In the late 50s and early 60s older children decided that they wanted their identities to be separate and individual from their folks'. This scared the shit out of parents and the media and entertainment industries jumped on this fear. The teenager and teensploitation films were born, always with the grooviest of soundtracks.

The Beau Brummels and Village of the Giants (1965)

Village of the Giants lands firmly in the "high-camp-comedy" category of teensploitation flicks. Essentially the plot is as follows: Teenagers (including a young Beau Bridges) find radioactive goo, eat it, grow to gigantic proportions (losing their clothes as is  mandatory in teensploitation) and terrorise the adults of their small town. And of course the whole thing is done to a far out soundtrack.

A hallmark of this teensploitation genre was to include popular bands of the day, The Beau Brummels were such a band in Village of the Giants. The Beau Brummels were one of a number of "commercially designed" bands of the day in that their image and music were aimed at taking on the British invasion bands. They even named the group so they would  come right after The Beatles on the record rack! Plus it was the name of a notable English dandy of the 19th century. Certainly such motivations were a drag but some of their tunes were a real gas.

The John Barry Orchestra and Beat Girl (1959)

One of the first British teensploitation films, Beat Girl is an exceptionally spicy trip. Starring the smoking hot (can I say that about a 16 year old if she is 65 now?) Gillian Hills as an innocent girl turned stripper, led astray by a bunch of dirty "beats" who like nothing better than hanging in coffee bars, getting way out and jiving to groovy rhythm and blues.

The music comprised the first ever movie soundtrack to be sold as a record in the UK and features mediocre pop star of the day Adam Faith Elvising it up. The highlight however besides the film's dance scenes (some of which were downright pornographic for the time) is the music of the John Barry Orchestra, whose opening theme was sampled by Fatboy Slim for the Rockerfeller Skank. Wowsville!

The Who and Quadrophenia (1979)

Fast forward 14 years and away from strictly teensploitation territory to the classic 1979 saga Quadrophenia. This film, based on The Who concept album of the same name was concerned with some serious business that went down between rival English youth gangs the Mods and Rockers at Brighton Beach in 1964.

Centred around one disaffected youth in particular and the "Second Battle of Hastings", Quadrophenia captured the fear that terrible teens struck into the hearts of square adults all over the UK. With their sharp dress, scooter-hooning and love for amphetamine pills, the results were vivid and intense and the classic Who soundtrack speaks (or sings?) for itself. We are the Mods!

Lastly, you can't talk about teen rebel tension without mentioning the classic Rebel Without a Cause and The Wild One.

Hang loose, Daddy-o.

Nick Maher