family would later relocate to Watts, California.- Beginnings :...
– "Boogie FeverBoogie Fever"Boogie Fever" is the title of a song recorded by Los Angeles, California-based R&B group The Sylvers, from their 1975 album Showcase. Their most lucrative single, it reached number one in the U.S...
" - The TrammpsThe TrammpsThe Trammps were an American disco band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands. The band's first major success was with their 1972 cover version of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart". The first disco track they released was "Love Epidemic" in 1973...
– "Disco InfernoDisco Inferno (The Trammps song)-Tina Turner version:Tina Turner covered the song in 1993 for the What's Love Got to Do with It soundtrack and it charted at number twelve in the UK Singles Chart, 4 places higher than The Trammps' version...
" - Bay City RollersBay City RollersThe Bay City Rollers were a Scottish pop band who were most popular in the 1970s. The British Hit Singles & Albums noted that they were "tartan teen sensations from Edinburgh", and were "the first of many acts heralded as the 'Biggest Group since The Beatles' and one of the most screamed-at...
– "Saturday NightSaturday Night (Bay City Rollers song)"Saturday Night" is the title of a song recorded by the Scottish band Bay City Rollers. It was written and produced by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. The tune is an upbeat pop-rock number with a memorable hook: the word "Saturday" spelled out in a rhythmic chant.An early version of the song was...
" - Red Kross – "1976"
- The DickiesThe DickiesThe Dickies are an American punk rock group formed in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California, U.S. in 1977.-History:The Dickies were among the first punk rock bands to emerge from Los Angeles...
– "Spirit of '76"