This is Spinal Tap — again.
More than four decades after the iconic mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap featuring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as a fictional heavy metal band, the trio is back with a new film and album — which includes a new version of their song “Stonehenge” featuring Elton John.
Released on Thursday, July 31, the new recording of “Stonehenge” serves as the first taste of Spinal Tap’s forthcoming The End Continues album, which also serves as the soundtrack for the new movie, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues.
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“Stonehenge” was originally released on the group’s first album, This Is Spinal Tap, released alongside the initial 1984 film, directed by Rob Reiner. In the cult classic, Spinal Tap orders a massive, 18-foot replica of the Stonehenge but instead receives an 18-inch one.
The reimagined rendition of “Stonehenge” arrives alongside a music video, in which John, 78, appears after the song’s opening monologue, as he rises from below the stage at a piano to perform the most of the lead vocals.
“Stonehenge! Where the demons dwell / Where the banshees live and they do live well / Stonehenge! Where a man’s a man / And the children dance to the Pipes of Pan,” he sings.
While the first film’s plot centered on Martin “Marty” Di Bergi (Reiner, 78) making a documentary about the band, comprised of David St. Hubbins (McKean, 77), Nigel Tufnel (Guest, 77) and Derek Smalls (Shearer, 81), Spinal Tap II: The End Continues will see the trio reunite for one final concert — with Di Bergi back to capture the whole thing.
The accompanying album will feature another collaboration with John titled “Flower People” as well as features from Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. It’s set for a Sept. 12 release, which coincides with the new film hitting theaters.
All three members of Spinal Tap, plus Di Bergi — yes, the fictional characters themselves — recently spoke to Empire about their longevity as a band.
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“We’ve had arguments over the years and then made up… Arguments, make up, arguments, make up. But there’s no secret, because there’s no solution for an old friendship,” said Tufnel.
St. Hubbins added, “I think that the more we can leave our egos at the door, the better. But it’s not easy. I carry my ego everywhere, but having a big ego is like having a big dog. You can’t expect other people to feed it for you.”
