"Glitter Rock"

Leap Date:

April 12, 1974

Episode adopted by: RoseAnn Erks
Additional info provided by: Beckett Goddess & Brian Greene

Synopsis:

Sam has leaped into the life of a heavy metal band singer and must keep himself from being killed by a mysterious stalker.

Audio from this episode
Bonus audio: "Rock the Redhead" and "Fate's Wide Wheel"

TV Guide Synopsis
Place
Leap Date
Name of the Person Leaped Into
Songs
Music Artists
Sam Trivia
Al's Women
Al's Outfits Worn in the Episode
Miscellaneous Trivia
Writers
Director
Producers
Crew
Broadcast Date
Guest Stars
Guest Cast Notes
Guests who appeared in other Quantum Leap episodes
Personal Review
Best Lines
Best Scenes
Say What?
Quotable Quotes
Awards

Production # 66404

TV Guide Synopsis:
Sam (Scott Bakula) cranks it up as a '70s rock star, but it will require some heavy mettle on his part to avoid the rocker's hard fate---being murdered. Flash: Jonathan Gries. Dwayne: Peter Noone. Nick: Robert Bauer. Philip: Christian Hoff. Sandy: Liza Whitcraft.

Place:
Detroit, Michigan

Name of the Person Leaped Into:
Geoffrey "Tonic" Mole

Leap Date:
April 12, 1974

Broadcast Date:
April 10, 1991 (Wednesday)

Songs/Music:
"Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits is playing in Dwayne's. Peter Noone (Dwayne) is the lead singer of Herman's Hermits in real life.

"Rock the Red Head" by Chris Ruppenthal; performed by Scott Bakula

"Fate’s Wide Wheel" by Chris Ruppenthal; performed by Scott Bakula

"Hot Spot" performed by Scott Bakula

Music Artists (in episode):
King Thunder is the bands name
Tonic Lead Singer/Guitarist
Flash co-singer/Guitarist
Nick Guitarist
Wilder Guitarist

Sam Trivia:
Sam says that he won’t take advantage of girls throwing themselves at him.

He says that being a rock star is worse than the time that he was a Chip ‘N Dales dancer, meaning he remembers that leap.

Sam doesn’t remember Mark David Chapman, Milli Vanilli, or Pete Townsend. He does remember who Hendrix is. 

Sam was a nerd and never heard of King Thunder, but he listened to Simon & Garfunkle. 

He starts telling Al about process schizophrenia. 

Sam remembers who shot Reagan but not who shot John Lenon.

Al’s Outfits Worn in the Episode:
Al’s first outfit is a shiny silver jacket, black pants, white tie with red polka dots, and a coral shirt. 

The second outfit Al wears is red pants, a shiny green tie, green jacket with stop signs on the sleeves and on the back there are white lines going down the sides like a street, and a white shirt.

Al's Women:
Al gets a kick out of all the female groupies.

Miscellaneous Trivia:
The group Sam has leaped into is called King Thunder and they are from England; their original name was the Dingles. 

Al appeared in the episode 10 times. 

The imaging chamber door opens 2 times.

The King Thunder album cover was modeled after the band KISS's first album cover, almost excatly the same.

The scene in the mall was filmed at the Hitchcock Theater lobby on the Universal Studios lot.

Regular Cast:
Scott Bakula
Dean Stockwell

Guest Stars:
Jonathan Gries as Flash McGrath
Peter Noone as Dwayne Brengle
Christian Hoff as Phillip Silbart
Michael Cerveris as Nick
Robert Bauer as Wilder
Liza Whitcraft as Sandy
Jan Eddy as Whittler
Sharon Martin as Blonde
Dorrie Krum as Heather
Bob Cady as Chase
Bruce Michael Paine as Geoffrey “Tonic” Mole (Mirror image)
Ledge Musselman as Roady
Scott Shaw as Axe

Guest Cast Notes:
Jonathan Gries played Broots on The Pretender. 

Robert Bauer played Johnny Horne on Twin Peaks.

Guests who appeared in other Quantum Leap Episodes:
Jonathan Gries appeared in "The Right Hand of God" as Roscoe.

Jan Eddy appeared in "Leaping in Without a Net" as Benny Skyler.

Crew

Theme by:
Mike Post

Music by:
Velton Ray Bunch


Costume Designer:
Jean-Pierre Dorleac

Writer:
Chris Ruppenthal

Director:
Andy Cadiff

Producers:
Chris Ruppenthal

Co Executive Producer:
Deborah Pratt
Michael Zinbero

Supervising Producer:
Harker Wade

Co Producers:
Paul Brown
Jeff Gourson

Executive Producer:
Donald P.Bellisario

Best Line:
"Maybe you can teach your old man some new licks. Maybe? I think you better."

Best Scene:
The best scene is during the radio interview for WFGF in the mall, where the broadcaster asks Sam about the lyrics to "Fate’s Wide Wheel." Sam explains the lyrics with "as we all live our lives behind masks break through them from the inside and outside."

