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La Bamba (film)
Encyclopedia
La Bamba is a 1987 American biographical film written and directed by Luis Valdez
. The picture features Lou Diamond Phillips
, Esai Morales
, Rosanna DeSoto
, Elizabeth Peña
, Danielle von Zerneck
, and Joe Pantoliano
. The drama is based on the real life events that affected the lives of rock star Ritchie Valens
, his half-brother Bob Morales, his girlfriend Donna Ludwig and the rest of their families.
superstar under the stage name Ritchie Valens. He meets and falls in love with fellow high school student Donna Ludwig, for whom he wrote a song that became a number one hit ("Donna"
). However, her father is shown as having problems with his daughter dating Ritchie, which causes friction between Donna and Ritchie. The movie also has several subplots, such as his relationship with his mother Connie Valenzuela (Rosanna DeSoto) and half-brother Bob Morales (Esai Morales), and the jealousy Bob felt toward Ritchie because of his success.
In one scene, Bob won an important art contest that helps promising cartoonist
s, only to throw away his prize because, in his mind, his mother doesn't seem to care enough. Bob resorts to drinking heavily and, at one point, leads him to end up crying in front of his mother's door yelling "I want to see my daughter!" in reference to the child he sired with Ritchie's ex-girlfriend, Rosie (Elizabeth Peña).
However, when they get an opportunity, Ritchie and Bob sneak out for a good time. On one occasion, they take a road trip to Tijuana
, visiting one of the local nightclubs where Ritchie discovers the song that would eventually become his biggest hit, "La Bamba".
The film also focuses on Ritchie's aviophobia (fear of flying), and a recurring dream he has as a result of a midair collision between two planes that actually occurred directly over Ritchie's school, in which Ritchie's best friend was killed by one of the fallen aircraft. Eventually, he must conquer his fear when asked to perform his song "Donna" on American Bandstand
. His manager, Bob Keane
(Joe Pantoliano), helps him by giving him a little vodka to calm his nerves during the flight to Philadelphia for the Bandstand appearance.
As Valens becomes more famous, his responsibilities change. He has to go on the ill-fated Winter Party Dance Tour with Buddy Holly
(Marshall Crenshaw
) and "The Big Bopper
" (Stephen Lee) after his hits, "La Bamba" and "Donna", reach the top of the Billboard charts.
Valens, Holly, and Bopper take off in an airplane during a snowstorm for their fateful flight on February 3, 1959 (a day that becomes known as "The Day the Music Died
"). Before that, Ritchie makes a call to his brother, wherein they patch up their differences. He even invites Bob to fly out to Chicago to join the tour for family support.
As Bob is fixing his mother's car, he hears the news bulletin on the radio that his brother's plane crashed without any survivors. Bob darts out of his driveway in an attempt to get to his mother before she hears the bad news through the radio. Unfortunately, by the time he gets there she stands immobile. The news hits the whole Valenzuela family very hard. In the final scene, Bob is walking over a bridge and screaming the name of Ritchie, remembering all the good times they had together (in flashback).
We then see Lou Diamond Phillips and the Mexican American
rock band Los Lobos
performing Valens' version of "La Bamba
" accompanied by the closing credits.
Also featured are several members of the Valenzuela family and director Luis Valdez's family, including:
Phillips bonded with the Valenzuelas and, at one point, actually became Ritchie to them. This led to an incident involving Ritchie's sister: When the actors began boarding the plane for the final fatal flight, the scene was interrupted by Connie Lemos (Ritchie's real life sister), who was only six years old when her brother died. She hysterically tried to keep Phillips from boarding the plane. She was heard to shout, "Don't go Ritchie! Please don't get on the plane! Why did you have to die?" Connie admitted on Behind the Music
that she realized at that moment that she never fully accepted her brother's death.
The original title of this film was "Let's Go", named for Valens' hit song: "Come On, Let's Go!"
All of Ritchie Valens' songs were performed by Los Lobos
. The band has a cameo in the movie wherein they sang in the brothel ballroom in Tijuana. Brian Setzer
has a cameo as Eddie Cochran
performing "Summertime Blues" onstage, and Marshall Crenshaw
plays Buddy Holly
performing "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" at the final concert in Clear Lake, Iowa
. They and other musicians portraying The Big Bopper
and Jackie Wilson
also provided recordings for the film.
