Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Stranded

Whether turning it up to Eleven, or providing the honest social commentary society so desperately needs, Spinal Tap has always been at the forefront of rock music. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame--heed their call!

Last March, as legendary acts like Patti Smith, REM and, ahem, Van Halen were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, one can't help but feel that the proceedings were taking place under a cloud, as rancour continues to congeal among the elite of rock and rolls past. And while voters consider the likes of The Beastie Boys, Madonna and others this week as voting for the Hall's 2008 inductees opens, we at Stranded feel obliged to highlight a notable rift emerging among music legends today.

Over the summer, Davy Jones, lead singer of seminal sixties pop act The Monkees, appeared on the most prestigious venue in which to bring up social ills, The O'Reilly Factor, to discuss his belief in an on-going conspiracy to keep The Monkees out of the Hall by Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, due to the bands lack of seriousness. "I think it's the title and that we're not viewed as rock and rollers," Jones correctly noted. "But what is rock and roll? I passed a joint with Jimi Hendrix, I slept with a lot of female singers, and I partied until I dropped…we, by all rights, should be in there [for our impact]" (The O'Reilly Factor, June16th).

Jones is correct to note that the band made a significant mark of pop music, having sold over sixty-five million records, and having had dozens of number one hits, including "I'm a Believer" and "Hey Hey We're the Monkees." Jones feels that, given the approaching fortieth anniversary of the band, the induction would be a big symbolic gesture to their legacy. Actions being taken so far to correct this historical oversight include a petition being circulated at petitiononline.com, a letter-writing campaign, and talk of a possible sit-in at the induction ceremonies this year.

And while these steps may seem appropriate to correct such a dramatic snub as this, we at Stranded feel that the Monkees issue shouldn't be addressed until the Hall of Fame fixes another long standing omission, perhaps the biggest slight of all, which also remains uncorrected as this legendary band approaches their ruby anniversary. As many of you may know, 2007 marks the fortieth year since the release of Spinal Tap's 1967 classic Spinal Tap Sings "Listen To The Flower People", and Other Favourites. While the album continues to be exceedingly well received by industry types and pop music academics, it was largely under-appreciated by the general public.

Of course, this fourth-tenths of a centennial is marred by one especially conspicuous note: that Spinal Tap is also not yet in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Worse still, a group only needs to be in existence for twenty-five years to qualify. This means that the last fifteen years will exist under a cloud in the minds of all future music historians since they will have included the consistent and baffling snub of perhaps the greatest pop songwriters in the history of the planet.

Ok, sure, some people might note that Spinal Tap only technically took its current form in 1984-when This is Spinal Tap was released-and therefore don't qualify until next year, 2008. However, we can't let this historically significant band go without recognition at the first possible opportunity. As such, we implore you to check out our group "Spinal Tap Should Be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". This is the chance of a generation to ensure these masters do not go unrecognized.

I'm sure Davy Jones will understand.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools