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sodascouts
01-01-2006, 11:23 PM
I've never seen Almost Famous, but I was reading an article where they say the Hammond character is based mostly on Glenn Frey. Anybody who's seen the movie want to tell me what about that character is reminiscent of Glenn?


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http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/glennfreyonline/avatars/glennbanner.jpg

Z
01-02-2006, 12:40 AM
I saw the movie, but didn't realize that was who it was loosely based on. I'll have to see it again and watch more closely. Where did you see that article, soda?

sodascouts
01-02-2006, 01:01 AM
I came across it in a roundabout way. I was reading a review of a show starring Jason Lee, and they mentioned he was in Almost Famous, which featured a character based mostly on Glenn Frey. Of course I perked up and did a Google search. I discovered it was the character of Russell Hammond played by Crudup that was based on Glenn Frey at least in part. Here's what Crowe said in one interview I found:

"There's a lot of Glenn Frey [of the Eagles] in Russell, but there's bits of every person who felt like a role model of cool, hung out with me, made me feel like a part of the circus. I always liked the ones who would say, Hey man, write what you see, I trust you. But implicit in that was, Make us look cool. Which Glenn Frey actually said to me."

- from "The Uncool: Cameron Crowe Discusses the Making of Almost Famous." (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1069/is_5_36/ai_65643706/pg_2)



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http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/glennfreyonline/avatars/glennbanner.jpg

sodascouts
01-02-2006, 01:38 AM
Ooh, found a better one - an interview of Cameron Crowe by Rolling Stone:


Who is Russell Hammond, really?


I saw Glenn Frey at a dinner party recently, and I realized that so much of Russell is Glenn. He was the coolest guy I had ever met in 1972. I was backstage at a concert interviewing everybody - the Eagles, King Crimson, Ballin' Jack, Chaka Khan. In the Eagles' dressing room, everyone's talking about Glenn - the one guy who isn't there. He's out looking for babes. Everyone's like, "The thing about Glenn," "Oh, one time Glenn and I..." And then, like a one-act play, Glenn appears. He walks in a little buzzed, he's got a long-neck Bud, and he's like, "How ya doing'?" Just classic. That whole thing of "Tonight, friends - tomorrow, the interview" was him. And there's one line he really did say to me: "Look, just make us look cool." He was also the first guy who told me about crafting a buzz long before I could ever enact it.


The recipe, please.


OK. He's like, "If you want to craft a buzz correctly, you walk into a party, you drink two beers quickly. Then you drink a beer every hour and fifteen minutes after that. You'll always have a buzz and you'll never get too embarrassing." I was like, "Uh... yeah, I know that." Meanwhile, I'm furiously writing it down.



- from "A Boy's Life" (http://www.cameroncroweonline.com/press/famous/rollingstone.htm)




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http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/glennfreyonline/avatars/glennbanner.jpg

Molly
01-02-2006, 07:56 PM
The most obvious thing that will make you think of Glenn is a physical resemblence - similar hair, big mustache (but then again so many rock stars had a similar look).


There are Eagles references throughout the movie. There is a Glyn Johns reference. I've read the manager (played by Jimmy Fallon) is loosely based on Irving.


If you go into the movie looking for similarities (which I did since I had read the articles you referenced, soda, before I saw the movie) you probably can find them.


Russell is certainly a charmer - but he has a lot of character flaws. Not always such a great guy. I confess, I did want to be the Kate Hudson character after I saw the movie, though!

Ive always been a dreamer
01-03-2006, 01:45 AM
Hi all - First of all, it's great to be back home and I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Personally, I love this movie. I think it very much captures the 70's - the good, the bad, and the ugly, as they say. I watched it a couple of times before I ever read those quotes from Cameron Crowe. Of course, after reading what Cameron said about Glenn, I have gone back and studied it very closely numerous times. :) The physical resemblance is definately there. The article also mentions that the "tonight friends" thing was Glenn. Then, there is the scene that simulates the Eagles poker games. Another uncanny resemblance is the management change - the "David Geffen-like" character to the "Irving-like" character.


My guess is that the Russell Hammond character is probably very much a profile of Glenn in the '70's (as well as many other rock stars). Most of the character flaws were just a sign of the times - but deep down, Russell is a good, decent, and caring person.


~~~~~~

I'm just a hired hand working on the dreams I plan to try. The days go by...

sodascouts
01-03-2006, 04:14 AM
OK, just finished. Clever movie. And considering that despite all of Russell's flaws, he still seems like the coolest guy in the room... I can definitely see that as Glenn-like! BTW, did you guys see that Peter Frampton is billed as a technical consultant? For some reason that strikes me as funny!


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http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/glennfreyonline/avatars/glennbanner.jpg

glenneaglesfan
01-03-2006, 09:32 AM
I haven't seen this film but will look out for it now.

This made me chuckle!


OK. He's like, "If you want to craft a buzz correctly, you walk into a party, you drink two beers quickly. Then you drink a beer every hour and fifteen minutes after that. You'll always have a buzz and you'll never get too embarrassing."


Just beer, Glenn? ;)


~~~

This way to happiness...

Ive always been a dreamer
01-03-2006, 08:55 PM
Soda - Peter Frampton also has a cameo in the movie - it's the poker game scene. He is the blonde-headed "Humble Pie" guy that wins Penny Lane from Russell.


