A Night At The Space Opera
“A Night at The Space Opera” by (the original) That Hideous Strength,
is a tribute to the glorious days of Science Fiction yesteryear where Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, Ming the Merciless and Bombshell Beauties ruled the universe.
“A Night at The Space Opera” was written and recorded in 1975 by (the original) That Hideous Strength, a New York City rock band.
That Hideous Strength was: Roy Wagner lead vocals & lead guitar, Harry Britwar bass & vocals, Mickey O. guitar, vocals, writer & producer & Rodney Smith, drums.
Mickey formed That Hideous Strength in 1975 while he was studying for his MBA at Columbia University with his best friend Harry Britwar who graduted Washington University in St. Louis with him in 1974. Harry was now in Medical School at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Mickey was a classmate of Roy Wagner at Friends Seminary High School in NYC and asked Roy to be in the group & Rodney Smith played in a previous band with Harry. Mickey named the band, That Hideous Strength, after a book written by The Hobbit’s CS Lewis and required reading in Mickey & Roy’s Friends Seminary English Class under the late great Philip Schwartz. Truth in honesty. Mickey didn’t really like the book but loved the title, That Hideous Strength!
Below is a semi live TV clip of That Hideous Strength performing “A Night at the Space Opera” & “They Call Me Energy” on the Dan Conrad TV Show in 1975 featuring Roy Wagner on “A Night at The Space Opera”. Mickey & Harry cowrote “Energy” and Harry sings the lead. Mickey produced That Hideous Strength. We believe “They Call Me Energy” was the first Grunge Record.
Below is the studio version of “A Night at The Space Opera” https://youtu.be/aOFV49-y8LE?si=H2rf3b1xhUUmF12Z by That Hideous Strength available as an MP3 at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3PC3P7D/ and other fine stores. A studio version of “They Call Me Energy” (See below) is available at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3BKG9L8/ and other good outlets.
Mickey recieved his Columbia University MBA, Harry his Medical License and due to professional obligations both pursued careers outside of music in Auditing and Medicine. They did one later recording together but that’s another story. Mickey also went on to produce many comeback recordings of some legendary name 60’s English Rock Groups & their members & continues to produce today.
To license “A Night at the Space Opera” or “They Call Me Energy” for TV/Movies/Commercials etc., please contact HiFiHiFi68@gmail.com
Any other band using the name, That Hideous Strength, is not connected in any way, shape or form musically with this original version of That Hideous Strength.