Ritchie Valens was only 17 years old when he died, eight months after he signed to Del-Fi Records and produced three songs that hit the Billboard Hot 100
chart. Don McLean immortalized Ritchie and his friends' deaths as "The Day the Music Died
", when he chronicled his reaction to hearing about the plane crash in his song "American Pie".
on July 24, 1987. In Australia it opened on September 17, 1987.
In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $5,698,884. La Bamba eventually grossed $52,678,820 in the United States in 12 weeks.
liked the film and the screenplay, writing, "This is a good small movie, sweet and sentimental, about a kid who never really got a chance to show his stuff. The best things in it are the most unexpected things: the portraits of everyday life, of a loving mother, of a brother who loves and resents him, of a kid growing up and tasting fame and leaving everyone standing around at his funeral shocked that his life ended just as it seemed to be beginning."
Janet Maslin
, writing for The New York Times
, was impressed with Lou Diamond Phillips' performance, and wrote, "A film like this is quite naturally a showcase for its star, and as Valens, Lou Diamond Phillips has a sweetness and sincerity that in no way diminish the toughness of his onstage persona. The role is blandly written, but Mr. Phillips gives Valens backbone."
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 95% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 21 reviews."
Nominations
Because the movie is a celebration of 1950s rock & roller Ritchie Valens, his music and the music of his contemporaries play a central part in the film.
An original motion picture soundtrack album was released on June 30, 1987 on Warner Bros. Records
. The album contained 12 tracks. The first six songs consist of Los Lobos
covers of Ritchie Valens' songs: "La Bamba", "Come On Let's Go", "Ooh My Head", "We Belong Together
", "Framed", and "Donna".
Other performers include: Howard Huntsberry
, Marshall Crenshaw
, Brian Setzer
, and Bo Diddley
performing a new version of his blues classic "Who Do You Love?
"
Some songs like The Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace
" were omitted from the release. Other omitted songs were "Oh Boy", "Rip It Up", "The Paddi Wack Song" (written by Valens), and "Sleep Walk
".
Luis Valdez
Luis Valdez is an American playwright, writer and film director.He is regarded as the father of Chicano theater in the United States.-Education:...
. The picture features Lou Diamond Phillips
Lou Diamond Phillips
Lou Diamond Phillips is an American film, television, and stage actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred in the film La Bamba. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his role in The King and I...
, Esai Morales
Esai Morales
Esai Manuel Morales is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Bob Morales in the 1987 biopic La Bamba. He also appeared in the PBS drama American Family and in the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd.. However, he is best known for his roles as Lt...
, Rosanna DeSoto
Rosanna DeSoto
Rosanna DeSoto is a Mexican-American actress who has performed in films and television. She is best known for her role in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as Azetbur, the daughter of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon....
, Elizabeth Peña
Elizabeth Peña
Elizabeth Peña is an American actress and the daughter of a theater-company co-founder, who has also compiled experience as a television director in her own right.-Early life:...
, Danielle von Zerneck
Danielle von Zerneck
Danielle von Zerneck in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, is an American film and television actress. She is best remembered for her portrayal of Donna, Ritchie Valens girlfriend in La Bamba...
, and Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
. The drama is based on the real life events that affected the lives of rock star Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, his half-brother Bob Morales, his girlfriend Donna Ludwig and the rest of their families.
Plot
Richard Steven Valenzuela (played by Phillips) is a normal teenage boy who becomes a rock 'n' rollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
superstar under the stage name Ritchie Valens. He meets and falls in love with fellow high school student Donna Ludwig, for whom he wrote a song that became a number one hit ("Donna"
Donna (song)
"Donna" is a song written and sung by Ritchie Valens featuring the 50s progression. The song was released in 1958 on Del-Fi Records. It reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the following year, becoming Valens' highest-charting single. The song was covered by another Del-Fi artist and western...
). However, her father is shown as having problems with his daughter dating Ritchie, which causes friction between Donna and Ritchie. The movie also has several subplots, such as his relationship with his mother Connie Valenzuela (Rosanna DeSoto) and half-brother Bob Morales (Esai Morales), and the jealousy Bob felt toward Ritchie because of his success.
