"DOES YOUR MOTHER KNOW YOU'RE A RAMONE?!"
Roger Corman, infamous producer and director of B-Movies (or less) died in May aged 98 with a filmography that ran into a couple hundred movies of various genres; horror, sci-fi, juvenile delinquent, musicals, comedies, gangsters, bikers, teen exploitation, anything that could be shot quickly and cheaply for the new teen market for drive-ins. Corman was not the first director to make his name in teen exploitation b-movies but none did it more successfully or for longer. His actual involvement in his films ranged from hands-on directing to relatively hands-off producing where he came up with the basic idea (sometimes little more than the title and basic lobby poster concept) then assigned the project to a director to get to work. The most important and lasting Corman film would turn out to be one of the latter with a film that Corman himself did not fully understand at the time.
ROGER CORMAN
1979's "Rock & Roll Highschool" with the Ramones is the greatest musical of the Punk Rock era but it didn't start out that way. Corman's original concept sometime in 1975 or 76 was "Disco Highschool" and would end up with the school being blown up. There would also be hot cheerleaders of course. And that's about it. There was no actual script or even an outline. With that as a concept he passed the job of actually directing, casting and coming up with a script to up and comer director Alan Arkush. He was secretly appalled by the idea of a disco themed film, especially by 1978 when disco was decidedly uncool, and he begged Corman to let them switch musical genres. Arkush went to Corman's office armed with an album by the Who (then still in their "auto-destruct" phase of smashing their guitars and drums) and showed what he had in mind by cranking out Who songs at full volume while dancing around the office playing air-guitar and trashing the place. To his credit instead of calling security Corman laughingly gave him the go-ahead to make a R&R picture and sent him on his merry way with a fairly generous budget by Corman standards. Arkush then commisioned a couple of writers Richard Whitley and Joseph McBride to whip up a script with a working title "Heavy Metal Kids" with a vague idea of having the band being over-the-top shock rockers the Tubes since the Who were clearly too expensive and at any rate by that time Pete Townsend had already been working on his own far more pretentious film ideas with "Tommy" and "Quadrophenia" and wouldn't have been interested in some cheapo teen B-Movie anyway.
With a finished script in hand and a cast that included PJ Soles ("Halloween" & "Carrie"), Mary Waronow, Paul Bartel, Clint Howard and Vincent Van Patton, Arkush then faced the question of what band to base the movie around. The original somewhat vague idea of using the Tubes was quickly discarded. By 1978 the Tubes' campy bombast was yesterday's news and they were really too old for the role of teen heart-throbs anyway.
THE TUBES ~ "WHITE PUNKS ON DOPE";
One of the artists Arkush had scouted out during the writing process was Elvis Costello who had played a raucous sell-out gig set at an LA high school which he had used to further illustrate his point to Corman and the writers. However while they were impressed with Elvis' performance his dour nerd persona wasn't really appropriate for the film's basic concept.
ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ATTRACTIONS ~ "PUMP IT UP";
Once he finally had a workable script in hand Arkush started a serious search for the right band and he had a band in mind in Cheap Trick. By 1978 they were the latest buzz band having released their debut in 1977 and after building a reputation as a dynamic live act finally scored a surprise hit with their live album "Live At Budokan" and a top 40 hit "I Want You To Want Me". They had a perfect mix of energy, odd-ball charisma and silliness with rock star pinups Robin Zander and Tom Peterson playing off the madcap antics of guitarist Rick Neilsen and deadpan drummer Bun E Carlos. They also had an enviable audience crossover appeal that stretched from Teeny Boppers to Nerds along with New Wavers, Punks and Metal Heads. Arkush wanted them badly and the band was interested but unfortunately negotiations broke down over money and their hectic (and profitable) touring schedule. The budget for the band was about $25,000 which might sound like a lot but it's worth remembering for that the shooting would take at least a month during which time the band would not be able to tour and would have to forego the money they would usually make on tour, they would have to cover their own hotel plus food and booze bill so appearing in the film might even end up costing money. Any at rate with his first choice out, Arkush reluctantly had to go back to the drawing board.
CHEAP TRICK ~ "THE DREAM POLICE";
By this time Arkush had negotiated a deal with Sire Records and Warner Bros for a soundtrack album and the label had a few suggestions of their own starting with another new buzz band in Devo. The Akron, Ohio band of sci-fi weirdos had been working out their distinct brand of campy Art Rock on and off since around 1973 attracting the attention of the likes of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Brian Eno and Neil Young finally leading to a record deal in 1978 and their classic twitchy version of the Stones; "Satisfaction". Besides buzz Devo had a stable of quirky and catchy songs and a distinctive image that practically begged to be put on screen and the band themselves had already experimented with making short films as early as 1978. However much as Arkush was impressed by them he felt that Devo really had a little too much of a distinctive character and to build a film around them would require a completely different concept than what he already had which would require a band that had at least a nodding acquaintance with traditional R&R so somewhat regretfully he went back to his list of lucky contestants.
