As this review of the reissue of Neil Innes’s first album, How Sweet To Be An Idiot, was being written, the members of the Bonzo Dog Band were waiting for the judgement on the final stage of a series of court cases relating to the reclamation of their original name, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Neil Innes is the Seventh Python". Theseventhpythonmovie.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2012 . Retrieved 27 September 2014. When Neil Innes died unexpectedly in December 2019 the world lost more than just a singer and songwriter. Innes was an important nexus point between several of the most popular cultural phenomena of the twentieth century, chief amongst them being The Beatles and Monty Python. A de facto member of the latter – the ‘Seventh Python’– and an admirer, friend and participant in the world of the former, Innes has often been thought of as a cult figure, tied up in the worlds and stories of others. But he was always much more than that and his work as an individual, away from his megastar friends and the legacy of the marvellous Bonzo Dog Band, is a treasure trove of melody, comedy and pathos.

With Idle moving to LA, Innes made his own BBC TV series called The Innes Book Of Records in 1979 before utilising his family-friendly image to move into children’s TV and books in the ‘80s and ‘90s, as well as literary travel series Away With Words. The Bonzos and The Rutles would re-emerge sporadically over the coming decades, with The Rutles most notably releasing a parody of The Beatles’ ‘Anthology’ entitled ‘The Rutles Archaeology’ in 1996, but Innes’ tendency for comic subterfuge would remained undimmed into the new century. In 2010 he formed The Idiot Bastard Band, a purposefully unrehearsed comedy song collective which would include Phil Jupitus, Adrian Edmondson, Roland Rivron and Paul Whitehouse across the next two years. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1sted.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.

On The Go

The songs written by Innes so closely pastiched the original source material that he was taken to court by the owners of the Beatles' catalogue. Innes had to testify under oath that he had not listened to the songs at all while composing the Rutles' songs, but had created them completely originally based on what he remembered various songs by the Beatles sounding like at different times. However the court ruled in favour of ATV music and imposed co-writing credits and royalties. Many years later, Innes' own music publisher demanded a co-writing credit for Innes from Beatles-influenced band Oasis, for their 1994 song " Whatever", as it directly lifted parts of its melody from Innes' 1973 song " How Sweet to Be an Idiot". This event was subsequently referenced in the Rutles' song "Shangri-La" on their 1996 reunion album The Rutles Archaeology, which was itself a parody of The Beatles Anthology. Whatever (12-inch vinyl single liner notes). Oasis. UK: Creation. 1994. CRE 195T. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) Singlar – År 1995" (in Swedish). Topplistan. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016 . Retrieved 2 July 2019. New concerts were scheduled in 2011. Jupitus was unable to attend due to prior commitments and was replaced by several special guests, including Paul Whitehouse, Barry Cryer and Nigel Planer. [21] Following the death of Brint, the band performed a further tour in 2012. The band's name is a play on Frank Zappa's song The Idiot Bastard Son.

In the mid-1970s, Innes became closely associated with the Monty Python team, having first worked with Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Eric Idle on the 1960s television show Do Not Adjust Your Set. He contributed music to the Monty Python albums Monty Python's Previous Record (1972) and The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief (1973), and played a major role in performing and writing songs and sketches for their final TV series in 1974, after John Cleese temporarily left the troupe. He wrote a squib of a song called "George III" for the episode "The Golden Age of Ballooning", which was sung by the Flirtations but billed onscreen as the Ronettes. He also wrote the song "When Does a Dream Begin?", used in "Anything Goes: The Light Entertainment War". He co-wrote the "Most Awful Family in Britain" sketch and played a humorous stilted guitar version of the theme song, " The Liberty Bell" march, during the credits of the last episode, "Party Political Broadcast". He is one of only two non-Pythons ever to be credited writers for the TV series, the other being Douglas Adams (who co-wrote the " Patient Abuse" sketch, also featured in "Party Political Broadcast"). The 1970s proved to be a highly prolific decade for Innes as a solo artist, band member and live stage and television performer.While a student at Goldsmiths College, London, in the mid-1960s Innes met Yvonne Catherine Hilton; they married on 3 March 1966. The couple had three sons, Miles (b. 1967), Luke (b. 1971), and Barney (b. 1978). [22] [1] Whatever (MC single liner notes). Oasis. UK: Creation. 1994. CRECS 195. {{ cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ( link) He appeared on stage with the Pythons in the UK and Canada in 1973, in London in 1974 and in New York City in 1976, performing the Bob Dylanesque "Protest Song" (complete with 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 1980, he travelled to the States with the Pythons again, subsequently 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". He also appeared as one of the singing "Bruces" in the Philosopher Sketch and as a Church Policeman in the "Salvation Fuzz" sketch.