Spinal Tap Giving Away “Saucy Jack”
I was having lunch with friends on Saturday when someone mentioned that they were at the Spinal Tap ‘Unwigged and Unplugged’ show at the Beacon Theater in New York City last Thursday. When I showed some interest the friend told me a bit about the show. He mentioned that they played a song called ‘Saucy Jack’ that the band said was mentioned in the movie but that my friend had forgotten about.
The song is mentioned toward the end of the original movie, This Is Spinal Tap, when the band is fragmented and has decided to not play together anymore. Bass player Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) has a conversation with lead singer David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) in which he tries to see the silver lining in the band’s break up. The conversation went, in part, like this:
David: Do you remember what we were…do you remember the time?…
Derek: At the Luton…at the Luton Palace…
David: Yes.
Derek: We were talking about a rock musical based on the life of Jack the Ripper…
David: Yeah,’Saucy Jack.’
Derek: Right.’Saucy Jack.’ Now’s the time to do that.
David: “Saucy Jack, you’re a naughty one, Saucy Jack, you’re a haughty one, Saucy Jack.”
Derek: Right…
David: It’s a freein’ up, idnit?
Derek: Yeah.
David: It’s all this free time it’s suddenly time is so elastic….
Derek: It’s a gift, it’s a gift of freedom. You know.
Apparently some time in the intervening decades ‘Saucy Jack’ was, indeed, completed. Or at least the title track was. And, as times are far more digital than they were 20 years ago, the band has made the track available for free download!
And be sure to check out the new album, Back from the Dead, featuring new songs and new mixes of old ones.
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