Spinal Tap Share New Version Of ‘Stonehenge’ With Elton John
The new song appears in the highly-anticipated September sequel to the original 1984 mockumentary ‘This Is Spinal Tap.’
Fictional heavy metal trio Spinal Tap have enlisted Elton John for a new version of “Stonehenge,” the cult classic track from the 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap.
Released today via Interscope, the collaboration appears on the forthcoming Spinal Tap album The End Continues. The 13-track record serves as a soundtrack to the film’s long-awaited sequel, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which hits theaters on September 12th. It features nine new, original songs and four reimagined favorites, with additional guest appearances from Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and Trisha Yearwood.
The sequel picks up 41 years after the original film, reuniting estranged bandmates David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) for one final concert. Director Rob Reiner returns as documentarian Marty Di Bergi to chronicle the aging rockers as they confront mortality and their checkered past: exploding drummers, malfunctioning set pieces, backstage hallway mazes and more.
Since This Is Spinal Tap’s release, the fictional band has gone on real-life tours together and collaborated with the likes of John Mayer, Cher, and members of Metallica. This Is Spinal Tap was officially added to The Library of Congress in 2002, cementing its place in film history, not to mention its lasting influence on actual rock bands. Dave Grohl once notably called This Is Spinal Tap “the only rock movie worth watching,” and The Talking Heads’ Chris Frantz once said of his group: “We watched Spinal Tap and I thought, ‘Oh, I can never take myself seriously again.'”
“Stonehenge” holds special significance in Spinal Tap’s mythology due to a memorable prop mishap documented in the original film. Ahead of a performance of the track, the group attempt to order an 18-foot replica of the monument for their stage set, but receive an 18-inch version instead, leading to one of the film’s most widely-quoted moments. Spinal Tap’s connection to Stonehenge has become so entrenched in popular culture that lead singer Nigel Tufnel, played by Christopher Guest, even appeared in a 2008 National Geographic documentary, Stonehenge: Decoded, to share theories on the ancient stone circle.
Listen to Spinal Tap’s “Stonehenge” featuring Elton John now.