DEVO ~ "SATISFACTION";
The next band the record label suggested was very different from Devo, Elvis or the Tubes. Van Halen were an LA band who had just released their explosive debut album with its instantly iconic version of "You Really Got Me". They were another band with a wild stage show and plenty of personality. Maybe too much personality as the record company rep showing commendable honesty admitted that the band were perhaps a too rowdy and hyper to behave themselves on the drudgery of a movie set and once again like Cheap Trick the issues around money and touring schedules were likely to get in the way so Arkush didn't even bother to actually ask them which is kind of a shame because David Lee Roth at least would probably have jumped at the chance to make a movie.
VAN HALEN ~ "DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY";
By now Arkush was probably getting a little frustrated when he (or somebody) approached Tom Petty as he seemed even further away from the film's original concept. Petty was at this point more successful than the other contestants with several hits and like Cheap Trick he had crossover appeal which included both traditional R&R fans and New Wavers however his persona of down-to-earth everyman didn't really gibe with the grungy teeny-bopper required for this film and besides he was another rock star with a busy and lucrative schedule and he too politely declined.
TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS ~ "REFUGEE";
After striking out so many times by this point Arkush was probably shocked to find out that somebody actually wanted to appear in the film when he heard from Todd Rundgren who was a very different figure from the scrappy up and comers looked at thus far. Rundgren was an establishment figure who had been around since the late sixties with the Nazz and later the more polished art-rockers Utopia. He had scored some top forty hits but they were with ornate ballads like "Can We Still Be Friends" and "Hello It's Me" and definitely not the kind of trashy energy Arkush was looking for, he was also in his thirties and decidedly not teen dream material. However Rundgren had also done production work including for some rather more edgy acts including The New York Dolls second album, two albums with Grand Funk Railroad and one with the Tubes and it was probably this which got him a meeting with the increasingly desperate Arkush. Surprisingly Rundgren was actually interested in doing the film project but he had one nagging condition. He wanted to do a complete rewrite of the script changing it from a raucous Rock & Roll comedy to a sensitive coming-of-age film with some political subtext forcing Arkush to point out that this was a Roger Corman movie so no, that won't be happening. With that Rundgren stomped off. Ironically he would later end up producing albums for both the Tubes (again) and Cheap Trick.
TODD RUNDGREN ~ "HELLO IT'S ME";
Finally the record company suggested a New York Punk band who had gotten some critical attention but had failed to score any notable chart action. Arkush was already familiar with the Ramones but hadn't considered them for the film, thinking them a little too grungy but it turned out they were open to the idea. The band turned out to be huge movie buffs, especially B-movies including Roger Corman's films and they were eager to make a film and willing to do whatever was asked of them with few complaints.
ALAN ARKUSH, PJ SOLES & JOEY RAMONE
The band were also willing to agree to the budget offered which they would supplement by doing some gigs in and around LA during filming which Arkush in turn agreed to schedule around. They would also sweeten the pot by agreeing to record some new songs with legendary producer Phil Spector.
THE RAMONES ~ "ROCK & ROLL HIGHSCHOOL";
As things turned out the Ramones were on their best behavior, delighted to be in a Corman film although he had little actual involvement and had no idea who they were. In spite of their leather jacketed delinquent image they turned out to be shy and respectful. They also turned out to be stiff and awkward when not on stage requiring multiple takes of even the most simple scenes but this turned out to be part of their charm on screen. Meanwhile on stage they were riveting and natural without being bombastic cock-rockers. They even attracted their own legion of fans who came to act as extras for the concert and street scenes giving them an invaluable authenticity.
THE RAMONES ~ "DO YOU REMEMBER ROCK & ROLL RADIO";
The Ramones may not have been the first or even second or third choice but it turned out to be perfect casting and it is now impossible to imagine any of the alternatives doing a better job. It's easy to picture Van Halen, Cheap Trick, Devo or the Tubes blowing up the school in the climax but the rest of the story is another matter. One of the film's running gags involved the lead character of Riff Randle (PJ Soles) and a rival groupie pursuing the band, especially Joey Ramone who was almost iconically geeky.
