Neil Innes
Neil Innes (born Neil James Innes on 9 December 1944 in Danbury, Essex; die… Read Full Bio ↴Neil Innes (born Neil James Innes on 9 December 1944 in Danbury, Essex; died 29 December 2019) was an English writer and performer of comic songs, best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python, and for playing in The Bonzo Dog Band and later The Rutles.
Attending Goldsmiths College, London, where he studied Drama, Innes started a band with other students that was originally named The Bonzo Dog Dada Band (after the art movement Dada) which they renamed the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (later shortened to The Bonzo Dog Band). Innes had met Vivian Stanshall at the Central School of Art, where both studied drawing. Together they wrote most of the band's songs, including "The Urban Spaceman", their sole hit (produced by Apollo C. Vermouth, an alias for Paul McCartney), and "Death Cab for Cutie", which featured in The Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour (1967). Innes won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Novel(ty) Song in 1968 for "I'm the Urban Spaceman".
After the break-up of The 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 flavour and even some of the humour. 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.
Innes went on to collaborate with members of Monty Python and released several solo albums in the Seventies. In 1978, Innes and Eric Idle (of Python) created a Beatles spoof band, The Rutles, and filmed a mockumentary of the same name. Innes then became the star of a BBC television series, The Innes Book of Records which ran from 1979 to 1981.
In late 2010, Innes took part in the formation of The Idiot Bastard Band, a comedy musical collective featuring himself, Adrian Edmondson, Phill Jupitus, Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron. The band debuted at The Wilmington Arms in London in December that year, playing a range of comedy songs old and new, with deliberately little rehearsal. In 2011, Jupitus was unable to take part due to prior commitments and was replaced by several special guests, including Paul Whitehouse, Barry Cryer and Nigel Planer. Following the death of Brint in May 2011, the band performed a further tour in 2012.
Attending Goldsmiths College, London, where he studied Drama, Innes started a band with other students that was originally named The Bonzo Dog Dada Band (after the art movement Dada) which they renamed the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (later shortened to The Bonzo Dog Band). Innes had met Vivian Stanshall at the Central School of Art, where both studied drawing. Together they wrote most of the band's songs, including "The Urban Spaceman", their sole hit (produced by Apollo C. Vermouth, an alias for Paul McCartney), and "Death Cab for Cutie", which featured in The Beatles' film Magical Mystery Tour (1967). Innes won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Novel(ty) Song in 1968 for "I'm the Urban Spaceman".
After the break-up of The 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 flavour and even some of the humour. 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.
Innes went on to collaborate with members of Monty Python and released several solo albums in the Seventies. In 1978, Innes and Eric Idle (of Python) created a Beatles spoof band, The Rutles, and filmed a mockumentary of the same name. Innes then became the star of a BBC television series, The Innes Book of Records which ran from 1979 to 1981.
In late 2010, Innes took part in the formation of The Idiot Bastard Band, a comedy musical collective featuring himself, Adrian Edmondson, Phill Jupitus, Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron. The band debuted at The Wilmington Arms in London in December that year, playing a range of comedy songs old and new, with deliberately little rehearsal. In 2011, Jupitus was unable to take part due to prior commitments and was replaced by several special guests, including Paul Whitehouse, Barry Cryer and Nigel Planer. Following the death of Brint in May 2011, the band performed a further tour in 2012.
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Neil Innes Lyrics
God Is Love We have no time for lover's games of hide-and-seek or…
How Sweet to Be an Idiot How sweet to be an Idiot, As harmless as a cloud, Too…
I Give Myself to You TO YOU I GIVE MYSELF I To You I give myself and…
L'Amour Perdu L'amour perdu to circumstances Et tout le monde et Tuesday…
La Vie En Rose Such a cold, cold morning The wind against my face…
Lazy Days Now life can get you down And make you wear a…
Let's Go Crazy Oh boy, we're gonna have some fun tonight We're gonna have…
Libido Caramba, ay, ay, ay! The moon is bright above The stars are…
Lie Down And Be Counted There's no song for the singer No words for the…
Love Is Getting Deeper We have no time for lover's games of hide-and-seek or…
Rock of Ages Rock of ages roll me over at this point in…
Take Away Walkin' the street Hopin' to meet A real-life Satan's daught…
Them They came in countless numbers Without hope, without hopeles…
This Love of Ours This love of ours is like playing card houses Not…
Three Piece Suite Two armchairs and a sofa make our world complete We…
Time To Kill The sun is in the sky The stars still burn Beneath my…
Tinsel And String In the name of Jesus Christ Christmas time is here again Pea…
Topless-A-Go-Go Slick Willie was a shoeshine boy Workin' downtown, 42nd Stre…