And Kate - of course - just beer for Glenn! What else did you have in mind???? http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/eek.gif


~~~~~~

I'm just a hired hand working on the dreams I plan to try. The days go by...

Molly
01-03-2006, 08:56 PM
He's a smart man, that's all that he would admit to "the enemy" (that's how they refer to reporters in the movie).

The Disco Strangler
12-23-2011, 12:40 PM
Sorry to dig up an old thread but I just found out this bit of trivia finally LOL. I just think that is so cool Cameron based Russell on Glenn. I saw the movie a few years ago. Now I wanna watch again.

EaglesFanatic
12-23-2011, 02:28 PM
It's funny you bring this thread up, Disco Strangler... I was planning on watching Almost Famous tonight! I've never actually seen the movie before, so I'll have to keep that bit of trivia in mind as I watch :nod:

Brooke
12-23-2011, 05:36 PM
Gosh, I can't believe you haven't seen this! Enjoy!

Freypower
12-23-2011, 06:32 PM
I bought it months ago. I still haven't watched it!

The Disco Strangler
12-23-2011, 07:14 PM
It's funny you bring this thread up, Disco Strangler... I was planning on watching Almost Famous tonight! I've never actually seen the movie before, so I'll have to keep that bit of trivia in mind as I watch :nod:

I know. Now I'll be seeing Glenn as the star instead of Billy Cruddup LOL.

Ive always been a dreamer
12-26-2011, 07:47 PM
It'll be interesting to hear some of the comments from those who are going to watch this movie for the first time. I love the movie - I may even pop it in the DVD player again soon myself when I get a couple of free hours. I loved the movie even before I learned that Russell was based on Glenn, but it was especially interesting to watch it again after reading Cameron Crowe's comments. :wink:

EaglesFanatic
12-26-2011, 09:03 PM
I absolutely loved the movie. It had such a captivating story line, and the characters were great. I wish there were more films like Almost Famous, and if there were, I'd watch them in a heartbeat! ...I definitely got the Glenn vibe from Billy Crudup's character.

Glennhoney
12-26-2011, 10:32 PM
I also loved this movie..and could definately get the "Glenn vibe"..hope you'll enjoy it as well.

Topkat
12-27-2011, 09:21 AM
I saw the movie when it came out, & haven't seen it in a long time. When I saw it I didn't really relate this character to Glenn, but it seemed to be a combination of several famous rockers. I was planning to watch this movie again anyway, so I will look more closely for the Glenn in the character.

Brooke
12-27-2011, 11:09 AM
I loved it and definitely got the Glenn vibe. :thumbsup:

Glennsallnighter
12-27-2011, 02:43 PM
I haven't seen it. Is it still available to buy does anybody know?

Topkat
12-27-2011, 03:36 PM
You can still order it on Amazon.com

sodascouts
12-29-2011, 12:02 PM
Yes, it's still readily available.

Here's the normal version:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Almost-Famous-DVD/dp/B000C4ETDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325174534&sr=8-1

There also seems to be a director's cut. I might have to look into that!

Glennsallnighter
12-29-2011, 12:22 PM
Thanks Soda and TK. I'll definitely have a look into it.

Ive always been a dreamer
12-29-2011, 05:20 PM
Yep GA - you definitely need to check it out. All this talk has made me want to watch it again. I think I'll try to watch it over the weekend!

GlennLover
12-29-2011, 07:45 PM
I've never seen it either. I see that Amazon.ca lists a bootleg director's cut, but only used ones from other sellers. They range from $36 to $115! I think I'll try for one around $40.00 that ships from inside Canada.

tbsfan
12-30-2011, 06:27 PM
Yes, it's still readily available.

Here's the normal version:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Almost-Famous-DVD/dp/B000C4ETDI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325174534&sr=8-1

There also seems to be a director's cut. I might have to look into that!

I bought the director's cut several years ago. It also included a disc of the original theatrical version and a Stillwater CD. The director's cut gives you 35 additional minutes, and I highly recommend it for any fan of the movie.

Topkat
12-31-2011, 09:21 AM
I ordered the directors cut last week because I wanted to see it again & I thought it would be cool to see the directors cut. I should get it next week!

GlennLover
01-01-2012, 03:52 PM
I saw one copy of the regular version in Future Shop on Friday for $12.99 but they were so busy I didn't have time to stand in line to buy it. Harold says he saw it in Bluray in Walmart so I think I'll try those sources before I order it.

Thirsty&Hot
03-06-2013, 10:50 PM
OK, just finished. Clever movie. And considering that despite all of Russell's flaws, he still seems like the coolest guy in the room... I can definitely see that as Glenn-like! BTW, did you guys see that Peter Frampton is billed as a technical consultant? For some reason that strikes me as funny!


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http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b141/glennfreyonline/avatars/glennbanner.jpg


yeah Peter Frampton actually wrote the Stillwater songs that are played in the movie as well.

Thirsty&Hot
03-06-2013, 10:57 PM
I have loved Almost Famous since I saw it when it first came out...but I never knew until last week or so that Russell Hammond was based on Glenn!
and so I rewatched my Almost Famous dvd of course!

right on..I see it..and I've read that same cameron crowe article that was quoted earlier.
I love Glenn's little tip for keeping a buzz!

a screenshot I took from Almost Famous:
http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com/550x/8e/df/1e/8edf1e665623f904e5edf72134253a4f.jpg
Russell Hammond or Glenn Frey?

Outlawman13
03-11-2013, 11:41 PM
Wow!!!! I had no idea that the movie was based on Glenn Frey. I haven't seen that movie in a long time and may need to watch it once again. Tiffany, that screenshot does look like Glenn from behind. I wonder when it is on tv again.

Thirsty&Hot
03-12-2013, 04:28 PM
Wow!!!! I had no idea that the movie was based on Glenn Frey. I haven't seen that movie in a long time and may need to watch it once again. Tiffany, that screenshot does look like Glenn from behind. I wonder when it is on tv again.

well it was on today! haha my tivo automatically recorded it under tivo suggestions.
upcoming showings:
sat 3/16 11pm hboz
mon 3/18 11.25am & 11.40pm hbo2
there are more showings too all on one of the hbo's

AftertheThrill
03-12-2013, 05:11 PM
If you have the Untitled version on DVD, you can listen to Cameron talk about the movie and he has several Glenn tidbits. The version of poker that they are playing in the movie is Eagle poker. (That Glenn invited in 1947, the year before he was born).

Freypower
03-12-2013, 05:18 PM
Wow!!!! I had no idea that the movie was based on Glenn Frey. I haven't seen that movie in a long time and may need to watch it once again. Tiffany, that screenshot does look like Glenn from behind. I wonder when it is on tv again.

One character is based on him, not the entire film.

Outlawman13
03-12-2013, 07:00 PM
well it was on today! haha my tivo automatically recorded it under tivo suggestions.
upcoming showings:
sat 3/16 11pm hboz
mon 3/18 11.25am & 11.40pm hbo2
there are more showings too all on one of the hbo's

You are just too awesome Tiffany. I will have to record it!!!! I'm going to right now so I won't forget. Sucks that I missed the first showing. LOL I ment the character was based on Glenn. I got carried away in LaLa land. LOL. The things I'm learning from this board. Awesome

Thirsty&Hot
03-12-2013, 08:15 PM
If you have the Untitled version on DVD, you can listen to Cameron talk about the movie and he has several Glenn tidbits. The version of poker that they are playing in the movie is Eagle poker. (That Glenn invited in 1947, the year before he was born).

yeahh i think I knew that about the Eagle poker. I have the extended edition bluray but for some reason it has no special features like that! :( it has a featurette and a lester bangs interview. i think my friend has that editon you're talking about though! I'll have to borrow it!

and that was so cute that scene where Glenn talks about the Eagle poker!
he's so hot :smitten:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/songbirdreleased/Eagles%20etc/tumblr_miwysfRbRZ1r04bgzo1_r1_250_zpsd0f10174.gif

sodascouts
03-12-2013, 10:25 PM
If you have the Untitled version on DVD, you can listen to Cameron talk about the movie and he has several Glenn tidbits. The version of poker that they are playing in the movie is Eagle poker. (That Glenn invited in 1947, the year before he was born).

Hmm! I might have to get this version!

Outlawman13
03-12-2013, 10:59 PM
I just ordered the bootleg and I hope I get to see the little "Glenn" snipits. I think I love this movie more since I know one of the characters is inspired by Glenn. LOL ohhhh yes. Glenn is just smoking hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! His little voice just makes me swoon. MMMMMMMMM. Anywho Glenn really does inspire so many people.

GlennLover
03-12-2013, 11:28 PM
I have the version with the bonus commentary by Cameron Crowe. I listened to that right away after I bought it, but I haven't watched the movie yet. They show scenes from the movie throughout his commentary so I got a good feel for what the movie is like. It is interesting. I especially enjoyed hearing that Cameron thought of Glenn as a big brother!

Outlawman13
03-12-2013, 11:36 PM
OHHH that is just too awesome. Now I know I want to see the commentary!!!!!!!!! Hurry up dvd. LOL. Awww thinking of Glenn as a big brother. I love that.

Thirsty&Hot