Quotable Quotes:

Fate's Wide Wheel (Mystic Traveler)
As I travel in space and time
I want to stay, I want to go
You see my face, but it's not mine
What you can't see, you'll never know.

How can we meet if I'm not there?
Our hearts may touch, our bodies close
But time divides what we might share,
And sends us all where no one knows.

I'm just a traveler, upon the sea
Of time, of life, of fate's wide wheel.
Just a traveler, in this mystery
The me I am is all that's real to me.
-- song by King Thunder, "Glitter Rock"

Rock the Redhead
She stood 6 foot 4, barely fit through the door,
Her hair was the color of fire.
She said, "Baby what you need is some horizontal speed
And I'm the one to slake your desire.
Baby, let me take you higher

Rock the redhead all night
Rock the redhead so right
Rock the redhead tonight
Baby take me higher,
Baby take me through the night
Yeah, yeah, yeah!
-- song by King Thunder, "Glitter Rock"

Hot Spot
She's got a Hot spot
She knows how to use it.
Hot spot, oh yeah, hot spot
I can't refuse it
Baby won't you turn up the heat?
Yeah, yeah, yeah
-- song by King Thunder, "Glitter Rock"

"I am the fun."

"Al, it’s 5 o’clock in the morning. Don’t these people ever go home?"

I bet you've never fallen asleep on a girl, have you?
Well, a gentleman would never tell.
-- Sandy and a very embarrassed Sam, "Glitter Rock"

Maybe you'd better take it a little easy with that stuff, huh?
Just because you can't hold your own liquor is no reason to go sounding like a bloody bumper sticker.
-- Sam and 'Flash', "Glitter Rock"

We make the Beatles look like ants.
-- Flash, "Glitter Rock"

Well I must say this is a neat way to get undressed.
-- Al, about Sam and the 3 groupies, "Glitter Rock"
Sam - what are you doing?  You're throwing away a perfectly good fan sandwich.
-- Al, "Glitter Rock"

Oh Sam, sometimes you are just pitiful.
Why?  Because I won't take advantage of some deluded girls who are throwing themselves at me like some bad writer's dream?
Yes.
-- Al and Sam, "Glitter Rock"

This is worse than when I was a Chippendales dancer.
But, they're dying to be demeaned with you, repeatedly.  I swear, it boggles the mind.
Yeah ... look ... I'm gonna boggle you, now tell me what is going on.
Not much.
(Glare)
-- Sam and Al, "Glitter Rock"

How did you write that song?
With a pen.
-- Interviewer and Sam, "Glitter Rock"

All you do is go out there and make a complete idiot of yourself.
-- Al, "Glitter Rock"

I really don't think it's wise to go swimming in another man's pool.
-- Al, "Glitter Rock"

Next time check your raincoat.
-- Flash to Tonic, "Glitter Rock"
(slipped that bit of British slang past the NBC censors, didn't they?)

Listen, on this leap I want you to stay really close, OK?  Cause if we see him I don't wanna take a chance on losing him.
I'll stick to you like glue.
-- Sam and Al, "Glitter Rock"

Lucky this is radio!
-- The Announcer, when a fan bares her chest for Tonic to sign, "Glitter Rock"

Do Hendrix ... or do Townsend.
Who?
That's right.
What is?
Who.
I don't know.
Townsend.
Who?
Yeah, that's right, Pete Townsend of the Who.
Of the what?
Never mind ... If worst comes to worst, do Milli Vanilli.
Who?
That's what I suggested in the first place!  Now get out there.
-- Sam and Al do Abbott and Costello, "Glitter Rock"

Why would a complete stranger want to kill me?  That doesn't make any sense!
You're the one with all the PhDs, you tell me.
-- Sam and Al, "Glitter Rock"

We should have killed him, brought him back to life, and killed him again.
-- Flash about Duane, "Glitter Rock"

Say What?
At the beginning of the episode, sounds of screaming fans are heard, but only photographers are seen. Once outside, the screams are heard again with actual fans shown on screen.

In the episode there are cars pulling up outside the concert. One car is actually an 1980’s Mustang making it unusual as Sam has leapt into the 70’s.

During the interview at the mall, Al in his green jacket can be seen standing out of focus for awhile before the Imaging Chamber door is ever heard.

You can see the nipple cover on the girl that flashes Sam.

The date on screen when Sam leaps in is April 12th. Al tells Sam that the body he has leapt into, “Tonic," will be murdered in 3 days time at the next concert on the 24th. This must be wrong as 3 days time would be in fact April 15th so the next concert would be then. At one point Al also states that it is April 23rd, which is also incorrect. 

The zipcode on Phillip's ID is for Lincoln, Nebraska... not Hastings. Also on the ID is Phillip's birthdate of 6/27/57, but Al reads it as "July."

Personal Review:
I think this episode is great. I love all the songs in it. The song Fate’s Wide Wheel seems to perfectly describe project Quantum Leap and everything that Sam is doing. It deals with all the leaping into other’s bodies and no one knowing that the person is now Sam.

Awards:
Jean-Pierre Dorleac (Costume Designer) received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Costume Design for a series in 1991.