I think it’s safe to say that Neil Innes was never a household name but any true fan of British comedy should well recognize the songwriter and comedian who was a frequent collaborator of the Monty Python gang. Sadly, Neil Innes passed away of natural causes on Sunday at the age of 75.
Innes was a member of the avant-garde Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, a music group which appeared in the English children’s series Do Not Adjust Your Set (a show probably most famous for featuring then-future Pythonites Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam) and in the Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour. He was also instrumental in the creation and implementation of the Rutles, a pseudo-parody of the Beatles, which spawned TV specials and actual LPs.
Innes’ work with Monty Python included bits in the comedy series, record albums, stage shows and films. He appears to be one of the only two non-Pythons (along with the late Douglas Adams) to be credited with writing the groundbreaking series Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
Certainly it can be assumed that Monty Python would still be the force it is in comedy without Neil Innes but since music has become so much a part of the group’s oeuvre it’s hard to imagine Python without him.
To celebrate the man and his music, let’s check out his appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series from 2011…
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