03-13-2013, 10:45 PM
Glenn Frey
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/songbirdreleased/Eagles%20etc/GlennFrey2_zpse1a12cff.jpg

Russell Hammond
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/songbirdreleased/Eagles%20etc/russellhammondglennfrey_zps23d2b67d.jpeg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/songbirdreleased/Eagles%20etc/russellhammondglennfreypennylane_zps335d39e8.jpg

Eagle Poker!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/songbirdreleased/Eagles%20etc/eaglepokerglennfreyrussellhammond_zps3c0b25f5.jpg

Outlawman13
03-13-2013, 10:56 PM
Man he looks so much like Glenn!!!! From that amazing hair down to his white shirt. OHHH be still my heart. MMMMM man you are torturing me. LOL.

SteveJoburg
03-14-2013, 10:29 AM
Almost Famous was one of the first movies I bought on Blu Ray... Especially as its a longer version than was shown at cinemas... Brilliant movie...

AEW21
03-28-2013, 02:18 PM
Another former staffer at Rolling Stone (who admits she made Crowe cry, much as his character does in the film), remembers that people were envious of the wunderkind because "he got such incredible access." So much access, that rock icons think of Crowe as family. "He was like a little brother" says Glenn Frey of the Eagles. "You wanted to put your arm around him and say, 'Kid, this is rock and roll.' " Most of all, Crowe is remembered for blending in, the best kind of journalist. "Cameron didn't say a lot," recalls Frey.
From Newsweek, 2000 (http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2000/09/08/almost-autobiographical.html)

I was going to start another thread of Glenn and Cameron, but this is jut a good place as any....I just think the lasting bond between the two is very sweet. Cameron first interviewed them in '72, when he was about 15 and Glenn was 23/24, so I can see how the big/little brother bond began. He interviewed them pretty consistently throughout the decade, and did the liner notes and interview with Don/Glenn in 2003, so there's been a listing tie between CC and the band. (The band, as solo members, contributed a lot of tracks to Cameron's first screenplay made into a film, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High, too.) Cameron's website, the uncool.com, has transcripts of all this Eagles writings over the years...

I just wonder what it was like when Cameron had to direct Glenn in that small cameo in Jerry Maguire. Did Glenn ever envision that the scruffy teenager he befriended 30 years earlier would be a great Hollywood director, and one be the "boss" of him, so to speak, on a movie set? ;) What was the dynamic? And then the loose tribute through the Russell Hammond character in AF--I'd just love to know the particulars of their bond throughout the decades, and Glenn's reaction to AF...? I don't know, maybe I'm just sappy, but I adore that happenstance that threw the two together 40 years ago has endured.


Part of me is sad Cameron wasn't part of the documentary--he's helmed a few rock docs before, and who has better insight into the band in the 70s? I wonder though if Cameron is considered at this point to be "too close" to the band, and they wanted someone more objective? Would have been nice to perhaps have an interview with him in the doc, though....

sodascouts
03-29-2013, 04:23 PM
Definitely a cool bond between them! I never even realized Cameron Crowe had once worked for Rolling Stone before I became an Eagles fan. I first heard of him in conjunction with Jerry Maguire, and at the time I didn't even know that was Glenn Frey playing the team owner.

As far as his participation in the doc - I would've loved to have seen some interviews from him as well, but who knows what factors play into such things. I mean, they sat down with Stevie Nicks and only used like 20 seconds!

AEW21
03-30-2013, 03:22 PM
Cameron reminicing in 2000 Rolling Stone:



Who is Russell Hammond, really?
I saw Glenn Frey at a dinner party recently, and I realized that so much of Russell is Glenn. He was the coolest guy I had ever met in 1972. I was backstage at a concert interviewing everybody – the Eagles, King Crimson, Ballin’ Jack, Chaka Khan. In the Eagles’ dressing room, everyone’s talking about Glenn – the one guy who isn’t there. He’s out looking for babes. Everyone’s like, “The thing about Glenn,” “Oh, one time Glenn and I…” And then, like a one-act play, Glenn appears. He walks in a little buzzed, he’s got al long-neck Bud, and he’s like, “How ya doing’?” Just classic. That whole thing of “Tonight, friends – tomorrow, the interview” was him. And there’s one line he really did say to me: “Look, just make us look cool.” He was also the first guy who told me about crafting a buzz long before I could ever enact it.
The recipe, please.
OK. He’s like, “If you want to craft a buzz correctly, you walk into a party, you drink two beers quickly. Then you drink a beer every hour and fifteen minutes after that. You’ll always have a buzz and you’ll never get too embarrassing.” I was like, “Uh… yeah, I know that.” Meanwhile, I’m furiously writing it down.
SOURCE (http://www.theuncool.com/press/almost-famous-rolling-stone/)

Thirsty&Hot
03-31-2013, 02:10 PM
I was playing my Fast Times at Ridgemont High vinyl the other day and I noticed that...the solo Eagles all over it. I hadn't really noticed that when I first got it. I love that movie too...I had forgotten that CC made it...no wonder!

Thirsty&Hot
03-31-2013, 02:11 PM
Cameron reminicing in 2000 Rolling Stone:


SOURCE (http://www.theuncool.com/press/almost-famous-rolling-stone/)

I've read this before..I adore this quote.
and Glenn's "crafting a buzz" recipe is so cool haha. I love that...if only I had heard this before I went to college!

Freypower
03-31-2013, 10:28 PM
I was playing my Fast Times at Ridgemont High vinyl the other day and I noticed that...the solo Eagles all over it. I hadn't really noticed that when I first got it. I love that movie too...I had forgotten that CC made it...no wonder!

Glenn is conspicuous by his absence from the Ridgemont High soundtrack.

AEW21
03-31-2013, 10:51 PM
I wonder if that's less because of an issue 'tween him and Cameron, and more between him and the other guys--"They're particpating with solo stuff? Then not me..."?

Thirsty&Hot
03-31-2013, 11:23 PM
Or maybe also because he didn't have a song that fit the movie soundtrack. I dunno if that's true... But just a consideration

Freypower
04-01-2013, 12:10 AM
My belief is that he deliberately avoided it. Of course it is possible that he wasn't asked.

AEW21
04-01-2013, 01:06 PM
And didn't Irving produce Fast Times, or at least the OST?

He's worked with Cameron a few times since, think they see each other socially, and they did ask him to do the linger notes for Very Best Of... In 2003, so I have a hard time thinking there was a personal issue 'tween Cameron and Don. Maybe he ddijn't have a song to offer or maybe it was to avoid any lingering Eagles-esque association so relatively close to the break-up...? Who knows.

A Don/Russell photoset on Tumblr (http://camewiththeframe.tumblr.com/post/46804131563/another-former-staffer-at-rolling-stone-who)


ASPEN TIMES: Felder has also figured in two memorable movies. In “Jerry Maguire,” he played the penny-pinching boss who inspired the “Show me the money!” scene. And Felder was a key inspiration for the character Russell Hammond, the star guitarist in Cameron Crowe’s rock drama, “Almost Famous.” As legend has it, it was Felder who uttered the true-life line, to the young reporter Crowe, “Just make us look good [cool].”

“I’m sure it was me,” Felder said of the line. “I was young.”

ETA: That Felder-into-Felder thing is freaking me out! ;)

Outlawman13
04-01-2013, 01:34 PM
I had no idea that Almost Famous was based on a true story though. LOL I feel like I was the only one who didn't know that G l e n n knew Cameron Crowe!!!!!! It's so amazing hearing him talk on the bootlegs and actually knowing what went on. LOL. Too awesome.

Topkat
04-01-2013, 02:27 PM
Rolling Stone: Who is Russell Hammond, really?
Cameron Crowe:I saw G L E N N F R E Y at a dinner party recently, and I realized that so much of Russell is G L E N N. He was the coolest guy I had ever met in 1972. I was backstage at a concert interviewing everybody – the Eagles, King Crimson, Ballin’ Jack, Chaka Khan.


From this line, it sounds like he didn't write the role with G L E N N in mind, just that it came to him later on that he was a lot like G L E N N

Cameron Crowe's first road trip was with the Allman Brothers, not the Eagles, so it is based on a true story, but the band was a combination of many of the bands out there in the early 70's.

WTH? When you type in G L E N N's name it comes up as Don Felder??

Ive always been a dreamer
04-01-2013, 08:44 PM
Wow - I had a week from hell at work last week and wasn't able to post. So I'm way behind on this thread and I have a lot to say. :wink: First of all, AEW I hadn't thought about it until you mentioned it here, but I'm surprised they didn't interview Cameron as well. I guess it's possible that he was interviewed and they decided not to use it, but that's doubtful to me. I would have loved to hear his thoughts about the band.

With regard to G l e n n not appearing on the Ridgemont High soundtrack, I tend to agree with FP that it was probably by his choice. He probably wasn't comfortable associating his name with the other band members at that point because it could have sparked all the 'when are the Eagles going to get back together' speculation. Also, he wasn't under Irving's management at the time.

