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RHLSTP Book Clubs are a real pleasure for me (and luckily it's only my opinion that matters) and I am getting to spend time in the company of some fantastic writers and folk who have lived interesting lives. Tomorrow I am chatting to Yvonne Innes, the wife of the 7th Python and 14th Beatle and 1st Neil Innes, Neil Innes. She's written the biography of Neil that he never got to write, which not only reminded me of quite how rich his career was and how creative he was over those 5 decades, but also gives a portrait of their love story and what it's like to be the spouse of someone as unique as Neil. I have to say Yvonne is fascinating and funny in her own right and as the chapter about Neil's death particularly shows, a very fine writer. It's heartbreaking stuff in the end (as all lives must be), but the book is all about creativity, hope, living on through your work and caring more about people than notional ideas of success. The pair had mainly bad fortune with legal cases about ownership of ideas and songs (mainly because they didn't have the clout or cash to stand up to those who they needed to) but Neil did at least get paid by Oasis who inadvertently or advertently ripped off "How Sweet To Be An Idiot".
As a comedy fan who was in awe of Python, I was of course in awe of Innes, without at the time knowing much of anything about the Bonzos or the Grimms or even Rutland Weekend Television (though of course I loved the Rutles). I knew him from his appearance on a Monty Python album singing Idiot - which I knew was different from most comedy songs and loved it as a result "Hey you, you're such a pedant. You've got as much brains as a dead ant, as much imagination as a caravan site." He still felt like a secret in spite of this high profile, and one of my favourite earlyish comedy memories is watching The Innes Book of Records with my brother. I would have been 11 when it started, but already hoovering up all comedy I could get into, but my brother was 17 or 18 and understood that this programme was cooler than the others and I pretended to be as sophisticated. It was so visual and rich with ideas and looks like a production of Cabaret crossed with an edition of Nationwide and I am surprised it was only shown once as some of the songs have stuck in my mind for years - I sing the chorus of Chalk and Cheese about once a year.
I found the first episode on Youtube and it's well worth a look. I suspect they're all up there somewhere.
I love how it's all filmed guerilla style in the middle of places where there are members of the public milling around. It's apparently why it's not been released on DVD or download becuase of clearance issues, but that seems like a poor excuse. None of those people will recognise themselves now (mainly cos many of them are surely dead) and if they do they will be delighted to see themselves.
I had always thought that I'd get Neil on RHLSTP, but as with a few people now I left it to late to put in the request and I know from this book that he'd have been the most fabulous of guests. I did meet him once, as I got out of a cab in Melbourne, he asked the driver if the cab was free. I thought that I'd been my usual self and been too shy to say hello or tell him how great I thought he was, but the blog remembers better
http://www.richardherring.com/warmingup/28/03/2003/index.html and I did engage with him briefly.
He's my favourite type of performer, or maybe the one I identify with most, who keeps going, keeps reinventing, keeps trying new things and doesn't care too much whether they're performing to hundreds or dozens or ones. And Yvonne's stories of budget hotels, selling your own merch and greedy venues wanting 20% of said merch, even though that means they'll make more out of it than you (merch is not free to the performer) resonated too.
It's a shame he wasn't given the credit or money he deserved for some of his more famous projects, but equally I am glad he spent his time having fun with friends rather than chasing grudges.
Here's Chalk and Cheese, which has stuck with me after one viewing 45 years ago. Nice to see it again. Hopefully it will stick with you for 45 years too.
