Neil James Innes (born 9 December 1944, in Danbury, Essex) is an English writer and performer of comic songs, best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python, and for playing in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later The Rutles. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Danbury is a Village in Essex, England. It is 45 miles (72 km northeast of London and has a population of 6500 Essex is a county in the East of England. The County town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A novelty song is a silly or nonsensical Song, performed principally for its comical effect. Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons) is the collective name of the six creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British Television The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as The Bonzo Dog Band, The Bonzo Dog Dada Band and colloquially as " The Bonzos " are a band created by The Rutles was a fictional band created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes as a Pastiche of The Beatles. Born in Danbury, Essex, England, on December 9, 1944, Innes spent a good part of his childhood in post-war Germany during his Scottish father's military assignment as a Warrant Officer. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. He also took piano lessons as a child. Neil also has a brother, Iain, about 3 years older. Neil's parents were supportive of their sons' interests. His father drew and painted, and his mother loved horses.

He later attended Thorpe Grammar School and the Norwich School of Art in Norwich. While he attended Goldsmith's School of Art, he met Yvonne Catherine Hilton, majoring in drama, there, and they later married on March 3, 1966. They have 3 sons, Miles (b. 1967), Luke (b. 1971),and Barney (b. 1977). They have at least 2 grandchildren. ^[1][2]

Career

Innes graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art from Goldsmith's School of Art at some time between 1962 to 1965. ^[3][4]

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). For other meanings see Dada (disambiguation DaDa is a Concept album by Alice Cooper, released The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as The Bonzo Dog Band, The Bonzo Dog Dada Band and colloquially as " The Bonzos " are a band created by 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. Vivian Stanshall (born Victor Anthony Stanshall, 21 March 1943 &ndash 5 March 1995) was an "I'm the Urban Spaceman" was the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band 's most successful single released in 1968 Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, Gus Dudgeon (1942–2002 was a British Record producer, and the inventor of audio sampling as a musical device 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. " Death Cab for Cutie " is a Song composed by Vivian Stanshall and Neil Innes and performed by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Death Cab for Cutie is an American Indie rock band formed in Bellingham, The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 Magical Mystery Tour is an hour-long television film starring The Beatles ( John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison Innes won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Novel(ty) Song in 1968 for "I'm the Urban Spaceman". The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are Awards for Songwriting and Composing. "I'm the Urban Spaceman" was the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band 's most successful single released in 1968

Ron Nasty (played by Innes) meets Chastity (Gwen Taylor) in The Rutles sendup of John Lennon meeting Yoko Ono in 1966 at Indica Gallery in London. The Rutles was a fictional band created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes as a Pastiche of The Beatles. John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born born in Tokyo on February 18 1933 is a Japanese Artist and Musician. Indica Gallery was a Counterculture Art gallery in Mason's Yard (off Duke Street Mayfair, London, England during the late 1960s London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

In the late 1960s, 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. Do Not Adjust Your Set ( DNAYS) was a children's television series produced originally by Rediffusion London, then by the fledgling Monty Python (sometimes known as The Pythons) is the collective name of the six creators of Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British Television

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. Ian Russell Wallace (b 29 September 1946, Bury, Lancashire, England — d 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. Adrian Henri ( 10 April 1932 Mike McCartney (born Peter Michael McCartney 7 January 1944 Brian Patten (born 7 February 1946, Liverpool, Lancashire, England) is an English Poet. John Gorman (born 4 January 1936, in Birkenhead) is an English comic entertainer Vocalist and Musician. 'Ollie may not have been the best guitarist in the world but he was certainly among the top two ^[5]

In the mid-1970s, 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). Monty Python’s Flying Circus (also known as Flying Circus or during the final series just Monty Python) is a BBC Sketch comedy John Marwood Cleese (ˈkliːz born 27 October, 1939) is a British Actor, Comedian, Writer, Film producer 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". Douglas Noël Adams (11 March 1952 &ndash 11 May 2001 was an English author comic Radio dramatist

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. Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1975 film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python ( Graham Chapman, John Cleese 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. Terrence Vance Gilliam (born 22 November 1940) is an American -born British Writer, Filmmaker, Animator and member Jabberwocky ( 1977) is a comic medieval Film by Monty Python 's resident Animator, Terry Gilliam. The Hollywood Bowl is a famous modern Amphitheatre in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles California, USA, that is used primarily for music Performances 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 "Protest Song" (complete with harmonica) on the album Monty Python Live at City Center. The City of New York Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman, May 24 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota) is an American singer-songwriter author poet and painter who has been a major Monty Python Live at City Center is an Album released by Monty Python. 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. Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl is a 1982 concert film in which the Monty Python team perform many of their greatest sketches at the Hollywood 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. Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943 is an English Comedian, Actor, Author, Singer and Composer of comedic songs Rutland Weekend Television (RWT was a television sketch show on BBC2, written by Eric Idle with music by Neil Innes. This was a Python-esque sketch show based in a 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. Rutland Weekend Television (RWT was a television sketch show on BBC2, written by Eric Idle with music by Neil Innes. 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. The Rutles was a fictional band created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes as a Pastiche of The Beatles. The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (born Innes played Nasty in an American-made spin-off TV movie, All You Need Is Cash, with Idle. All You Need Is Cash (also known as The Rutles) is a 1978 television film that traces (in Mockumentary style the career of The film also had a spin-off LP on Warner Brothers. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc (or Warner Bros, Warner Bros Pictures) is one of the world's largest producers of Film and

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). Rutland Weekend Television (RWT was a television sketch show on BBC2, written by Eric Idle with music by Neil Innes. Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U

During the 1980s, Innes played the role of the Wizard in the children's television series Puddle Lane, made by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network. Puddle Lane (or Tales from Puddle Lane) was a 1980s British Pre-school children's Television programme written by Yorkshire Television is the ITV contractor for the Yorkshire franchise Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent

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. Jabberwocky ( 1977) is a comic medieval Film by Monty Python 's resident Animator, Terry Gilliam. The Raggy Dolls was a 1980s British Cartoon series for children following the adventures of 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. ANThology is the first Major label album by Alien Ant Farm released on March 6, 2001 in the USA and March 19 The Rutles was a fictional band created by Eric Idle and Neil Innes as a Pastiche of The Beatles.

Innes took part in the 2002 Concert for George, in memory of George Harrison. The Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first George Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001 was an English rock Guitarist Singer - Songwriter, Author

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. I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, sometimes abbreviated to "ISIHAC" or simply "Clue", is a BBC

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

A film about Neil Innes called The Seventh Python is in post-production as of October 2007^[6], and is scheduled to be released in June 2008. ^[7]

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 (compilation LP, 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)

References

External links

• "Words of Innespiration – The Lyrics & Unplanned Career of Neil Innes" – the official site
• The Seventh Python Official MySpace page (for Neil Innes musical biopic)
• Neil In Us--An unofficial site with periodically changing themes, multiple songs, pictures, and some historical information.
• Biographical information by Ian Kitching
• Doo Dah Diaries - The project to compile the complete history of the Bonzos
• Neil Innes at the Internet Movie Database
• The Innes Book of Memories
• [2] Neil Innes, UK based fan page http://www.myspace.com/neilinnestribute