Side by Side

"There's something about a girl's earlobes that really turns me on!" That quote, spoken by one of the lavishly-side-burned, flared-collared and doubtless Watney's-drinking lad-about-town heroes of this celluloid time capsule, seems as good a place as any to start this review. But then again, I could have kicked things off with a mention of the Biba cosmetics factory, Terry-Thomas gleefully slumming it, the Rubettes rocking out, Stephanie De Sykes in the vocal booth, Fox doing their skewered-pop schtick, Mac and Katie Kissoon doing 'Sugar Candy Kisses', the marvellous Desmond Dekker singing 'The Israelites'...there's much to enjoy here, but to be brutally honest, you have to sit through a HUGE amount of crap in order to get to the priceless memory bank joggers. If a DVD of this glittery bauble of a glam cash-in flick is ever released, snap it up and prepare for an unexpectedly potent hit of nostalgia. If the Goodies, Suzi Quatro and the Hi-Karate girl (Valerie Leon) had made cameo appearances, this would have been perfect. Well, maybe not, but if Ken Russell had directed it...

This film is a reminder of the early days of glam rock. There are good performances by Barry Humphries (better known now as Dame Edna Everidge), and Terry Thomas as rival nightclub owners. Terry Thomas is the traditionalist, who prefers the 'old style' and is totally against these new fangled Glam Rock acts. He sets about spoiling things in his usual caddish manner. Barry Humphries sets off to London in order to sign up some quality acts. It is interesting to see cameo acts by stars of the era such as Fox, and Stephanie de Sykes. All in all a little weak and dated now, but an enjoyable trip down memory lane.

The actual quote is "There's something about a girl's neck that really turns me on!" It is spoken by Billy Boyle to Stephanie De Sykes when she takes him back to her flat to watch the sublime Noosha Fox (a.k.a. Susan Traynor) and the eponymous band warble "Imagine Me Imagine You" and a year before Fox's S-S-Single Bed. A Marlene Dietrich for the pineapple and cheese on a stick cocktail generation.

Any film featuring a blacked up Barry Humphreys and The Rubettes is fine by me. A great double bill of early to mid seventies nostalgia would be to watch this with Never To Young To Rock, another celluloid wallow in Glam Rock with Dave Mount, a bewildered looking Freddie Jones and Peter "seperated at birth from Mud's Rob Davies" Denyer. Please Sir can I have some more?

Best watched through the dimpled meniscus of a pint jug filled from a Watneys Party Seven and some Golden Wonder Cheese And Onion crisps.