This would not have been funny if the subject of her crush had been pretty boys like Van Halen or Robin and Tom of Cheap Trick who actually were already teen pin-ups with screaming fans. In the film it's funny because it's the Ramones who at the end the character of the police chief calls (in a line that was improvised) "Ugly, Ugly People". Van Halen and Cheap Trick were simply too pretty and too cocky for this to work as a joke. The Ramones awkward geekiness and sincerity was part of their charm and this movie actually solidified that.
THE RAMONES ~ "SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER";
As for the other bands the Tubes were too bombastic and really too old, Elvis Costello was too dour and too English while Tom Petty was too laid back and not bombastic enough. Devo would have required a completely different movie and as for Todd Rudgren? While he has said he regrets not simply agreeing to the film he would have been the most woefully miscast of any of the choices being even older than the other possibilities as well just not having the right image or music with his soft rock ballads actually being better suited to the kind of teen romance he had suggested. However even if that type of movie had been made it undoubtedly would have failed anyway and been long forgotten about rather than the immediate cult hit "Rock & Roll Highschool" would become.
THE RAMONES ~ "SHE'S THE ONE";
Musically it's hard to see one of the other bands coming up with a better song than the now classic title track. Van Halen or Cheap Trick would undoubtedly have come up with something decent but it would not have had the retro juvenile delinquent charm of the Ramones version. It's also hard to see Van Halen, Devo or the Tubes working with Phil Spector. The more tradition minded Cheap Trick, Tom Petty or Elvis Costello might well have taken a chance to work with Spector but it's unlikely they would have put up with his eccentricities and control freak behavior. The actual results with Spector and the Ramones were certainly mixed but the ensuing album is now considered a minor classic.
THE RAMONES ~ "BABY I LOVE YOU";
Setting aside the already mentioned choices that were run through while casting this film it's actually hard to see what other contemporary bands could have footed the bill better than the Ramones. If we grant that this role had to go to an artist who was both underground and edgy enough to appeal to the film's target mix of hip Punks and New Wavers, retro savvy B-Movie fans and teens as well as being willing to work with the Corman's budget while still having enough name recognition we can quickly set aside any major Pop stars like Elton John or the Who. The band would have to come from the New Wave (or at least New Wave adjacent) as the possible choices had or possibly a young Metal band like Van Halen. However the Clash were not yet well known in America as well as being too English and serious minded to have even agreed in the first place. This is even more true for other Anglo New Wave bands like the Jam, the Stranglers, Boomtown Rats, Joe Jackson, Gary Numan or Ultravox. The Police were better known in America and might have even agreed (Sting had already appeared in the "Great Rock & Roll Swindle" and would appear in "Quadrophenia") but once again they were too much of a pretty boy band. American New Wavers The Cars and Talking Heads were other bands that were even more serious and dour. American Punk band the Dictators were to pervy to be chasing after teenage girls. Girl bands like Blondie, the Runaways and Suzi Quatro would have required complete script rewrites. And as for American Punks like the Dead Boys, Dils or Misfits? LOL.
As for Metal (or Metalish) bands there actually was another somewhat similar up and coming Los Angeles band named Detective who would have happily done it. Led by English singer Micheal Des Barres, Detective were in the same Warner Bros stable and it's possible, even probable, that their name came up. They actually were getting a PR push by the label that would see them (specifically Des Barres) appearing on a classic first season episode of the TV series "WKRP In Cincinnati" as the infamous Punk band the Scum Of The Earth so it would be easy to see them jumping at the chance to do a film. However while they (or at least Des Barres) did an iconic turn on "WKRP" in "Rock & Roll High School" they would have had the same drawbacks as Van Halen would have; too bombastic and Des Barres being too much the pretty boy cock rocker to be funny in this film. Unlike Van Halen or Cheap Trick (or the Ramones), Detective would have also had the additional shortcoming of not even having any actual great songs. (Note I've already written about Detective and "WKRP" here).
THE SCUM OF THE EARTH (AKA DETECTIVE) ON "WKRP";
As an additional note there was actually another band on set who would have jumped at the chance as Darby Crash, singer for infamous LA Punks the Germs showed up with other fans and possibly other Germs in tow to be extras in the concert scenes where he is clearly visible. The Germs would have have happily jumped at the chance to be in a movie themselves and would probably have done it for beer money and if the notoriously cheap Roger Corman had known this he would have cast them in a heartbeat and having the notoriously drunk and inept Germs as the band would have been hilarious in a train wreck kinda way.
THE GERMS ~ "MANIMAL";
In the case of "Rock & Roll Highschool" we have to conclude that the best band really did win.
