Spinal Tap

Spinal Tap began back in 1964 when good friends David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel joined forces and formed The Originals. After finding out that there was already a group of that title, they would go through a series of name changes until finally joining up with bassist Ronnie Pudding and drummer John "Stumpy" Pepys, becoming The Thamesmen. After releasing two minor hit singles, "Gimme Some Money" and "Cups and Cakes," Pudding left to form Pudding People and was replaced by Derek Smalls.

With this line-up, the band recorded "Listen to the Flower People." A surprise hit, the single went gold in the United Kingdom and the band toured worldwide. The band's "success" came to a halt when Pepys died in a bizarre gardening accident in 1969. He was replaced with Eric "Stumpy Joe" Childs. Intravenus de Milo was released in 1974 and is known to be the first album to ever reach the status of bronze, which a band can only attain if one million copies of an album are returned.

Childs choked to death on an unknown offender's vomit that same year, and was replaced with Peter 'James' Bond. Trouble began when the group sued their record label, Megaphone, for back royalties, but the label counter-sued, claiming they had a "lack of talent." When their release Rock and Roll Creation became a surprise hit in the United States, Spinal Tap quickly signed with Polymer Records and began to record a new album, but were halted when Bond spontaneously combusted on-stage. He was immediately replaced with drummer Mick Shrimpton and the group released Shark Sandwich in 1980, spawning the hit "Sex Farm."

Spinal Tap's 1982 tour in support of the album Smell the Glove got off to a bad start when some of their biggest gigs were cancelled. A mistake in prop sizing would prompt the group to fire manager Ian Faith and replace him with Hubbins' mistress, Jeanine Pettibone. Shortly afterward, Tufnel momentarily quit the band but Tufnel and Faith returned for the band's final U.S. performance and one Japanese gig.

In 1983, the band would split and go their separate ways. It wasn't until 1992, when Spinal Tap seemed almost forgotten, that they had re-formed and were working on a new album. The band appeared on the MTV Music Awards announcing their return to the spotlight along with a new album, Break Like the Wind. After that, they embarked on another tour and once again faded away.