Now, as far as Almost Famous, I have said many times how much I love the movie. The film isn't based on a true story, but, as Topkat said, is a composite of Cameron's experiences with many of the bands he met and interviewed back in the day. I think it is a pretty accurate look at 70's rock stars. Cameron has said G l e n n was a key inspiration for the Russell Hammond character, but not the only one.

WalshFan88
04-01-2013, 08:47 PM
LOL, Dreamer, I have to laugh that we have to spell out G l e n n, lol. :hilarious:

Topkat
04-01-2013, 08:59 PM
With regard to G l e n n not appearing on the Ridgemont High soundtrack, I tend to agree with FP that it was probably by his choice. He probably wasn't comfortable associating his name with the other band members at that point because it could have sparked all the 'when are the Eagles going to get back together' speculation. Also, he wasn't under Irving's management at the time.

Now, as far as Almost Famous, I have said many times how much I love the movie. The film isn't based on a true story, but, as Topkat said, is a composite of Cameron's experiences with many of the bands he met and interviewed back in the day. I think it is a pretty accurate look at 70's rock stars. Cameron has said G l e n n was a key inspiration for the Russell Hammond character, but not the only one.

Why would you think G L E N N made the choice not to do a song for the movie FTARH? He doesn't pick out the music for the movie, the musical director does. Maybe there just wasn't a G L E N N song that fit into the story. I didn't even THINK of the EAGLES when I saw that movie or thought of an Eagles reunion. If they are all doing solo songs, why would people speculate about a reunion? I didn't even know who was singing the songs when I saw the movie.

As for Almost Famous, yes most of it is based on Cameron Crowe's own story, but the band was fictitious....From the line I quoted from him, he says that he realized the Russell character was a lot like G L E N N AFTERWARD, not while he was writing the movie, so it was not originally based on or written about G L E N N.

Freypower
04-01-2013, 09:48 PM
Why would you think G L E N N made the choice not to do a song for the movie FTARH? He doesn't pick out the music for the movie, the musical director does. Maybe there just wasn't a G L E N N song that fit into the story. I didn't even THINK of the EAGLES when I saw that movie or thought of an Eagles reunion. If they are all doing solo songs, why would people speculate about a reunion? I didn't even know who was singing the songs when I saw the movie.

As for Almost Famous, yes most of it is based on Cameron Crowe's own story, but the band was fictitious....From the line I quoted from him, he says that he realized the Russell character was a lot like G L E N N AFTERWARD, not while he was writing the movie, so it was not originally based on or written about G L E N N.

If you read Dreamer's post she said it COULD have sparked speculation. This view is as valid as just saying 'maybe it didn't'. And as I have said to you several times before, just because you didn't think about the possibility at the time does not mean that other people didn't.

Topkat
04-01-2013, 10:16 PM
Frankly, I only recognized Jackson Browne's song from the movie.I haven't seen it in a long time, but I never even knew that Don Felder, or Don Henley or even T I M O T H Y did songs for that movie... It is pretty strange that most of them have songs in it...J O E too!!!
What year was FTARH?? I'm guessing sometime in the 80's but I don't remember exactly.
I'm going to have to look for that soundtrack & listen to it again, now that I know they are all on it...Are any of the songs on any of their solo albums?

Freypower
04-01-2013, 10:34 PM
Frankly, I only recognized Jackson Browne's song from the movie.I haven't seen it in a long time, but I never even knew that Don Felder, or Don Henley or even T I M O T H Y did songs for that movie... It is pretty strange that most of them have songs in it...J O E too!!!
What year was FTARH?? I'm guessing sometime in the 80's but I don't remember exactly.
I'm going to have to look for that soundtrack & listen to it again, now that I know they are all on it...Are any of the songs on any of their solo albums?

It was released in 1982.

The only track from it by the solo Eagles which appears on any of their albums is Felder's song Never Surrender which appears on Airborne.

Ive always been a dreamer
04-02-2013, 07:45 PM
Why would you think G L E N N made the choice not to do a song for the movie FTARH? He doesn't pick out the music for the movie, the musical director does. Maybe there just wasn't a G L E N N song that fit into the story. I didn't even THINK of the EAGLES when I saw that movie or thought of an Eagles reunion. If they are all doing solo songs, why would people speculate about a reunion? I didn't even know who was singing the songs when I saw the movie.

I think I answered your questions in my first post, but for clarification – Glenn may not have been asked to contribute to the Ridgemont High project – none of us know the answer to that. As I said, Irving was not managing Glenn at the time, so it’s possible. But, since most other members were involved, it’s also possible that Glenn would have been asked. However, even if he had, I suspect that Glenn would not have wanted to be associated with the project. After the band broke up, there was constant conjecture and pressure for them to get back together. A joint appearance of any kind may have been all it took to refuel the speculation at the time.


As for Almost Famous, yes most of it is based on Cameron Crowe's own story, but the band was fictitious....

I believe when I said the film wasn’t based on a true story, that implies that it is fictitious.


From the line I quoted from him, he says that he realized the Russell character was a lot like G L E N N AFTERWARD, not while he was writing the movie, so it was not originally based on or written about G L E N N.

Seriously? :headscratch: What I and others have been saying is that Glenn was an inspiration for the Russell Hammond character. By your logic, then no one is ever an inspiration unless the author is aware of it first. By definition, Glenn (and anyone else) would have to be an inspiration BEFORE Cameron wrote the character, even if Cameron didn’t realize it until AFTERWARD.

Freypower
04-02-2013, 07:49 PM
I think I answered your questions in my first post, but for clarification – Glenn may not have been asked to contribute to the Ridgemont High project – none of us know the answer to that. As I said, Irving was not managing Glenn at the time, so it’s possible. But, since most other members were involved, it’s also possible that Glenn would have been asked. However, even if he had, I suspect that Glenn would not have wanted to be associated with the project. After the band broke up, there was constant conjecture and pressure for them to get back together. A joint appearance of any kind may have been all it took to refuel the speculation at the time.



Regarding the management issue the film was released in 1982 when Irving was still managing Glenn. No Fun Aloud was released by Asylum & Irving is mentioned by name (in All Those Lies). I didn't think Irving stopped managing Glenn until Glenn moved to MCA for The Allnighter.

Topkat
04-02-2013, 08:57 PM
Seriously? What I and others have been saying is that Glenn was an inspiration for the Russell Hammond character. By your logic, then no one is ever an inspiration unless the author is aware of it first. By definition, Glenn (and anyone else) would have to be an inspiration BEFORE Cameron wrote the character, even if Cameron didn’t realize it until AFTERWARD.

Yes, that would be my logic....To inspire something you would have to be aware of it.

sodascouts
04-02-2013, 09:04 PM
This is such a silly point to argue, Topkat. It's like you can't stand Glenn getting any kind of admiration! Cameron Crowe, by his own admission, deliberately used direct quotes from Glenn as dialogue for his character, yet you wish to insist that Glenn was in no way an inspiration for him?! It defies logic and frankly I'm not sure how to explain it to you any more clearly if you don't understand this.

VAisForEagleLovers
04-02-2013, 09:05 PM
I know for myself, I've often been inspired by someone and emulated them subconsciously. In writing and speaking, not even thinking about it until someone points it out later or I realize it myself later. I don't buy into the idea that you have to know it on a conscious level or it doesn't count.

VAisForEagleLovers
04-02-2013, 09:06 PM
This is such a silly point to argue, Topkat. It's like you can't stand Glenn getting any kind of admiration! Cameron Crowe, by his own admission, deliberately used direct quotes from Glenn as dialogue for his character, yet you wish to insist that Glenn was in no way an inspiration for him?! It defies logic and frankly I'm not sure how to explain it to you any more clearly if you don't understand this.

I agree.

Topkat
04-02-2013, 09:18 PM
This is such a silly point to argue, Topkat. It's like you can't stand Glenn getting any kind of admiration! Cameron Crowe, by his own admission, deliberately used direct quotes from Glenn as dialogue for his character, yet you wish to insist that Glenn was in no way an inspiration for him?! It defies logic and frankly I'm not sure how to explain it to you any more clearly if you don't understand this.

That's not true Soda... I didn't see where Crowe used quotes from Glenn in the dialogue.

I have the Directors Edition of the movie & he says nothing about Glenn in it. There is no mention of Glenn or the Eagles in it.

Ive always been a dreamer
04-02-2013, 09:24 PM
Regarding the management issue the film was released in 1982 when Irving was still managing Glenn. No Fun Aloud was released by Asylum & Irving is mentioned by name (in All Those Lies). I didn't think Irving stopped managing Glenn until Glenn moved to MCA for The Allnighter.

