1982 Soundtrack – Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe, adapted from his 1981 book of the same name. As a freelance writer for Rolling Stone magazine, Crowe went undercover at Clairemont High School in San Diego, California, and wrote about his experiences.
The film was directed by Amy Heckerling (in her feature film directorial debut) and chronicles a school year in the lives of sophomores Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Mark Ratner (Brian Backer), and their respective older friends Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates) and Mike Damone (Robert Romanus), both of whom believe themselves wiser in the ways of romance than their younger counterparts. The ensemble cast of characters form two subplots with Jeff Spicoli, (Sean Penn), a senior, carefree stoned surfer, facing off against uptight history teacher Mr. Hand (Ray Walston), and Stacy’s brother, Brad (Judge Reinhold), a senior who works at a series of entry-level jobs in order to pay off his car, and who is pondering easing out of his relationship with his girlfriend, until she herself dumps him.
In addition to Penn, Reinhold, Cates, and Leigh, the film marks early appearances by several actors who later became stars, including Nicolas Cage (then billing himself as Nicolas Coppola), Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, and Anthony Edwards. Among the actors listed, Penn, Cage, and Whitaker would later on in their careers win the Academy Award for Best Actor, with Penn winning twice.
In 2005, Fast Times at Ridgemont High was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Several of the movie’s songs were released as singles, including Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby”, which reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Other singles were the title track by Sammy Hagar, a cover of The Tymes’ “So Much in Love” by Timothy B. Schmit, “Raised on the Radio” by the Ravyns and “Waffle Stomp” by Joe Walsh. In addition to Schmit and Walsh, the album features solo tracks by two other members of the Eagles, Don Henley and Don Felder. The soundtrack also included “I Don’t Know (Spicoli’s Theme)” by Jimmy Buffett.
Five tracks in the film, but not included on the soundtrack, are: “Moving in Stereo” by the Cars, “American Girl” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, “We Got the Beat” by the Go Go’s, which is the movie’s opening theme; Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”, and “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms. In addition, the live band at the prom dance during the end of the film played two songs also not on the soundtrack: The Eagles’ “Life in the Fast Lane” and Sam the Sham’s “Wooly Bully”.
The Donna Summer track, “Highway Runner”, was initially recorded in 1981 for her double album entitled I’m a Rainbow; however, the album was shelved by Summer’s then-label, Geffen Records, but ultimately released in 1996 by Mercury Records. The album is once again out of print.
Todd Rundgren also recorded the song, “Attitude”, for the film at Crowe’s request. It was not included in the film, but was later released on Rundgren’s Demos and Lost Albums in 2001.
In some countries, the album was (also) released as a single LP with ten tracks.
Heckerling, in the DVD audio commentary, states that the 1970s “classic rock” artists, like the Eagles, were introduced by one of the film’s producers. Coincidentally, Irving Azoff, one of the film’s producers, was the personal manager for the Eagles.
Tracks
1 Somebody’s Baby (Danny Kortchmar; Jackson Browne) 04:03
2 Waffle Stomp (Joe Walsh) 03:42
3 Love Rules (Danny Kortchmar; Don Henley) 04:07
4 Uptown Boys (Janna Allen; Louise Goffin) 03:04
5 So Much In Love (Billy Jackson; George Williams; Roy Straigis) 02:19
6 Raised On The Radio (David Bell; Kyf Brewer; Lee Townsend) 03:46
7 The Look In Your Eyes (Gerard McMahon) 03:49
8 Speeding (Charlotte Caffey) 02:13
9 Don’t Be Lonely (Jack Charles; Rindy Ross) 03:16
10 Never Surrender (Don Felder; Kenny Loggins) 04:25
11 Fast Times (The Best Years Of Our Lives) (Billy Squier) 03:41
12 Fast Times At Ridgemont High (Sammy Hagar) 03:36
13 I Don’t Know (Spicoli’s Theme) (Jimmy Buffett; Mike Utley) 03:06
14 Love Is The Reason (Graham Nash) 03:28
15 I’ll Leave It Up To You (Rusty Young) 03:04
16 Highway Runner (Donna Summer; Giorgio Moroder) 03:25
17 Sleeping Angel (Steve Nicks) 04:43
18 She’s My Baby (And She’s Outta Control) (David Palmer; Phil Jost) 02:55
19 Goodbye, Goodbye (Danny Elfman) 03:55
