Was the Johnny B. Goode scene from Back to The Future inspired from Top Secret?
Maybe it's just me, but I was watching Top Secret for the first time today, and I realized that the scene where Nick (Val Kilmer) sings Tutti Frutti by Little Richard felt a lot similar to the scene in Back to The Future where Marty (Michael J. Fox) sings Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry.
- In both movies, neither character was supposed to be singing
- Both songs were written by African Americans in the late 1950's
- Both songs were written in the future compared to the time the scenes were set in (the scene from Back to The Future was set in 1955, and as far as I can tell Top Secret was set during WWII)
- Both songs were clearly unexpected by both the listeners and the band
- Most of the listeners in both movies gradually liked the song more and more (except until the end in Back to The Future)
- Both movies had a lot of focus on a red electric guitar at the end of the song
- Possible similarity: In Back to The Future, Marty tells the band "this is a blues riff in 'B'," and in Top Secret, Nick also tells the band something, but I couldn't make out what he said.
My first thought was that since Top Secret is a parody film, that they got the idea from Back to The Future, but according to IMDB, Top Secret was released a year before Back to The Future.
So, my question is: did the makers of Back to The Future get the idea from Top Secret? Is it possible that the makers of Top Secret got the idea from Back to The Future before it was released? or are the similarities I see between to the two scenes merely coincidental?
Best Answer
I think the similarities are coincidental.
The Johnny B. Goode scene ties directly back to the start of the film, where Marty is auditioning for the school program, and his band is rejected for being "too loud." In talking about the filming of the scene, Michael J. Fox says, "My favorite part of the original Back to the Future, filmed in 1985, was the Johnny B. Goode sequence during the “Enchantment Under the Sea” dance. As a frustrated musician, I was in my glory, learning the guitar chords and lead solo arrangements, as well as working with a choreographer to mimic and incorporate into the production number the signature styles and stage moves of my rock and roll heroes.” (Lucky Man: A Memoir, p, 144)
Top Secret was actually a parody of Elvis films (imdb, Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes), so it had a different inspiration.
Pictures about "Was the Johnny B. Goode scene from Back to The Future inspired from Top Secret?"
What version of Johnny B. Goode is in Back to the Future?
Goode" was actually composed and first performed by Chuck Berry in March 1958. Michael J. Fox's performance of the song is one of the signature moments of Back to the Future. Marty's singing was dubbed by Mark Campbell.Who actually performed Johnny B. Goode in Back to the Future?
For adults of a certain age, Michael J. Fox's electric guitar performance of Johnny B. Goode in 1985's Back to the Future \u2013 a scene in which he accidentally invents rock 'n' roll by playing the song to a crowd of high schoolers in 1955 \u2013 is as iconic as the actual Chuck Berry recording itself.Is Michael J Fox really singing Johnny B. Goode in Back to the Future?
Easily becoming one of the more memorable moments in Back to the Future. So now why are we to believe Michael J Fox did actually sing or play it? The answer is that is not his voice, but he did have extensive guitar lessons to learn how to play Johnny B. Goode so that it would come across as authentic as possible!Did Marty actually play the guitar in Back to the Future?
Something that wasn't very \u201ctrue\u201d about the scene, however, is the guitar McFly is using. He is, in fact, playing a Gibson ES-345, which wouldn't be introduced until 1958. The scene is set in 1955.Johnny B. Goode - Back to the Future (9/10) Movie CLIP (1985) HD
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Images: Corinna Widmer, James Owen, Pok Rie, Ryan Fatalla