You are exactly right, FP - my bad! I was thinking that all of Glenn's solo records were released by MCA so I learned something new today. I had never realized that NFA was released by Asylum. Thanks for pointing this out. :thumbsup:

Freypower
04-02-2013, 09:27 PM
That's not true Soda... I didn't see where Crowe used quotes from Glenn in the dialogue.

I have the Directors Edition of the movie & he says nothing about Glenn in it. There is no mention of Glenn or the Eagles in it.
__________________



So Topkat, despite several interviews Crowe has done where he specifically refers to Glenn you still refuse to believe this? I will leave it to Soda to give the examples of the dialogue quotes.

This is from Soda's post at the beginning of the thread which refers to a Rolling Stone interview with Crowe.

Who is Russell Hammond, really?


I saw Glenn Frey at a dinner party recently, and I realized that so much of Russell is Glenn. He was the coolest guy I had ever met in 1972. I was backstage at a concert interviewing everybody - the Eagles, King Crimson, Ballin' Jack, Chaka Khan. In the Eagles' dressing room, everyone's talking about Glenn - the one guy who isn't there. He's out looking for babes. Everyone's like, "The thing about Glenn," "Oh, one time Glenn and I..." And then, like a one-act play, Glenn appears. He walks in a little buzzed, he's got a long-neck Bud, and he's like, "How ya doing'?" Just classic. That whole thing of "Tonight, friends - tomorrow, the interview" was him. And there's one line he really did say to me: "Look, just make us look cool." He was also the first guy who told me about crafting a buzz long before I could ever enact it.


The recipe, please.


OK. He's like, "If you want to craft a buzz correctly, you walk into a party, you drink two beers quickly. Then you drink a beer every hour and fifteen minutes after that. You'll always have a buzz and you'll never get too embarrassing." I was like, "Uh... yeah, I know that." Meanwhile, I'm furiously writing it down.



- from "A Boy's Life" (http://www.cameroncroweonline.com/press/famous/rollingstone.htm)

You know, this quotation has been posted in this thread TWICE, by AEW as well. Also, After The Thrill said she had a version of the movie where Glenn is mentioned. Oh, but it isn't the version YOU have.

I really don't care how much you dislike Glenn. I do care that when people have bent over backwards to prove something to you, you still have to dispute it, for no reason that I can see except that you will not give Glenn credit for anything or accept that he could possibly inspire someone.

Not only did he inspire Cameron Crowe, he inspires all his real fans, every single day.

And frankly, if you now come out & say 'Crowe doesn't actually say Russell Hammond is Glenn Frey there' you are clutching at straws.

Glennhoney
04-02-2013, 09:35 PM
That's not true Soda... I didn't see where Crowe used quotes from Glenn in the dialogue.

I have the Directors Edition of the movie & he says nothing about Glenn in it. There is no mention of Glenn or the Eagles in it.
__________________



So Topkat, despite several interviews Crowe has done where he specifically refers to Glenn you still refuse to believe this?

This is from Soda's post at the beginning of the thread which refers to a Rolling Stone interview with Crowe.

Who is Russell Hammond, really?


I saw Glenn Frey at a dinner party recently, and I realized that so much of Russell is Glenn. He was the coolest guy I had ever met in 1972. I was backstage at a concert interviewing everybody - the Eagles, King Crimson, Ballin' Jack, Chaka Khan. In the Eagles' dressing room, everyone's talking about Glenn - the one guy who isn't there. He's out looking for babes. Everyone's like, "The thing about Glenn," "Oh, one time Glenn and I..." And then, like a one-act play, Glenn appears. He walks in a little buzzed, he's got a long-neck Bud, and he's like, "How ya doing'?" Just classic. That whole thing of "Tonight, friends - tomorrow, the interview" was him. And there's one line he really did say to me: "Look, just make us look cool." He was also the first guy who told me about crafting a buzz long before I could ever enact it.


The recipe, please.


OK. He's like, "If you want to craft a buzz correctly, you walk into a party, you drink two beers quickly. Then you drink a beer every hour and fifteen minutes after that. You'll always have a buzz and you'll never get too embarrassing." I was like, "Uh... yeah, I know that." Meanwhile, I'm furiously writing it down.



- from "A Boy's Life" (http://www.cameroncroweonline.com/press/famous/rollingstone.htm)

You know, this quotation has been posted in this thread TWICE, by AEW as well.

I really don't care how much you dislike Glenn. I do care that when people have bent over backwards to prove something to you, you still have to dispute it, for no reason that I can see except that you will not give Glenn credit for anything or accept that he could possibly inspire someone.

Not only did he inspire Cameron Crowe, he inspires all his real fans, every single day.

And frankly, if you now come out & say 'Crowe doesn't actually say Russell Hammond is Glenn Frey there' you are clutching at straws.

lol...why are you NOT believing this?....It's nothing new....I guess I just don't understand why people dislike Glenn so much...same as why WE LIKE him SO MUCH....:shrug:

Topkat
04-02-2013, 09:45 PM
I do not dislike Glenn...All I said was that the character was not originally based on Glenn, but that Cameron later realized that it was inspired by him. I am not trying to diss Glenn here. The guy in the movie looks a bit like Glenn, so I think that brought on a lot of the comparisons to him.
The guy was a bit of a heel in the movie, so I don't see why you are all so upset over this....He wasn't really a nice guy, was he? I didn't think so.:???:
Like I said the Directors cut doesn't mention Glenn.

VAisForEagleLovers
04-02-2013, 09:52 PM
IMDB credits two of the lines in the film to Robert Plant, however, it starkly says that Russell Hammond is based on Glenn Frey.


The film is director Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical account of life as a young Rolling Stone reporter. The actual group that Crowe first toured with was The Allman Brothers Band. (Gregg Allman was the one who distrusted him and kept asking if he was a narc.) Crowe's real-life near-fatal plane crash happened while traveling with The Who. The character of Russell Hammond is based on Glenn Frey of Eagles.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181875/trivia

TCM (Turner Classic Movies) includes the fact that it Hammond is based on Glenn in its writeup of the movie.


Crowe surrogate Billy Miller (peach-fuzz-cheeked Patrick Fugit) spends a lot of time trying not to look wonderstruck. The fictionalized composite band to which he attaches himself, Stillwater, is an amalgam of Crowe's Rolling Stone subjects (The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac). Not that Almost Famous is a survey of rock 'n' roll. What gives the film its gravitational pull is its character-driven way of getting up close and personal, starting with the moth to whose flame young Billy is drawn: Billy Crudup's guitarist and driving force, Russell Hammond -- modeled, Crowe has said, on Glenn Frey of the Eagles.

He's a believable embodiment of the energies that created rock, a flawed but likeably unvarnished guy from Michigan who can't help pushing himself and others beyond their comfort zones.

http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article.html?isPreview=&id=339775%7C339796&name=Almost-Famous

That was a simple search on Google, there are many other search results from reputable sources.

VAisForEagleLovers
04-02-2013, 09:55 PM
I do not dislike Glenn...All I said was that the character was not originally based on Glenn, but that Cameron later realized that it was inspired by him. I am not trying to diss Glenn here. The guy in the movie looks a bit like Glenn, so I think that brought on a lot of the comparisons to him.
The guy was a bit of a heel in the movie, so I don't see why you are all so upset over this....He wasn't really a nice guy, was he? I didn't think so.:???:
Like I said the Directors cut doesn't mention Glenn.

Glenn was a real sweetheart at times. At other times he wasn't so nice, and he has been candid with that in recent interviews. Of course, the character was based on Glenn, and isn't totally Glenn. As I posted above, there is some of Robert Plant in the character and a few others as well, but when asked, Cameron has said he's based on Glenn.

sodascouts
04-02-2013, 10:23 PM
It mystifies me when people persist in arguing a point even after they have been presented with evidence refuting it.


That's not true Soda... I didn't see where Crowe used quotes from Glenn in the dialogue.

Topkat, I'm sure you didn't mean to imply that I was deliberately not being truthful, but there were already examples given in this very thread that have been quoted above. Perhaps you didn't read the interview fully or carefully, so I will lay them out here:

"Tonight friends - tomorrow the interview."

"Look, just make us look cool."

Those are both direct quotes from Glenn Frey.

Again, not sure how I can make this more clear... why do you want so badly for this not to be true? Like you said, it's not as if the character of Russell Hammond is a saint.

GlennLover
04-02-2013, 10:39 PM
On the version of "Almost Famous" that I have, which I believe is the Director's cut, Cameron Crowe stated that the character Of Russell Hammond was based on Glenn.

Thirsty&Hot
04-02-2013, 10:46 PM
