Remember how back in the 1960s it seemed like every pop band had its own movie or TV show? Ok, if you weren’t around back then, I can confirm that this is true.
We’re talking The Beatles (‘Hard Day’s Night’ and ‘Help’), The Monkees (ever heard of the movie ‘Head’? Me either), The Partridge Family, and The Rolling Stones. Ok, so ‘Gimmee Shelter’ was technically released in 1970, but featured footage of the Stones’ 1969 concert tour.
So I guess it should come as no surprise that Herman’s Hermits would have a movie in the vault, too. ‘[amazon_link id=”B004YQVRG2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Hold On[/amazon_link]’ finds the British Invasion pop group on a U.S. tour, where they’re mobbed by shrieking fans and secretly monitored by a nerdy scientist to determine whether NASA should name a rocket after them. No, I’m not making this up.
Of course, the movie features a bunch of Herman’s Hermits songs, including ‘A Must to Avoid’ and ‘Leaning on the Lamp Post,’ and also stars Shelley Fabares, no stranger to the charts with 1962’s ‘Johnny Angel.’
My experience with Herman’s Hermits is mostly confined to sharing a room with my sister and having to listen to her stupid albums over and over. But then I got older and sort of liked the music myself. Not enough to say I enjoyed this extremely dumb movie, but hey, Herman’s Hermits cemented their place in music history, and Peter Noone is still going strong, so more power to you, Peter!
Also check out these reviews of ‘Hold On’:
DVD Legion * DVD Talk * Beyond Media Online * Blog Critics * Fandomania
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