Semi-Autobiographical Films in Which Musicians Play Thinly-Veiled Versions of Themselves: A Poll

http://www.impawards.com/1984/posters/hard_to_hold.jpg

I feel like George Strait(!) did one of these.

*heads to Wikipedia...*

Yep!

The film Pure Country featured George Strait in the lead role as Dusty Chandler, a famous country singer who strays too far from his country roots and traditional sound. It provided the opportunity for Strait to branch out from his own traditional country sound for a more rock-and-roll approach. The film saw little success at the box office, taking in only $15 million, but the soundtrack, also called Pure Country, produced several hit singles for Strait, and has become his best-selling album to date.

are Madness the only band to play flat-out undisguised versions of themselves in a straight-up biopic?

(notwithstanding 36-yo Rowetta cameoing as 26-yo Rowetta amongst the actor-played Happy Mondays in 24HPP)

(and the likes of A Hard Day’s Night or Head not being biopics)

Mark E Smith and Vini Reilly show up too

Smith doesn't play himself (though he can't act, per se), nor does Paul Ryder; Devoto is a meta joke of his real self, not playing his younger self, who is in the same shot. I'm pretty sure it's a younger, healthier person playing Reilly, but my DVD is on another continent.

Yeah 24hrPP does not apply, all those cameos are meta in-jokes

Not sure what Madness appearance you were ref’ing tho

I'm always amazed just how little-seen One Trick Pony is in the UK. For a long time it was unavailable on VHS, and as-good-as-never on tv. I mean even for a flop movie it was hard-to-find, and DVD copies seem scarce too. Must be some weird rights issue or somethin.

Is this as close as he got to a Steely Dan sound? Surely it must be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sFjElo4Aww

Nothing about this makes you want to see it, what an ugly looking thing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwsM_27GgLU

Not sure what Madness appearance you were ref’ing tho

the only band to play flat-out undisguised versions of themselves in a straight-up biopic?

not called Flat-Out Straight-Up: The Madness Story though

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwWvKnU9zCE

for zing types and future archaeologists: that's a legit youtube posting of Take It Or Leave It, a biopic about Madness' first 2-3 years, filmed during their 5th year, starring themselves

Does The Jazz Singer count? The one with Neil Diamond. I never saw it, but I recall from the ads that it appeared to be a full-on Diamond experience.

I believe the bit where he's in the studio with a bratty singer, played by Paul Nicholas(!), who is recording a punk version of "Love on the Rocks"(!!) is based on his experience working with Mike Nesmith in the Monkees. Other than that, don't think so - I don't know if this ever happened:

https://alchetron.com/cdn/The-Jazz-Singer-1980-film-images-647f42f0-a04e-4e4b-9126-eceb608df93.jpg

I'm always amazed just how little-seen One Trick Pony is in the UK.

I don't think the US is much different tbh. Never would have seen it at all if it hadn't gotten a cheapo MGM DVD reissue a few years ago.

It existed as a butt-ugly VHS copy at my Blockbuster for years.

was coming here to mention that Strait film but unperson beat me to it.

http://www.nashcountrydaily.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1446/2017/05/Pure-Country-Movie-DVD.jpg

Rockers is also great, a really exceptional film if only for capturing its specific place and time, but it's also pretty entertaining and the music is amazing.

Springfield entry looks hilariously terrible
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE4gjWuRCGk

the girl in the band plays... hand puppet?

Gawd, I need to see more of these.

That Madness thing is pretty good. Judging by the first half anyway...

It is, yes.

Also, was dancing around the shop when I found the box version (CD plus DVD) of "Slade in Flame" in Fopp for £2 !

INCOMING!!! St. Vincent and Carrie Brownstein wrote a tour comedy about "heightened versions of themselves"

https://news.avclub.com/st-vincent-and-carrie-brownstein-wrote-a-tour-comedy-a-1834124293

Does 'Stardust' belong here? Haven't seen it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stardust_(1974_film)

I hope it wasn't autobiographical for David Essex's sake. But, seriously, I don't think it belongs here. Adam Faith is really good in it iirc.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

A piece in Mojo a few years back suggested that That'll Be The Day (the film before Stardust about the same band) referred to The Beatles story much more than people would assume; all sorts of little 'incidents' that occur are based on the Hamburg years and such like. I think Stardust itself was more a 'generic 70s band' story.

Hard to Hold is not a good movie but "Love Somebody" is a slammin song.

btw Honeysuckle & 1TP were made by actual good filmmakers

Oh, I should have posted in this thread about Jacques Demy's last film, the very weird 'Three Seats for the 26th'. It stars French singer Yves Montand as Yves Montand, a french singer who returns to Marseille to star in a musical based on the life of Yves Montand. The scenes from the play are quite biographical, but then it's mixed with a weird melodrama that ends with Yves Montand having sex with his own daughter. Very very weird last film from Demy, and his eighties music isn't quite as charming as it was in the sixties.

Credible showing by Slade, seeing as they were up against Prince!

Crossroads does not, that doesn't star any prominent musicians playing a version of themselves iirc?

Steve Vai plays a hired gun stunt guitarist (if the devil's), tbf.

Seriously, more than one currently teenaged boy who plays guitar has positively referenced this film ime, which is simultaneously O_O and reassuring.

(1986 Crossroads obv)

still can't figure out what Flame is
surely not this? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame_(1996_film)

the top result for Slade in Flame

Songwriter starring Willie Nelson (basically playing himself) and Kris Kristofferson m/l playing Waylon is definitely worth your time. also features an excellent Rip Torn as a grizzled seedy promoter. solid B+

i remember watching Hard to Hold on like Betamax at a friend's house when i was about 7. his older sisters (prob in jr high) were out of control. (i think?) it briefly shows Rick's ass and i thought they were going to pass out.

Pete Townshend's White City: The Music Movie might qualify. He plays a musician named "Pete," and is referred to by another character as "yer famous friend." It's basically videos/performances of the White City songs interspersed with dramatic sequences, but it works fairly well. Only released in 1985 on VHS and Laserdisc, never reissued.

https://youtu.be/7iFtg4JFgzE