There are multiple versions of Almost Famous out there. The one I own --the imported extended edition blu-ray --doesn't have the commentary track where Cameron talks about Glenn and the Eagles. So I rented the BOOTLEG edition just so I could take a look at the extra features including a commentary track where Cameron talks over the movie as you watch it. He only mentions Glenn a few different times, but unmistakably talks about the things that have already been quoted here...
"tonight friends, tomorrow the interview"
"just make us look cool"
and he talks about the Eagle poker and how he called Glenn up to ask him about how Eagle Poker worked again so he could do it right in the film.

and of course there's no denying Russell Hammond's resemblance to Glenn as I demonstrated in this thread with photos haha

but if you haven't seen the version of the movie with this commentary nor have you read articles where Cameron talks about it, then you wouldn't have known for sure.

Even though I've loved Almost Famous since it came out...(and the Eagles for as long as I can remember), it was only after my Glenn obsession ignited that it came to my attention that Russell was loosely based on Glenn.

Topkat
04-03-2013, 04:27 PM
I think you have all misunderstood me, & I'm sorry about all the confusion. I do believe that the character is loosely based on Glenn. The only thing I was mentioning was that from the way Cameron wrote this statement,(below)
That he realized later ( because he says that he saw Glenn recently )& that the character of Russell was based on him, but maybe not at the time that he actually wrote the movie.


I saw Glenn Frey at a dinner party recently, and I realized that so much of Russell is Glenn. He was the coolest guy I had ever met in 1972. I was backstage at a concert interviewing everybody - the Eagles, King Crimson, Ballin' Jack, Chaka Khan. In the Eagles' dressing room, everyone's talking about Glenn - the one guy who isn't there. He's out looking for babes. Everyone's like, "The thing about Glenn," "Oh, one time Glenn and I..." And then, like a one-act play, Glenn appears. He walks in a little buzzed, he's got a long-neck Bud, and he's like, "How ya doing'?" Just classic. That whole thing of "Tonight, friends - tomorrow, the interview" was him. And there's one line he really did say to me: "Look, just make us look cool." He was also the first guy who told me about crafting a buzz long before I could ever enact it.

VAisForEagleLovers
04-03-2013, 04:41 PM
I think you have all misunderstood me, & I'm sorry about all the confusion. I do believe that the character is loosely based on Glenn. The only thing I was mentioning was that from the way Cameron wrote this statement,(below)
That he realized later ( because he says that he saw Glenn recently )& that the character of Russell was based on him, but maybe not at the time that he actually wrote the movie.

I guess I did misunderstand. I thought you were saying that it couldn't be based on Glenn if he didn't know it on a conscious level at the time he wrote it.


Yes, that would be my logic....To inspire something you would have to be aware of it.

Given what all he said in other articles, I think he deliberately modeled some parts after Glenn (and other parts after guys like Robert Plant and others), then realized later there was a lot more of Glenn in the character than he'd intended to put in, but that's an opinion based on reading a lot of articles rather than something he said directly.

Topkat
04-03-2013, 04:51 PM
I guess I did misunderstand. I thought you were saying that it couldn't be based on Glenn if he didn't know it on a conscious level at the time he wrote it.



Given what all he said in other articles, I think he deliberately modeled some parts after Glenn (and other parts after guys like Robert Plant and others), then realized later there was a lot more of Glenn in the character than he'd intended to put in, but that's an opinion based on reading a lot of articles rather than something he said directly.

Yes, thanks, VA. That's more like what I meant...That maybe Russell was more like Glenn than he originally thought or even that he intended.

AEW21
04-03-2013, 09:51 PM
I wonder if Glenn has actually seen the movie? I'm guessing yes, but I suppose we don't know for sure. If yes, it must be a trip, seeing that era and atmosphere so lovingly recreated. Did he see hsi younger self in Russell, or not until people/reporters mentioned it, I wonder? He did that interview with Newsweek in 2000 where he talked about Cameron, so he must have had an inkling the Eagles' antics played into the film.

Also interesting coincidence that Russell Hammond is from Michigan. (Of course, all of Stillwater is from Michigan, so maybe that's more the case of Cameron just wanting to focus on a man/band with Midwestern roots facing the temptations of decidedly West Coast fame...)

Freypower
04-03-2013, 10:20 PM
I wonder if Glenn has actually seen the movie? I'm guessing yes, but I suppose we don't know for sure. If yes, it must be a trip, seeing that era and atmosphere so lovingly recreated. Did he see hsi younger self in Russell, or not until people/reporters mentioned it, I wonder? He did that interview with Newsweek in 2000 where he talked about Cameron, so he must have had an inkling the Eagles' antics played into the film.

Also interesting coincidence that Russell Hammond is from Michigan. (Of course, all of Stillwater is from Michigan, so maybe that's more the case of Cameron just wanting to focus on a man/band with Midwestern roots facing the temptations of decidedly West Coast fame...)

I have a photo of him at the premiere, so yes, he has seen it.

AEW21
04-03-2013, 10:30 PM
Really? Is it posted here on the board somewhere?

It has to be a trip--a kid who interviewed you back in the day, suddenly a Hollywood director, doing a version of the history you shared together. Of course, Cameron was never really a stereotypical "kid," so perhaps Glenn knew he was destined for bigger things than being RS's resisdent touring journalist.

Topkat
04-03-2013, 10:52 PM
Maybe another reason Cameron didn't mention Glenn in the beginning could be for legal reasons. I mean can you base a character on someone without their permission? or without them knowing about it?
That could be a touchy legal issue, if the character was so recognizable as Glenn?

RebeccaLovesEagles
04-04-2013, 01:42 AM
I am beginning to think I really need to see this movie after all the discussion :grin:

Brooke
04-04-2013, 10:16 AM
I am beginning to think I really need to see this movie after all the discussion :grin:

Most definitely! I loved it!

WalshFan88
04-04-2013, 10:20 AM
My favorite part of the movie is the "Tiny Dancer" scene. :D

Freypower
04-04-2013, 05:30 PM
Really? Is it posted here on the board somewhere?

It has to be a trip--a kid who interviewed you back in the day, suddenly a Hollywood director, doing a version of the history you shared together. Of course, Cameron was never really a stereotypical "kid," so perhaps Glenn knew he was destined for bigger things than being RS's resisdent touring journalist.

I will try & find it but now that I can't view my Photobucket stuff in file name order it won't be easy. They said this would be fixed by the end of March. Of course it wasn't.

ETA: Well, I have to apologise. The photo I have is of the Jerry Maguire premiere. I'm sorry for the confusion. :brickwall:

Ive always been a dreamer
04-04-2013, 07:36 PM
Well - I have to say I loved the movie the first time I saw it, and that was before I knew Glenn was an inspiration for Russell. Although, even then I did notice similarities. So it was just icing on the cake when I heard this. But, I mentioned this earlier, I didn't really see Russell as a bad person. He was a young self-centered rock star as many of them were back in the day. But, in the end, he definitely showed that he had some redeeming qualities. And Austin, I don't know if I have a favorite scene, but the Tiny Dancer scene is definitely a standout in the movie.

AEW21
04-10-2013, 01:32 AM
Off topic a bit, but Jerry Maguire, with Storynotes, is on AMC. Curious to see what they share when Glenn pops again...

UndertheWire
01-11-2014, 06:24 AM
I came across a double article about Cameron Crowe and a british rock journalist from that era. It was tied into the release of Almost Famous. It's not about the Eagles but it does a nice job of showing the contrast between the US and UK in the 1970s, which is something I've been struggling with.
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/oct/20/culture.features

Elizasong
01-11-2014, 10:43 AM
Very interesting

UndertheWire
01-11-2014, 12:01 PM
After those articles, I had to check out the Guardian review of the film. The reviewer found it a bit pallid, but I found this paragraph interesting

In a sense it's unfair to expect Almost Famous to serve up some kind of Hollywood Babylon expose: presumably not every 70s rocker was a wild-eyed, heroin-addicted monster pleading sympathy for the devil. Many, surely, were rather like the band members and groupies we see here: essentially well brought up middle-class kids who've grown their hair out a bit. Were it not for the Beatles, they'd probably all be working in law or medicine. Review (http://film.theguardian.com/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,,435480,00.html)

I think that Cameron Crowe wanted to show a band before they became monsters - when they were still hungry for success and before relatively unspoiled. He talks about 1973 being when it all changed and the corporations moved in - in this film when the new manager arrives to make his pitch and they start travelling by plane rather than the tour bus. Of course, the Eagles embraced the new manager and the party plane lifestyle whereas the movie Stillwater is back on the bus for 1974.

