American Graffiti is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed and co-written by George Lucas starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, and Wolfman Jack. Suzanne Somers has a cameo. Set in Modesto, California in 1962, the film is a study of the cruising and rock and roll cultures popular among the post–World War II baby boom generation. The film is told in a series of vignettes, telling the story of a group of teenagers and their adventures over a single evening. American Graffiti received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Produced on a $777,000 budget, it has become one of the most profitable films of all time. (More from Wikipedia)
Wilson Phillips is one of the early second-generation rock bands and features another pair of Wilson sisters – Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson (daughters of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys) – plus Chynna Phillips, the daughter of John Phillips and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas. She is the half-sister of actress Mackenzie Phillips, who started out in the film American Graffiti when she was just 12 years old. Wilson Phillips had a major hit song in 1990 called “Hold On” and has released a total of six albums to date.
(November 2013)
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As reported in Wikipedia: “In 1973, [Kim] Fowley produced three recordings by Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids for the film American Graffiti (1973). These songs were ‘At the Hop’, ‘Louie Louie’ and ‘She’s So Fine’.” Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids (now known as Flash Cadillac) is a retro-rock band who appeared in the film under the name Herbie and the Heartbeats. They formed in Boulder, Colorado in 1969 and are still active more than 40 years later.
“At the Hop” and “She’s So Fine” (but not “Louie Louie”) are included on the official 1973 soundtrack album, entitled 41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti, where the songs are presented in the same order that they appeared in the film. The other 39 songs on the soundtrack album are the original hits by the original artists, having been recorded between 1954 and 1964.
(January 2015/1)
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