In one scene, Bob won an important art contest that helps promising cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
s, only to throw away his prize because, in his mind, his mother doesn't seem to care enough. Bob resorts to drinking heavily and, at one point, leads him to end up crying in front of his mother's door yelling "I want to see my daughter!" in reference to the child he sired with Ritchie's ex-girlfriend, Rosie (Elizabeth Peña).
However, when they get an opportunity, Ritchie and Bob sneak out for a good time. On one occasion, they take a road trip to Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
, visiting one of the local nightclubs where Ritchie discovers the song that would eventually become his biggest hit, "La Bamba".
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. His manager, Bob Keane
Bob Keane
Bob Keane was an American musician, producer and owner of the record label Del-Fi Records. He was perhaps best known for being the producer and manager of Ritchie Valens.-Early years:...
(Joe Pantoliano), helps him by giving him a little vodka to calm his nerves during the flight to Philadelphia for the Bandstand appearance.
As Valens becomes more famous, his responsibilities change. He has to go on the ill-fated Winter Party Dance Tour with Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
(Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
) and "The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
" (Stephen Lee) after his hits, "La Bamba" and "Donna", reach the top of the Billboard charts.
Valens, Holly, and Bopper take off in an airplane during a snowstorm for their fateful flight on February 3, 1959 (a day that becomes known as "The Day the Music Died
The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song...
"). Before that, Ritchie makes a call to his brother, wherein they patch up their differences. He even invites Bob to fly out to Chicago to join the tour for family support.
As Bob is fixing his mother's car, he hears the news bulletin on the radio that his brother's plane crashed without any survivors. Bob darts out of his driveway in an attempt to get to his mother before she hears the bad news through the radio. Unfortunately, by the time he gets there she stands immobile. The news hits the whole Valenzuela family very hard. In the final scene, Bob is walking over a bridge and screaming the name of Ritchie, remembering all the good times they had together (in flashback).
We then see Lou Diamond Phillips and the Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
rock band Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
performing Valens' version of "La Bamba
La Bamba (song)
"La Bamba" is a Mexican folk song, originally from the state of Veracruz, best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, a top 40 hit in the U.S. charts and one of early rock and roll's best-known songs...
" accompanied by the closing credits.
Cast
- Lou Diamond PhillipsLou Diamond PhillipsLou Diamond Phillips is an American film, television, and stage actor and director. His breakthrough came when he starred in the film La Bamba. He earned a supporting actor Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in Stand and Deliver and a Tony Award nomination for his role in The King and I...
as Ritchie ValensRitchie ValensRitchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist.... - Esai MoralesEsai MoralesEsai Manuel Morales is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Bob Morales in the 1987 biopic La Bamba. He also appeared in the PBS drama American Family and in the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd.. However, he is best known for his roles as Lt...
as Bob Morales - Rosanna DeSotoRosanna DeSotoRosanna DeSoto is a Mexican-American actress who has performed in films and television. She is best known for her role in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as Azetbur, the daughter of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon....
as Connie Valenzuela - Elizabeth PeñaElizabeth PeñaElizabeth Peña is an American actress and the daughter of a theater-company co-founder, who has also compiled experience as a television director in her own right.-Early life:...
as Rosie Morales - Danielle von ZerneckDanielle von ZerneckDanielle von Zerneck in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, is an American film and television actress. She is best remembered for her portrayal of Donna, Ritchie Valens girlfriend in La Bamba...
as Donna Ludwig - Joe PantolianoJoe PantolianoJoseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
as Bob KeaneBob KeaneBob Keane was an American musician, producer and owner of the record label Del-Fi Records. He was perhaps best known for being the producer and manager of Ritchie Valens.-Early years:... - Rick DeesRick DeesRigdon Osmond "Rick" Dees III is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated...
as Ted Quillen - Marshall CrenshawMarshall CrenshawMarshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
as Buddy HollyBuddy HollyCharles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll... - Howard HuntsberryHoward HuntsberryHoward Stafford Huntsberry is an American R&B singer and actor from Pacoima, California. He was the lead singer of the group Klique from 1981 to 1985, and then had a solo career that produced two minor hits on the Billboard R&B chart...
as Jackie WilsonJackie WilsonJack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history... - Brian SetzerBrian SetzerBrian Setzer is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He first found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly revival group The Stray Cats, and revitalized his career in the late 1990s with a jazz-oriented big band.-Career:Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York...