So what if Stllwater didn't make it? What would the band members be doing now?

NYC Fan
01-11-2014, 12:55 PM
I came across a double article about Cameron Crowe and a british rock journalist from that era. It was tied into the release of Almost Famous. It's not about the Eagles but it does a nice job of showing the contrast between the US and UK in the 1970s, which is something I've been struggling with.
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/oct/20/culture.features

Thank you for this. It was a very interesting read.

Loved the Almost Famous movie and liked reading how Cameron came to get into movies after being a rock journalist.

ktdids
06-14-2014, 01:04 AM
Just heard on news radio entertainment news that Cameron Crowe is prepping a show based on a touring rock band, with the roadies as the focal point in the show. It's probably going to be on cable, HBO maybe. Wonder if he's pitched a cameo appearance to Glenn?!

sodascouts
06-14-2014, 01:24 AM
Ooh - that would be cool!

UndertheWire
06-14-2014, 09:33 AM
There's a bit more on it here (http://www.slashfilm.com/cameron-crowe-tv-show/). If it's something along the lines of Entourage there could be opportunities for lots of cameos.

Ive always been a dreamer
06-14-2014, 11:57 AM
Well - it should be an interesting TV show. That last article mentioned Showtime as a possible network. Either way, I don't have HBO or Showtime so I guess I won't be tuning in.

VAisForEagleLovers
06-14-2014, 03:33 PM
I'm with you, Dreamer, but should any interesting cameos take place, I've very glad that DirecTV can turn it on in under five minutes, because I would then order it.

UndertheWire
08-10-2015, 09:34 AM
Interesting comment from Cameron Crowe.

"There's also a lot of the Eagles in there," says Crowe. "They craved the spotlight, saw it coming, got scared, ran from it, all that stuff."http://content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2056121,00.html

Is he right? Was it all of the band or just some of them? I know that Glenn was their frontman but even he seems to have been uncomfortable with interviews.

It occurs to me that if they had been more high profile, it would have increased the pressure and conflict and they wouldn't have lasted as long.

Funk 50
08-11-2015, 03:13 AM
I've just recently noticed that Cameron Crowe gets a "Special Thanks" on the sleeve of Joe's So What album. Cameron would have been 17 when the album was released.

NightMistBlue
08-11-2015, 12:29 PM
Reading this thread has made me want to see the film, even though I despise Kate Hudson and the "sing along on the bus" scene seemed cloyingly sentimental in the previews/commercials.

Supposedly, there is also a character in the film based on Randy but I don't see his name in the credits: Nearly Silent Ron something. Probably a bandmate of Russell's.

UndertheWire
08-11-2015, 02:57 PM
It's an enjoyable film and I liked Kate Hudson in it, even though I find her irritating in her rom-coms.

The drummer speaks once during the film but I don't want to spoil it. I don't think he's based on Randy other than his reluctance to speak in interviews.

Fleurette767
08-11-2015, 05:16 PM
and the "sing along on the bus" scene seemed cloyingly sentimental in the previews/commercials.

Agreed! The song Tiny Dancer was about a groupie ("band aide") if I recall. I want to say Pamela Des Barres. Anyway, despite the Eagles (and some at the time were stating Zepp) references, I was disappointed. It's really a rom-com set in the rock-and-roll world, ala Singles.

Freypower
08-11-2015, 05:55 PM
Agreed! The song Tiny Dancer was about a groupie ("band aide") if I recall. I want to say Pamela Des Barres. Anyway, despite the Eagles (and some at the time were stating Zepp) references, I was disappointed. It's really a rom-com set in the rock-and-roll world, ala Singles.

I thought it was about Bernie Taupin's then wife, Maxine.

jms18222
08-11-2015, 07:30 PM
I thought it was about Bernie Taupin's then wife, Maxine.

I recall that song being written for Maxine too. I just watched Almost Famous last week on Netflix.

Funk 50
08-12-2015, 04:59 AM
Agreed! The song Tiny Dancer was about a groupie ("band aide") if I recall. I want to say Pamela Des Barres. Anyway, despite the Eagles (and some at the time were stating Zepp) references, I was disappointed. It's really a rom-com set in the rock-and-roll world, ala Singles.


I thought the Tiny Dancer scene in the Almost Famous movie was about the band, all wanting to kill each other, rediscovering what brought them together and why they were in the music business.

Tiny Dancer was, for me, an obscure Elton John song until I saw that scene. I can'r believe a bus load of people would all know the words, even if they were working musicians.:)

Brooke
08-12-2015, 09:17 AM
Loved the movie and the song Tiny Dancer. My favorite Elton song!

Fleurette767
08-12-2015, 10:53 AM
Yeah, not sure where I read that the song was about a groupie or PDBarres but it seemed to be right when I then listened to the words but I'm no Bernie Taupin expert so not sure really.... On the Wiki for Tiny Dancer, it states that it's a misconception that the song was written for Maxine, but the song was dedicated to Maxine on the album. Anyway, I think maybe people made that connection because des Barres sewed shirts and other gifts for musicians she liked ("seamstress for the band") and she was a dancer of some sort with the GTOs, probably more like performance art than say ballet.

Anyway, yeah, the scene wasn't very subtle.

:angel: apologizing for taking this off topic :angel:

AlreadyGone95
08-12-2015, 11:39 AM
Reading this thread has made me want to see the film.

Same here. I'd never heard of this movie until I read through this thread last night!

UndertheWire
08-12-2015, 12:08 PM
Agreed! The song Tiny Dancer was about a groupie ("band aide") if I recall. I want to say Pamela Des Barres. Anyway, despite the Eagles (and some at the time were stating Zepp) references, I was disappointed. It's really a rom-com set in the rock-and-roll world, ala Singles.
I wouldn't call it a rom-com. Maybe a coming-of-age movie, for both William and rock music. There's a point where William gets corrupted from the path of true journalism by becoming a "friend" of the band and the point where rock music lost its innocence and became part of the corporate machine.

Fleurette767
08-12-2015, 01:22 PM
That is true. It's not a rom-com because there's really not a lot of comedy. I basically used that term because for me, the movie seemed lighter than what I expected. But yes, there's decent plotting and character development, etc. Maybe it's that I never bought Kate Hudson in that role or maybe it was the character.

jms18222
08-13-2015, 08:31 PM
Just thinking about Almost Famous & the groupie thing. I wonder if any Eagles left a "submission" with the Plaster Casters.

Ive always been a dreamer
08-13-2015, 10:50 PM
I'm one that absolutely loves this movie. I loved it even before I knew that the Russell Hammond character was based on Glenn; that just took it to a whole 'nother level.

JstJayne
08-14-2015, 11:18 PM
GREAT movie. I lived through the 60's and 70's and it way a nostalgic trip for me. I liked Kate Hudson's role and Billy Crudup is gorgeous no matter who he's playing.

Ive always been a dreamer
08-15-2015, 11:25 AM
ITA and welcome JstJayne.

UndertheWire
08-19-2015, 07:07 AM
This is not exactly, Almost Famous but it fits with the theme. Cameron Crowe talks about getting Led Zeppelin on the cover of the Rolling Stone. Joe Walsh played a part.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/cameron-crowe-on-getting-led-zeppelin-on-the-cover-20111223

sodascouts
08-20-2015, 12:48 AM
Interesting!

DJ
08-20-2015, 10:48 PM
I too loved this movie long before I found out who it was loosely based on.
Welcome JstJane. :partytime:

UndertheWire
09-09-2015, 09:53 AM
Amazingly, the film is 15 years old, and here's a writeup to celebrate that:
http://www.zimbio.com/Beyond+the+Box+Office/articles/jtqWbUTL1ZW/15+Things+Never+Knew+Almost+Famous

Ive always been a dreamer
09-09-2015, 09:31 PM
It is hard to believe the film is 15 years old. And that's quite an impressive list of actresses who auditioned for the role of Penny Lane. Considering how well Kate Hudson owned the part, it's hard to imagine anyone else in it. And hard to imagine Brad Pitt as Russell as well.

UndertheWire
09-10-2015, 04:37 AM
I have trouble imagining Brad Pitt as Russell so I'm glad he opted out. Strangely, the guy who invites Russell to the party reminds me of Brad. Still, I'm sure Glenn would have enjoyed the idea of Brad Pitt playing a character mostly based on him.

Brooke
09-10-2015, 09:24 AM
All this talk, I must dig it out and watch it again!

I always thought Cameron Crow looked too young to be a reporter traveling with a band, but I guess he actually was that young when he started out! Such a baby face!

L101
09-10-2015, 06:39 PM
I finally got round to watching the rest of Almost Famous - turns out I had the extended version ! I loved it !! But I'm delighted that Brad Pitt opted out of playing Russell - as the character is loosely based on Glenn, it would have looked and felt wrong - Billy Crudrup was perfectly cast there!

But anyways, great movie ! :thumbsup:

UndertheWire
09-14-2015, 11:43 AM
Here's another "15 facts you didn't know" piece:
http://www.vh1.com/news/205493/almost-famous-cameron-crowe-facts-you-didnt-know/

travlnman2
09-19-2015, 05:04 PM
1309

1310

jane02
03-29-2016, 08:55 PM
I just watched Almost Famous for the first time over Easter. I loved it. Like most people on this thread, I definitely envisioned Glenn as Russell.
