Originally, Rob Reiner was going to be in the band, but decided on just directing the film after the comment, "he didn't look good in spandex," was made by Harry Shearer.

During 'Big Bottom', not only are all three band members playing bass guitars, but Derek is playing double necked bass. This is a parody of Jimmy Page's double necked Gibson SG (which he used on Stairway To Heaven), with one neck having six strings with the other having 12. Both of Derek's bass necks have four strings, which defies the point of a double necked guitar.

The band's name was originally going to be spelled "Spynal Tap," but it was changed because the band members wanted to fit in with the trend of misspelled band names. Harry Shearer later commented that "we later learned we spelled it right by mistake."

The film was written by all of the actors who appear in the film.