Album Essentials: The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack (1975)

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

Pop culture is one crazy beast! It reflects as it creates and in many cases, ultimately represents a moment in time or an era. So many great films, records, books, television programs and so on are so deeply tied to the time frame from which they came, they are simply part of the landscape. Sometimes they transcend the years and remain a living, breathing creature, ready for ingestion by a generation yet to come. It seems that, given the 50 years since the Rocky Horror Show first appeared, it is one of those that continues to intrigue and entertain over time.

Perhaps because, though very much ot it's time (it really couldn't have been born in any decade other than the 1970s) it was also quite ahead of its time. A campy horror themed musical complete with sexual tension and freedom, a freak show where the freaks were the heroes, and a rolling and rocking soundtrack to make it all work. The film has inspired more than a few crossdressing adventures as well as the very definition of 'audience participation' which, if you've never been, is the complete experience. You can watch it on streaming, but who are you going to act it out with?

The genius behind this entire adventure was a guy named Richard O'Brian, who not only wrote the original stage play, but also the screenplay for the film and all the songs within. It was his vision and quite likely that singular vision is what made it all work.

As for the songs, at this point in history, it plays like some sort of greatest hits from another planet as the songs are so intertwined with the film and yet, composed, as they were, with classic, vintage pop and rock & roll as inspiration, they work as singular, stand-alone tracks as well. O'Brian assembled an interesting variety of musicians to make his songs come to life including drummer B.J. Wilson and Mick Grabham, both of Procol Harum fame, as well as keyboardist John 'Rabbit' Bundrick, known in part for his associaion with the Who.

Since it was a stage musical to start with, the actors sang the songs here as well, and while Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick might not spring to mind when it comes to vocal chops, it was all part of the story, plus, when you've got not only O'Brian but a pre-fame youngster known simply as Meatloaf and the mighty Tim Curry in the lead as Dr. Frank N. Furter, it is hard to think of it in any other way.

Curry's commanding vocal on 'Sweet Transvestite' alone is reason to revisit this soundtrack. Meatloaf's rev'd up take on a 50's rock and roll style on 'Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul' is another signature song that made it all hold together. The non-stop 'hits' continue through the film, and album, but it is, of course, 'The Time Warp' that is most associated with representing the whole ball o' wax. Sung by Richard O'Brian, it is a stomping three chord, traditional rocker that recalled the past while helping to invent the next chapter. The entire Rocky Horror Picture Show had a large influence on the burgeoning punk movement not only in fashion and attitude, but in this case, in song as well.

Funny to think that the original stage production was co-produced by music legend Lou Adler, best known for heading the Dunhill record label and introducing the Mamas and Papas, Grassroots and others to the world. He also co-produced the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and went on to establish Ode records, launching the solo career of Carole King among others. In addition to his production involvement, he helped liscene the music for the film thus ensuring a US release.

While neither the film nor the soundtrack were mega hits, their long running cult status has grown immeasurably over the years both in style and content. Though in 2024 it may seem like "what's the big deal" referring to a film with a transvestite scientist as the main character, but the entire premise was anything but mainstream in 1975. From 'Pink Flamingos' to 'Deep Throat' to 'Eraserheard' and 'Taxi Driver,' the 1970s were a massive anything goes when it came to films, and of course music, and 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' was right in the middle of all that holding a court all its own.

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