Rock Follies (together with its sequel, Rock Follies of '77) is a musical drama that was shown on British television in the 1970s. The storyline follows the ups and downs of a fictional female rock band called the Little Ladies, as they struggle for recognition and success. The series stars Rula Lenska, Charlotte Cornwell and Julie Covington as the Little Ladies, with support from Emlyn Price, Beth Porter, Sue Jones-Davies, Bob Hoskins, Stephen Moore, Derek Thompson, Denis Lawson and Little Nell among others. The series was made on a small budget for Thames Television, with a style inspired by fringe theatre. It was based on an original idea by Annabel Leventon, Diane Langton and Gaye Brown. The series was a success and won three BAFTA Awards, and the soundtrack album reached No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart. A second series with its own soundtrack album followed.
Contents
Overview
The fictional band was portrayed by session musicians as well as the three lead actresses (Rula Lenska, Charlotte Cornwell and Julie Covington) who proved they could sing; the spin-off album of music from the series entered the UK Albums Chart at number one (exceptionally rare at that time). The songs were written by Andy Mackay, a founder member of Roxy Music. Lyrics and screenplay were written by Howard Schuman.
The second series, Rock Follies of '77, was a continuation of the first. Industrial action during May of that year at ITV, the commercial channel that aired the show, caused the last few episodes to be postponed until November. The second series pushed the style further in an experimental direction: where the first series had a lot of dialogue and "offstage" scenes, the second focused more on the music and fantasy sequences, with additional songs and musical interludes used to move the plot forward rather than relying on dialogue as the first had done. More sophisticated video effects were also used.
The show was a pioneer in that it was one of the first musical dramas in serial form and also featured all original songs and music. It was also unusual in portraying strong female central characters, and having an overtly feminist message. Some commentators have also pointed out that its format very much anticipates the age of the music video and MTV, being made at a time when the music video itself was in its infancy. The first series won a BAFTA Award in 1977 for Best Drama Series; Julie Covington was nominated for best actress, and Rod Stratfold and Alex Clarke were nominated for best design. The second series was nominated for seven BAFTA awards, winning two; for best lighting effects and for best camerawork in 1978.
The series first appeared in the United States in late 1976, when several episodes from series one were shown on New York City's WOR-TV as part of a "Thames on 9" programming week. Soon afterward, the first series was shown in the United States on public television and rapidly became a hit, especially in large metropolitan centres like New York and San Francisco. However, the second series was felt to be too "raunchy" for the sensibilities of a public television audience, especially as the first had received a lot of complaints from the public in areas outside the larger cities for its frank portrayal of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. As a result, the second series was not shown on US television until 12 years later.
Two albums of songs from the series were released. The first, named after the series, (1976), was released on Island Records in the UK and on Atlantic Records in the US in 1976. The second, covering the second series, was released on Polydor Records in both countries. Both albums were re-released on Virgin Records in 2000. The TV series is also available as a two-disc DVD set. The singles "Glenn Miller is Missing", "Sugar Mountain" (both on Island Records in 1976); and "O.K.?" (on Polydor Records in 1977) were released. The last of these became a hit and reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. In addition, the second album reached No.13.
Speaking in 1991, the three stars commented on the gruelling schedule while working on the series. They stated that for each episode they had to learn a minimum of five songs, as well as perform the dance routines and learn the script itself in a short period of time. Owing to this pressure, they were reluctant to do a third series, although they did say that they would like to do another series at that time, 15 years after the first. Covington said that they were paid £225 per episode.
Legal battle
An eight-week legal trial in 1982 led to a landmark ruling that Thames TV had used the idea pitched verbally a few years before the show was commissioned, by, among others, Annabel Leventon, author of The Real Rock Follies: The Great Girl Band Rip-Off of 1976. The claimants received substantial damages for breach of confidence.
The plot
First series
1. "The Show Business". 24 February 1976
Three struggling actresses (Covington, Lenska, Cornwell) decide to audition for a West End-style play called Broadway Annie, a nostalgic indulgence of its director. The show flops, despite a last-ditch effort by its producer to update it and make it raunchier. The three girls, who initially do not get along and have different personalities and backgrounds, are drawn together by their shared catastrophe. The musical director of the show, Huggins (Emlyn Price) tells them they should form a rock band, with him as manager and songwriter. After some convincing, they see the possibilities, and agree. Main songs: "Stairway", "Broadway Annie", "Blueberry Hill".
2. "The Little Ladies". 2 March 1976
The band forms and starts to rehearse. Huggins seeks some financial backing from contacts he knows, but very little is forthcoming. The episode explores the home lives and relationships of the three main characters, and the widespread disapproval they face from their boyfriends (and in Dee's case, her fellow commune members). The name "The Little Ladies" is meant to be ironic - the image the band tries to project is a feisty, no-nonsense female rock act. Main songs: "Little Ladies", "Daddy".
3. "The Road". 9 March 1976
The band goes on a tour playing pubs, clubs and dive bars around provincial Britain. The band is still raw and often fails to live up to its adopted image of no-nonsense rockers, but despite this the girls realise that playing in front of an audience gives them an incredible buzz, which makes all the travelling and lack of money worthwhile. It's not all plain sailing, as in some venues they receive a very hostile reception. During this time, Anna has a brief affair with Huggins, Q meets Nigel (James Warwick), a freelance rock journalist, and Dee has an admirer in the form of Dave (Christopher Neil), an audience member who starts to follow the band. Main songs: "On the Road", "Good Behaviour", "Lamplight".