My teenage daughter loved the movie too.
Not sure why it took me over 15 years to see it!

buffyfan145
03-30-2016, 10:06 AM
That's awesome Jane!!! :D It's one of my favorites and I saw it about a year after it came out, so I was the same age as the Will character at that point. I love Cameron's movies and he's been a big influence for me and my own writing. That movie was amazing and thanks to my parents I knew Russell was based off Glenn before I watched it. I rewatched it back in February and now I see Glenn in Russell even more and his friendship with Cameron with Russell and Will's. :D

jane02
04-01-2016, 06:02 AM
Buffy - I am going to watch it again this weekend:nod: as my husband hasn't seen it either. No complaints from me!!

Elvis
04-01-2016, 10:58 AM
Glenn discusses how the part was based on him in this interview with Sports Radio Dan Patrick. He also talks about being cast by Cameron in Jerry Maguire.

I watched this interview a lot before Glenn passed away but haven't watched it since. Just a great indication of the interests that Glenn had outside of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUcncHXnlVE Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tdzbgEDQyM Part 2

The discussion about the movie is at the start of Part 2.

Ive always been a dreamer
04-02-2016, 04:56 PM
Thanks 'Elvis'. That is such a great interview. I loved listening to a little bit of it again.

groupie2686
08-09-2020, 11:12 PM
I caught the end of this movie on tv tonight and caught something I've never noticed before...is there an eagles poster in William's room over his bed? It went by very quickly but I thought I saw Glenn, Joe, and Randy. Has anyone else noticed this? It's in the last scene when Russell comes to William's house.

MarthaJo56
08-10-2020, 03:07 AM
I caught the end of this movie on tv tonight and caught something I've never noticed before...is there an eagles poster in William's room over his bed? It went by very quickly but I thought I saw Glenn, Joe, and Randy. Has anyone else noticed this? It's in the last scene when Russell comes to William's house.


I have the DVD and watch it every other day or so. I paid attention to the end, and YEP!! There IS a poster of our Eagles on Williams' wall above his bed. :inlove::inlove::inlove:

P.S. groupie., are you a "groupie" or a "band-aid"? Do you eat all the steak? :laugh:

groupie2686
08-10-2020, 10:21 PM
I have the DVD and watch it every other day or so. I paid attention to the end, and YEP!! There IS a poster of our Eagles on Williams' wall above his bed. :inlove::inlove::inlove:

P.S. groupie., are you a "groupie" or a "band-aid"? Do you eat all the steak? :laugh:

Thanks, MarthaJo, I thought so! I've been watching this movie for years and that's the first time I noticed that!

I'd like to say I'm a band-aid, just here for the music, but I'm a groupie too! :laugh:

Ive always been a dreamer
08-15-2020, 01:12 PM
Yep to the Eagles poster.

And, as some of us used to frequently describe ourselves around here, we are 'groupies without benefits'. :wink: :grin:

groupie2686
08-15-2020, 11:04 PM
Yep to the Eagles poster.

And, as some of us used to frequently describe ourselves around here, we are 'groupies without benefits'. :wink: :grin:

LMAO! Groupies without benefits, I like that!

Ive always been a dreamer
08-16-2020, 10:39 AM
Glad you like that, groupie. Actually, it's funny, but most every time I see your name on the board, it makes me think of it. :thumbsup:

Ive always been a dreamer
09-14-2020, 05:50 PM
This isn't technically about Glenn, but Rolling Stone recently hosted a virtual celebration of the 20th anniversary of the movie's release with Cameron Crowe, Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit, and Kate Hudson. If you are a fan of this movie, you'll really enjoy it. It runs just short of an hour ...

https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-features/almost-famous-reunion-video-20th-anniversary-1034720/

UndertheWire
09-16-2020, 02:51 PM
I enjoyed that, especially Cameron Crowe's version of where they are now - lawsuits about the use of the name and the current Stillwater touring with only one original member.

Ive always been a dreamer
09-19-2020, 11:00 AM
I enjoyed that, especially Cameron Crowe's version of where they are now - lawsuits about the use of the name and the current Stillwater touring with only one original member.

I know, right? Welcome to the new millennium. :huh:

New Kid In Town
04-07-2021, 08:15 AM
Well, you all are not going to believe it but, I just saw "Almost Famous(On TCM) for the first time ! I love it ! I could not believe how much the the Russell H./Billy C. character looked like Glenn ! So many Glenn/ Eagles references. It really is a cute movie. I missed the first 15 minutes but I guess that's no big deal.
On a side note : I remember reading an interview with Bernie way back talking about a few scary flights they had and him stating they thought they would crash. He apparently did not like flying after that. I loved the line about making them look cool. I remember Cameron and Glenn talking numerous times about it. I'll make a point of watching it next time it is on too.

MarthaJo56
04-07-2021, 01:50 PM
Well, you all are not going to believe it but, I just saw "Almost Famous(On TCM) for the first time ! I love it ! I could not believe how much the the Russell H./Billy C. character looked like Glenn ! So many Glenn/ Eagles references. It really is a cute movie. I missed the first 15 minutes but I guess that's no big deal.
On a side note : I remember reading an interview with Bernie way back talking about a few scary flights they had and him stating they thought they would crash. He apparently did not like flying after that. I loved the line about making them look cool. I remember Cameron and Glenn talking numerous times about it. I'll make a point of watching it next time it is on too.

The first 15 minutes are actually kind of important, but I'm so glad you finally saw it. It's my all time favorite movie. I've watched it 1000 times, but catch something new every time.
The 70's was "my time" and it's all pretty accurate, from the language to the clothing. And the party in Topeka!! I went to many parties like that. :smile::heart:

Elle81
08-23-2021, 11:51 PM
I love this movie so much. Today while out scouring the thrift stores for another movie, my eyes meticulously reading the labels of the dvds, I saw this and stopped dead in my tracks. I gasped so loud I think I may have startled the fellow shopper that was next to me. I snatched up this movie and almost dropped to my knees. I checked the disc, and thankfully the disc was in pristine condition. I almost cried saying "yes! I finally found it!" I held the dvd up as if it were the holy grail. The guy next to me laughed and said "it sure is great to find a movie you love" :hilarious:

Now I know, thanks to this board that the character of Russell was based mostly on Glenn. Ever since reading about that I've been wondering around what era in the Eagles history did this may have taken place. Here's a clue, near the beginning, when William first meets the band he says "and producing your own album instead of Glyn Johns" so maybe '75? (although I know rather than producing the album themselves, they got Bill Szymczyk).

and yes, Russell looks totally like he was modeled after Glenn.

Sorry about going off topic. I tend to ramble. :spin:

Ive always been a dreamer
08-24-2021, 06:44 PM
Elle - IMO, it's hard to really pinpoint the time other than the 70's. Cameron Crowe has said that Stillwater and the members are based on many bands and artists from that era. He does specifically point out that Glenn was a major inspiration for Russell's character though. Obviously, Russell's look compared to Glenn's would eliminate The Long Run era.

Elle81
08-24-2021, 10:53 PM
Elle - IMO, it's hard to really pinpoint the time other than the 70's. Cameron Crowe has said that Stillwater and the members are based on many bands and artists from that era. He does specifically point out that Glenn was a major inspiration for Russell's character though. Obviously, Russell's look compared to Glenn's would eliminate The Long Run era.
yeah, that's true. The whole " I'm a golden god" scene is based on Robert Plant saying that on a hotel balcony. I was just wondering. :grin:

UndertheWire
08-25-2021, 06:36 AM
It's worth checking Cameron Crowe's website https://www.theuncool.com/

Checking the link, I see there's a new release with extra features:



We have included both cuts of the film, ALL previous extra features, along with the following new special features:


Filmmaker Focus—Cameron looks back on making the film, what it means to him and the
Casting & Costumes— A journey through the casting process. This includes unearthed costume tests shot by John Toll in stunning 35mm along with never before seen rehearsal and audition footage.
Rock School—Cameron, Nancy Wilson, Peter Frampton and the actors take us behind the scenes of becoming the band Stillwater.
Extended Scenes— A collection of scene extensions and deleted scenes:

Jeff Bebe’s first interview
Phoenix Arizona Lobby
William visits the Rolling Stone offices


Odds & Sods—Our favorite little moments from earlier cuts of the film that aren’t included in any version of the film. I won’t spoil the almost 9 minutes of these fun tiny moments….


Do I need another copy?

Ive always been a dreamer
08-27-2021, 03:58 PM
I don't need another copy either, but it does look like they included some interesting 'new' stuff on it. :sigh: Thanks for the heads up UTW.

UndertheWire
08-31-2021, 03:59 PM
I hadn't spent much recently so I gave in. I'll let you know if there's anything interesting when I have enough free time to watch.