as Eddie CochranEddie CochranEddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the... - Stephen LeeStephen Lee (actor)Stephen Lee is an American actor, from Englewood, New Jersey. He has appeared in over 200 TV shows as a guest star.-External links:...
as The Big BopperThe Big BopperJiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star... - Sam AndersonSam AndersonSam Anderson is an American actor.-Early life:Anderson was born in Wahpeton, North Dakota. He is a graduate of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. During the 1970s, Sam taught drama at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California.-Career:Anderson is perhaps best known for his roles...
as Mr. Ludwig - John QuadeJohn QuadeJohn William Saunders , better known by the stage name John Quade, was an American character actor who starred in film and in television...
as Bartender - Noble WillinghamNoble WillinghamNoble Henry Willingham, Jr. was an American television and film actor.-Career:Willingham had appeared in more than thirty feature films, including Harry's War , Up Close and Personal , City Slickers , The Last Boy Scout , City Slickers II , Ace Ventura: Pet Detective , Chinatown...
as Howard - Joseph MillerJoseph MillerJoseph Miller was a U.S. Representative from Ohio.Born in Virginia, Miller attended the common schools.He moved to Ohio and settled in Chillicothe.He was graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, in 1839....
as student #1
Also featured are several members of the Valenzuela family and director Luis Valdez's family, including:
- Concepcion Valenzuela (Ritchie's mother) as the older woman sitting next to Ritchie at a party
- Daniel Valdez (Luis' brother) as Ritchie's Uncle Lelo
Background
This production had the full support of the Valenzuela family. Bob Morales and Connie Valenzuela came to the set to help the actors portray their characters correctly, and Connie makes an appearance as an older lady sitting next to Ritchie at the family's first party.Phillips bonded with the Valenzuelas and, at one point, actually became Ritchie to them. This led to an incident involving Ritchie's sister: When the actors began boarding the plane for the final fatal flight, the scene was interrupted by Connie Lemos (Ritchie's real life sister), who was only six years old when her brother died. She hysterically tried to keep Phillips from boarding the plane. She was heard to shout, "Don't go Ritchie! Please don't get on the plane! Why did you have to die?" Connie admitted on Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
that she realized at that moment that she never fully accepted her brother's death.
The original title of this film was "Let's Go", named for Valens' hit song: "Come On, Let's Go!"
All of Ritchie Valens' songs were performed by Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
. The band has a cameo in the movie wherein they sang in the brothel ballroom in Tijuana. Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He first found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly revival group The Stray Cats, and revitalized his career in the late 1990s with a jazz-oriented big band.-Career:Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York...
has a cameo as Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
performing "Summertime Blues" onstage, and Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
plays Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
performing "Crying, Waiting, Hoping" at the final concert in Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,161 at the 2000 census. The city is named for the large lake on which it is located. It is the home of a number of marinas, state parks and tourism-related businesses. Clear Lake is also a major stop on Interstate...
. They and other musicians portraying The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
and Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson
Jack Leroy "Jackie" Wilson, Jr. was an American singer and performer. Known as "Mr. Excitement", Wilson was important in the transition of rhythm and blues into soul. He was known as a master showman, and as one of the most dynamic singers and performers in R&B and rock history...
also provided recordings for the film.
Ritchie Valens was only 17 years old when he died, eight months after he signed to Del-Fi Records and produced three songs that hit the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart. Don McLean immortalized Ritchie and his friends' deaths as "The Day the Music Died
The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song...
", when he chronicled his reaction to hearing about the plane crash in his song "American Pie".
Distribution
The film opened in wide release in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on July 24, 1987. In Australia it opened on September 17, 1987.
In its opening weekend, the film grossed a total of $5,698,884. La Bamba eventually grossed $52,678,820 in the United States in 12 weeks.
Marketing
The producers used the following taglines to market the film:- Born to poverty. Destined for stardom. He Lived the American Dream.
- Talent made him a star, Fate made him a legend. The true story of Ritchie Valens
Critical response
Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
liked the film and the screenplay, writing, "This is a good small movie, sweet and sentimental, about a kid who never really got a chance to show his stuff. The best things in it are the most unexpected things: the portraits of everyday life, of a loving mother, of a brother who loves and resents him, of a kid growing up and tasting fame and leaving everyone standing around at his funeral shocked that his life ended just as it seemed to be beginning."