4. "The Talking Pictures". 16 March 1976
After touring comes to an end, little progress has been made. The girls' various affairs create significant fallout with their established partners, and a fair amount of hypocrisy on their partners' parts is exposed. Finances are all but gone, so through a contact of Q's, the girls end up performing in a softcore porn film. In the meantime, Q's partner Carl (Michael J. Shannon) has gone through a huge transformation from lazy layabout to cutthroat businessman; this is due to his meeting a Greek entrepreneur, Stavros (Michael Angelis), who has decided to manufacture his surfboard design. Carl talks the girls into meeting Stavros, who he thinks may be the answer to their financial problems. Anna's boyfriend Jack (Stephen Moore) is discovered in bed with one of Dee's commune girls; Anna throws him out, and he joins the commune. Main songs: "Talking Pictures", "Hot Neon", "Sugar Mountain".
Second series
1. "The Band Who Wouldn't Die". 4 May 1977
The band are on another pub tour, this time without any manager. Harry Moon (Derek Thompson), a fan and songwriter, becomes the band's new musical driving force—although now the girls are writing many of their own songs too. To make ends meet, they do a musical commercial for a range of frozen foods called "Wonder Woman", whose brand image is that of female liberation—though this comes in the consumerist form of microwave ready meals. Moon knows an established rock star called Stevie Streeter (Tim Curry), and arranges for the band to meet him with a view to becoming his support act. Streeter's act is described as "sub-Springsteen concept rock", but the reality is far worse. Streeter prevents the Little Ladies from getting any sound check or rehearsal time, resulting in their sounding abysmal on their opening tour night with Streeter. This turns out to be a standard tactic to avoid the support act from upstaging the main act. In the end, however, they manage to get their sound and act together on subsequent nights, and start to become a success. Streeter is worried that they are "taking his energy", and in a paranoid drunken rage, tries to kick them off the tour. His management, loud American Kitty Schreiber (Beth Porter) and David Maxwell (Gregory Floy), have other ideas, and after seeing the Little Ladies live, decide to sign them up as an act in their own right. Streeter is subsequently dropped, described dismissively by Schreiber: "that Jethro Tull concept crap was over five years ago". Schreiber signs the band to SM records on a standard new band contract which is far from generous. Main songs: "The Band Who Wouldn't Die", "Street Signs" (Streeter), "Struttin' Ground", "Wolf at the Door".
2. "The Empire". 11 May 1977
The newly signed band meet with Schreiber at a terrible concept restaurant called The Yankee-Doodle Club, where plans to record a single are discussed. Anna and Dee both write songs, but Dee's pop/rock song, "O.K.", is chosen over Anna's more literary effort. Thus begins a growing rivalry between the two friends. Meanwhile, Schreiber outlines her plans to her partner at SM records, revealing her boundless ambition. The band assemble at the distinctly low-rent Galaxy Studios in Camden Town to record the single, their first time in a recording studio. They are unfamiliar with the procedure and even the terminology - someone having to explain that "cans" mean headphones. Q is also terrified of the ordeal ahead. After the band lay down all their tracks, it is the girls' turn to perform the vocals. There are a lot of problems getting the sound level correct in "the cans", leading to an exasperating series of errors and mis-takes. In a clever sequence, as the girls finally get their act together, their private thoughts are revealed as alternative lyrics to the track they are recording. However, eventually it starts to come together and they begin to enjoy themselves. At the end of the session Anna and Q leave, and Dee is deliberately delayed. She is asked to re-record Anna's harmonies, since they feel she is the better singer. She doesn't like to betray her friend, but in the end reluctantly agrees. Nothing is said about this to Anna later. Anna is left to write the B-side, a song called "B-side", which she performs in a fantasy sequence on a huge 'SM records' logo. It is clear that the SM is meant to also indicate Servant/Master and Sadism/Masochism. Finally the single is ready, and they preview it; Anna gradually starts to notice that it is Dee doing the harmonies and not her, and begins to feel increasingly sidelined and betrayed. Main songs: "O.K.", "B-Side", "In My Cans".
Cast
Rula Lenska as Nancy "Q" Cunard de Longchamps (series 1 & 2)
Julie Covington as Devonia "Dee" Rhoades (series 1 & 2)
Charlotte Cornwell as Anna Wynd (series 1 & 2)
Sue Jones-Davies as Rox (singer with pub band Rox and Rawls, series 2)
Emlyn Price as Derek Huggins (manager and songwriter, series 1)
James Warwick as Nigel (freelance reporter for Rolling Stone, series 1)
Christopher Neil as Dave (lover of Dee and friend of Nigel, series 1)
Michael Angelis as Stavros (entrepreneur and club owner, series 1)
Vivienne Burgess as Mrs. Wynd (Anna's mother, series 1)
Angela Bruce as Gloria (member of Dee's commune, series 1)
Billy Murray as Spike (Dee's boyfriend and commune member, series 1 & 2)
Michael J. Shannon as Carl (Q's American boyfriend, series 1)
Stephen Moore as Jack (Anna's boyfriend, series 1)
Bill Stewart as Bob (commune member, series 1)
David Dixon as Rob Fury (record producer, series 1)
Simon Jones as Juan (pretentious waiter in restaurant/club, series 1)
Soundtrack albums
1976 Rock Follies (UK No. 1, AUS No. 9)
1977 Rock Follies of '77 (UK No. 13)
Stage adaptation
A musical based on the TV series was staged at the Minerva Theatre in Chichester, from 24 July to 26 August 2023, from a book by Chloe Moss and directed by Dominic Cooke. The cast comprises Samuel Barnett, Carly Bawden, Tamsin Carroll, Fred Haig and Zizi Strallen.
The creative team also includes Nigel Lilley as musical supervisor, arranger, and co-orchestrator, Toby Higgins as musical director and co-orchestrator. Carrie-Anne Ingrouille as choreographer, Vicki Mortimer as set designer, Kinnetia Isidore as costume designer, Paule Constable as Lighting designer, Ian Dickinson for Autograph as Sound designer.