Neil Innes
Neil Innes in 1968
Background information
Birth name	Neil James Innes
Born	December 9, 1944 (1944-12-09) (age 62)
Origin	Danbury, England
Associated acts	The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, The Rutles

Neil James Innes (born 9 December 1944, in Danbury, Essex) is an English writer and performer of comic songs, best known for playing in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later The Rutles.

Career

Innes studied at the Norwich School of Fine Art, from which he was thrown out around 1963, allegedly for "spending all day playing music, instead of making things".

In the period 1962 to 1965, Innes and several other art school students started a band which was originally named The Bonzo Dog Dada Band after their interest in the art movement Dada, but which was soon renamed the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (often shortened to The Bonzo Dog Band). Innes, with Vivian Stanshall, wrote most of the band's songs, including "I'm the Urban Spaceman", their sole hit, (produced by Paul McCartney and Gus Dudgeon under the collective pseudonym Apollo C. Vermouth) and "Death Cab for Cutie" (which inspired an American musical group of the same name), which was featured in the Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour.

Ron Nasty (played by Innes) meets Chastity in The Rutles not-so-subtle-sendup of John Lennon meeting Yoko Ono in 1966 at Indica Gallery in London.

In the late 60s, Innes appeared with the Bonzo Dog Band on both seasons of the UK children's television series Do Not Adjust Your Set which also featured future members of the Monty Python comedy team.

After the breakup of Bonzo Dog Band, Innes joined with former Dog Band bassist Dennis Cowan, drummer Ian Wallace and guitarist Roger McKew to form The World, a band hoping for "more commercial" success with music ranging from rock to pure pop, yet still retaining some Doo-Dah flavor and even a bit of the humor. Unfortunately for them, by the time their sole album Lucky Planet was released in 1970, the members had already disbanded and were moving on to other projects.

In 1973 Neil worked with Andy Roberts, Adrian Henri, Mike McGear, Brian Patten, John Gorman, David Richards, John Megginson, Ollie Halsall, and Gerry Conway in the band GRIMMS, who released their self titled album and Rocking Duck in 1973 followed by their last album Sleepers in 1976.

In the mid-70s, Innes became closely associated with the TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus, and played a major role in performing and writing songs and sketches for the final series in 1974 (after John Cleese had left). He wrote a squib of a song called "George III" (sung by a pastiche black American girl group) which appears in the episode "The Golden Age Of Ballooning". He also wrote the song "Where Does A Dream Begin?" (included in the episode "Anything Goes: The Light Entertainment War") and he co-wrote the "Most Awful Family In Britain" sketch in the last episode, "Party Political Broadcast". He is one of only two non-Pythons to ever be credited writers for the TV series, the other one being Douglas Adams (who co-wrote another sketch in "Party Political Broadcast".

Innes fronting The Bonzo Dog Band on Do Not Adjust Your Set.

Innes wrote the songs for Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and appeared in the film as a head-bashing monk, the serf crushed by the giant wooden rabbit, and the leader of Sir Robin's minstrels. He also had a small role in Terry Gilliam's Jabberwocky, and performed with the Pythons on stage, including at their legendary Hollywood Bowl concert. Because of these long-standing connections, Innes is often referred to as "the Seventh Python".

He appeared on stage with the Pythons in New York City in 1975, performing the Bob Dylanesque song "Rain on a Tin Roof" (complete with overblown harmonica) on the album Monty Python Live at City Center. He was introduced as Raymond Scum. After his introduction he told the audience "I've suffered for my music. Now it's your turn." In 1982 he traveled to the States with the Pythons again, appearing in Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl. He performed the songs "How Sweet to Be an Idiot" and "I'm the Urban Spaceman."

After Python finished its original run on UK television, Innes joined with Python's Eric Idle on the series Rutland Weekend Television. This was a Python-esque sketch show based in in fictional low-budget regional television station. It ran for two series in 1975-76. Songs and sketches from the series appeared on a 1976 BBC LP, the Rutland Weekend Songbook. This show spawned The Rutles (the "prefab four"), a Beatles parody band, in which Innes played the character of Ron Nasty, who was loosely based on John Lennon. Innes played Nasty in an American-made spin-off TV movie, All You Need Is Cash, with Idle. The film also had a spin-off LP on Warner Brothers.

After Rutland Weekend Television, Idle relocated to the USA, and Innes went on to make a solo series on BBC television, The Innes Book of Records(punning on the Guinness Book of Records).

During the 1980s, Innes found a new, younger audience, when he played the role of the Wizard in the children's television series Puddle Lane.

Innes plays a very nervous herald in Jabberwocky (1977)

He also voiced the 1980s children's cartoon adventures of The Raggy Dolls, a motley collection of "rejects" from a toy factory. The 65 episodes for Yorkshire television included the characters Sad Sack, Hi-Fi, Lucy, Dotty, Back-to-Front and Princess.

At the time of The Beatles Anthology CDs, there was a revival of interest in The Rutles and a new album was released entitled Archaeology.

Innes can occasionally be heard (often as the butt of jokes) standing in as the pianist for the BBC Radio 4 panel game I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

Innes toured the UK in November 2006 as part of the Bonzo Dog Band's 40th Anniversary tour.

Solo albums

• How Sweet to be an Idiot (1973)
• Taking Off (1977)
• The Innes Book of Records (1979)
• Off the Record (1982)
• Re-Cycled Vinyl Blues (1994)
• Recollections 1 (2000)
• Recollections 2 (2001)
• Recollections 3 (2001)
• Works in Progress (2005)

The World

• Lucky Planet (1970)

GRIMMS

• GRIMMS (1973)
• Rocking Duck (1973)
• Sleepers (1976)

External links

• Biographical information by Ian Kitching
• "Words of Innespiration – The Lyrics & Unplanned Career of Neil Innes" – an unofficial site
• Doo Dah Diaries
• Neil Innes at the Internet Movie Database

Monty Python
Graham Chapman • John Cleese • Terry Gilliam • Eric Idle • Terry Jones • Michael Palin
Other contributors
Douglas Adams • Connie Booth • Carol Cleveland • Neil Innes
TV series
Monty Python’s Flying Circus • Monty Python’s Fliegender Zirkus • Monty Python’s Personal Best
Films
And Now for Something Completely Different • Monty Python and the Holy Grail • Monty Python's Life of Brian • Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl • Monty Python's The Meaning of Life
Specials
Parrot Sketch Not Included - 20 Years of Monty Python * Monty Python Live At Aspen • Python Night - 30 Years of Monty Python
Albums
Monty Python's Flying Circus • Another Monty Python Record • Monty Python's Previous Record • The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief • Monty Python Live at Drury Lane • The Album of the Soundtrack of the Trailer of the Film of Monty Python and the Holy Grail • Monty Python Live at City Center • The Monty Python Instant Record Collection • Monty Python's Life of Brian • Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album • Monty Python's The Meaning of Life • The Final Rip Off • Monty Python Sings • The Ultimate Monty Python Rip Off • The Instant Monty Python CD Collection • The Hastily Cobbled Together for a Fast Buck Album
Stage productions
Spamalot • Not the Messiah