So I got a hold of four seasons of Monty Python, The Secret Policeman’s Ball, and Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl - all with Japanese subtitles on the bottom of the screen. Pretty neat.
Anyway, my question is - in the Hollywood Bowl, there is a guy who sings while playing the banjo. Later, the same guy sings while playing the piano. I thought the song he sang while playing the banjo was really really cool in many ways. Who was that guy? And where can I find the lyrics?
-Kris
PS I was also wondering who plays the black knight in the Holy Grail movie. (The one who allegedly got all his limbs chopped off.)
Oops - OK - Neil Innes then! This should help with lyrics: The Frightfully Incomplete and Rather Poorly Formatted Monty Python’s PythoNET SONG LYRICS SHEET http://www.pythonet.org/pythsong.html#Howsweet
Of the songs, can you mention a couple of key words that might kick the ol’ gray metter into gear? Say, something like:
“I’ve got two legs from my hips to the ground”
or
“Never be rude to an Arab”
or
“I’m the urban spaceman”
I remember those songs, but not which tapes they’re from. A hint would help some of us give a quicker and more complete answer to your question.
(Most of the “The Secret Policeman” concerts are great, btw! I loved John Cleese and Eric Idle as the Pope and Michelangelo - ‘The Penultimate Supper’.)
That’s the Bonzo Dog Band song, “I’m the Urban Spaceman.” It may be difficult to find. It was released as a single in England and appeared on their album “Tadpoles.” In America, it appeared in their album “Urban Spaceman” (oddly enough ), which is the British album “The Doughnut in Granny’s Greenhouse” with the song “I’m the Urban Spaceman” added (the song was produced by Apollo C. Vermouth – a psudonym for Paul McCartney, who also played banjo on the cut).
The song is on several of the Bonzo compilation albums. Get them – Python was strongly influenced by the Bonzos.
We have a few of the Monty Python video collections, and I am always on the lookout for the episode of Flying Circus that was ALL in German. not to be confused with the “german episode” that was done for German television. There was an episode that was done without subtitles completely auf deutsche. I saw it once on PBS when they were running a marathon, and never again.
Does anyone know what this ep was called and if it’s on any of the video compilations?
True, it’s on the album, but I’ve also seen it done as a solo on one of the Secret Policeman shows or Pleasure at Her Majesty’s.
(Sorry, no link for the Secret Policeman tapes - buggy browser. Go to Amazon, and seach ‘secret policeman’.)
So, Kris Rhodes, how’s about a song hint, buddy? I don’t have the tapes, Blockbuster doesn’t carry them (or much else) and I’m maxed out at the library.
Oddly enough, I’m listening to a Neil Innes CD at this very moment… much information on Innes, the Bonzos, and similar topics to be found at this site.
Just for the sake of clarity. The full name is The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.
Someone mentioned the Ruttles in this thread. If you haven’t seen (or rather heard) this TV programme you have something good to look forward to. For the clueless: it’s a parody of the history of the Beatles (produced by one George Harrison if I’m not too mistaken) and I must say that Innes have succeded in writing a whole lot of songs that sound just like they could have been written by the Beatles, and he has also said that sometimes when he has played them he has said that they are actually old Beatles songs, that they never released on record, and the audiences have swallowed it hook, bait and all.
This should help with lyrics: The Frightfully Incomplete and Rather Poorly Formatted Monty Python’s PythoNET SONG LYRICS SHEET
), which is the British album “The Doughnut in Granny’s Greenhouse” with the song “I’m the Urban Spaceman” added (the song was produced by Apollo C. Vermouth – a psudonym for Paul McCartney, who also played banjo on the cut).