This obscure hybrid of concert footage, live-action scenes, and a single animated vignette is a musical extravaganza intended for children but featuring several hard-rock singers. The piece was put together by Roger Glover, the longtime bassist of hard rockers Deep Purple.
In 1973, an illustrated children’s book titled The Butterfly’s Ball and the Grasshopper’s Feast was released, based on William Roscoe’s 1802 poem of the same name. A short cartoon was made from one section of the book, and Glover wrote the accompanying music.
This generated a minor UK hit single titled Love Is All, with vocals by heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio, and plans were made for a full-length animated feature – but by the time Glover had finished writing songs for the proposed movie, production was cancelled.
Undaunted, Glover staged a live concert at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall, recruiting several celebrities to perform his songs. Footage of the 1975 concert comprises most of this movie.
The picture also features the Love Is All animated film clip as well as weird interstitial bits of performers in animal costumes strolling through London. The film climaxes with a live-action version of the ball, at which the various animal characters sit around a table in a scene straight out of Alice in Wonderland.
Hard-rockers including David Coverdale put muscle into their musical numbers, while twee songbirds including model/actress Twiggy offer more ethereal sounds.
John Lawton provides one of the loveliest vocals, for the gospel-tinged ballad Little Chalk Blue, and subs for Dio on the movie’s epic-length rendition of Love Is All.
Narrator
Vincent Price Singers/Musicians
Roger Glover
Twiggy
Tony Ashton
Helen Chapelle
David Coverdale
Ian Gillan
John Gustafson
Eddie Hardin
Earl Jordan
Judi Kuhl
Neil Lancaster
John Lawton
Mickey Lee Soule
Al Matthews
Jon Lord
Barry St. John
Liza Strike
The Trinity School of Croydon Boys Choir Dancers
Zena Clifton
Linda Johns
Brian Rogers
Lamona Snow Thespians
Jamie Anderson
Charlie Caine
Mark Bishop
Stephanie Charles
Adam Clark
Deborah Cliff
Juliet Cox
Alfonso Di Lieto
Mandi Vincent
Julie Griffiths
Simon Henderson
Catrina Hilton
Ian Hoare
Michael James
Sally Lamb
Michael Portman
Director
Tony Klinger
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Hard-rockers including David Coverdale put muscle into their musical numbers, while twee songbirds including model/actress Twiggy offer more ethereal sounds.
Narrator
Thespians