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
, writing for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, was impressed with Lou Diamond Phillips' performance, and wrote, "A film like this is quite naturally a showcase for its star, and as Valens, Lou Diamond Phillips has a sweetness and sincerity that in no way diminish the toughness of his onstage persona. The role is blandly written, but Mr. Phillips gives Valens backbone."
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 95% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 21 reviews."
Awards
Wins- Broadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music IncorporatedBroadcast Music, Inc. is one of three United States performing rights organizations, along with ASCAP and SESAC. It collects license fees on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers and distributes them as royalties to those members whose works have been performed...
: BMI Film Music Award, Carlos SantanaCarlos SantanaCarlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
and Miles Goodman; 1988.
Nominations
- Golden Globe AwardGolden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
: Best Motion Picture, DramaGolden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - DramaThis page lists the winners and nominees for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, since its institution in 1951. The organizer, Hollywood Foreign Press Association , is an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications...
; 1988.
Tracklisting
- La BambaLa Bamba (song)"La Bamba" is a Mexican folk song, originally from the state of Veracruz, best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, a top 40 hit in the U.S. charts and one of early rock and roll's best-known songs...
- Los Lobos - "Come On, Let's Go!" - Los Lobos
- "Ooh My Head" - Los Lobos
- "We Belong TogetherWe Belong Together (Robert & Johnny song)"We Belong Together" was a 1958 American rhythm and blues hit by Robert & Johnny. It was written by Johnny Mitchell, Robert Carr, and Sam Weiss. It reached #12 on the R&B charts and #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Cover versions:...
" - Los Lobos - "Framed" - Los Lobos
- "Donna" - Los Lobos
- "Lonely TeardropsLonely Teardrops"Lonely Teardrops" is a song recorded and released as a single in 1958 by R&B singer Jackie Wilson on the Brunswick label. It is a 1999 Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee...
" - Howard Huntsberry - "Crying Waiting Hoping"- Marshall Crenshaw
- "Summertime BluesSummertime Blues"Summertime Blues" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran. It was written in the late 1950s by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 on...
"- Brian Setzer - "Who Do You Love" - Bo Diddley
- "Goodnight My Love" - Various Artists
Because the movie is a celebration of 1950s rock & roller Ritchie Valens, his music and the music of his contemporaries play a central part in the film.
An original motion picture soundtrack album was released on June 30, 1987 on Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. The album contained 12 tracks. The first six songs consist of Los Lobos
Los Lobos
Los Lobos are a multiple Grammy Award–winning American Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños.-History:The...
covers of Ritchie Valens' songs: "La Bamba", "Come On Let's Go", "Ooh My Head", "We Belong Together
We Belong Together (Robert & Johnny song)
"We Belong Together" was a 1958 American rhythm and blues hit by Robert & Johnny. It was written by Johnny Mitchell, Robert Carr, and Sam Weiss. It reached #12 on the R&B charts and #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.-Cover versions:...
", "Framed", and "Donna".
Other performers include: Howard Huntsberry
Howard Huntsberry
Howard Stafford Huntsberry is an American R&B singer and actor from Pacoima, California. He was the lead singer of the group Klique from 1981 to 1985, and then had a solo career that produced two minor hits on the Billboard R&B chart...
, Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw
Marshall Crenshaw is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known for his song "Someday, Someway".-Biography:...
, Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He first found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly revival group The Stray Cats, and revitalized his career in the late 1990s with a jazz-oriented big band.-Career:Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York...
, and Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
performing a new version of his blues classic "Who Do You Love?
Who Do You Love?
"Who Do You Love?" is a song written and recorded in 1956 by Bo Diddley. The record features Jody Williams, then a member of Bo Diddley's band, on lead guitar.-Legacy:...
"
Some songs like The Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace
Chantilly Lace (song)
"Chantilly Lace" is the name of a rock and roll song, written and originally performed by The Big Bopper in 1958. The Co-writers of the song were Jerry Foster and Bill Rice...
" were omitted from the release. Other omitted songs were "Oh Boy", "Rip It Up", "The Paddi Wack Song" (written by Valens), and "Sleep Walk
Sleep Walk
"Sleep Walk" is an instrumental steel guitar-based song written, recorded, and released in 1959 by brothers Santo & Johnny ....
".
External links
- La Bamba film at CrackleCrackleCrackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
(free and complete)