Musicians
1 Somebody’s Baby
Bass | Bob Glaub |
Drums | Russ Kunkel |
Guitar | Rick Vito |
Keyboards | Craig Doerge |
Organ | Doug Haywood |
Synthesizer | Craig Doerge |
Background Vocals | Doug Haywood |
3 Love Rules
Bass | Kenny Edwards |
Drums | Don Henley |
Guitar | Waddy Wachtel |
Guitar | Danny Kortchmar |
Keyboards | David Paich |
Percussion | Don Henley |
Background Vocals | Timothy B. Schmit |
4 Uptown Boys
Bass | Bob Glaub |
Drums | Jody Cortez |
Guitar | Danny Kortchmar |
Guitar | Bill Ovis |
Guitar | Louise Goffin |
Synthesizer | Bill Ovis |
Background Vocals | Danny Kortchmar |
Background Vocals | Jody Cortez |
Background Vocals | Sherry Goffin |
5 So Much In Love
Bass | Timothy B. Schmit |
Drums | JR Robinson |
6 Raised On The Radio
Bass | Lee Townsend |
Drums | Tim Steele |
Guitar | David Bell |
Guitar | Rob Fahey |
Keyboards | Kyf Brewer |
Vocals | Rob Fahey |
8 Speeding
Bass | Kathy Valentine |
Drums | Gina Schock |
Guitar | Charlotte Caffey |
Guitar | Kathy Valentine |
Guitar | Jane Wiedlin |
Keyboards | Charlotte Caffey |
Vocals | Belinda Carlisle |
9 Don’t Be Lonely
Bass | Rich Gooch |
Drums | Brian David Willis |
Guitar | Marv Ross |
Keyboards | Rick DiGiallonardo |
Guitar | Jack Charles |
Sax | Rindy Ross |
Vocals | Rindy Ross |
10 Never Surrender
Bass | George Hawkins |
Drums | Tris Imboden |
Guitar | Don Felder |
Keyboards | Don Felder |
Synthesizer | Don Felder |
Percussion | Joe Lala |
Background Vocals | Kenny Loggins |
Background Vocals | Dave Mason |
12 Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Bass | Bill Church |
Drums | David Lauser |
Guitar | Sammy Hagar |
Keyboards | Gary Pihl |
Synthesizer | Patrick Gleason |
13 I Don’t Know (Spicoli’s Theme)
Bass | David Jackson |
Drums | Matt Betton Jr |
Guitar | Jimmy Buffett |
Guitar | Josh Leo |
Piano | Mike Utley |
Synthesizer | David Wolinski |
15 I’ll Leave It Up To You
Bass | Charlie Harrison |
Drums | Steve Chapman |
Guitar | Paul Cotton |
Guitar | Rusty Young |
Keyboards | Kim Bullard |
Percussion | Steve Forman |
Sax | Phil Kenzie |
Vocals | Rusty Young |
17 Sleeping Angel
Bass | David White |
Drums | Stan Lynch |
Guitar | Mike Campbell |
Acoustic Guitar | David Johnston |
Organ | Benmont Tench |
Piano | Benmont Tench |
Background Vocals | Lori Perry |
Background Vocals | Sharon Celani |
18 She’s My Baby (And She’s Outta Control)
Drums | David Crockett |
Guitar | Phil Jost |
Guitar | Todd Sharp |
Synthesizer | Phil Jost |
Vocals | David Palmer |
Liner Notes
Producer – Jackson Browne (Track 1)
Producer – Joe Walsh (Track 2)
Producer – Danny Kortchmar, Don Henley, Greg Ladanyi (Tracks 3, 4)
Producer – Russ Titelman (Track 5)
Producer – Allan Blazek, Bob Destocki (Track 6)
Producer – Gerard McMahon, Michael Ostin (Track 7)
Producer – Richard Gottehrer (Track 8)
Producer – John Boylan (Track 9)
Producer – Don Felder (Track 10)
Producer – Billy Squier, Mack (Track 11)
Producer – Roy Thomas Baker (Track 12)
Producer – Jimmy Buffett, Michael Utley (Track 13)
Producer – Graham Nash, Stanley Johnston, Steve Gursky (Track 14)
Producer – John Mills, Poco (Track 15))
Producer – Giorgio Moroder (Track 16)
Producer – Jimmy Iovine (Track 17)
Producer – Phil Jost (Track 18)
Producer – Joe Chiccarelli, Oingo Boingo (Track 19)
Producer (Executive) – Irving Azoff
Engineer – Dennis Kirk (Track 1)
Engineer – Greg Ladanyi (Tracks 3, 4)
Engineer – Mark Linett (Track 5)
Engineer – Allan Blazek (Track 6)
Engineer – Joel Soyffer (Track 7)
Engineer – Thom Panunzio (Track 8)
Engineer – Paul Grupp (Track 9)
Engineer – Joel Moss (Track 10)
Engineer – Steve Dewey (Track 12)
Engineer – Kyle Lehning (Track 13)
Engineer – Stanley Johnston, Steve Gursky (Track 14)
Engineer – John Mills (Track 15)
Engineer – Brian Reeves (Track 16)
Engineer – Shelly Yakus (Track 17)
Engineer – Phil Jost (Track 18)
Engineer – Joe Chiccarelli (Track 19)
Engineer (Assistant) – James Getty (Track 1)
Engineer (Assistant) – Wayne Tanouye (Tracks 3, 4)
Engineer (Assistant) – Ray Blair (Track 6)
Engineer (Assistant) – Doug Breidenbach (Track 10)
Engineer (Assistant) – David Marquette (Track 15)
Engineer (Assistant) – Bruce Jost, Norman Perbil (Track 18)
Engineer (Assistant) – David Marquette, Mitch Gibson (Track 19)
Engineer (Re-mix) – David Leonard (Track 1)
Engineer (Re-mix) – Dennis Kirk (Track 1)
Engineer – Jim Nipar (Track 2)
Mastered By – Wally Traugott
Art Direction – Jeff Adamoff
Design – Rod Dyer
Photography – Jim Shea
Phonographic Copyright Elektra Entertainment
Copyright Elektra Entertainment