Neil Innes quotes

Neil Innes was a British comedian, musician, and songwriter known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and the Rutles. With a career spanning over five decades, Innes has left a lasting impact on the world of comedy and music. His witty lyrics and catchy tunes have earned him a dedicated fan base and critical acclaim. Innes sadly passed away in 2019, but his legacy lives on through his timeless music and hilarious performances. Explore more about Neil Innes and his incredible career in comedy and music.

Because Larry, by then, was a drummer, who would sort of get bored and tired, and rather stand up and blow kisses to people. So we needed the bass to sort of drive along.

- Neil Innes

In fact, Moon came on tour with us for a bit just before a big festival in Brighton, I think.

- Neil Innes

But Dennis was a really solid musician, and we really needed somebody who could play bass like him.

- Neil Innes

Ladies and gentleman, I've suffered for my music, now it's your turn.

- Neil Innes

I suppose Roger had the license to do anything that fitted the venue.

- Neil Innes

But we used to go to flea markets and things, and look for old 78 records that had silly song titles.

- Neil Innes

And Roger was crazy with his robots and everything.

- Neil Innes

So we used to look for funny songs, and learn them and play them. And we used to play them in pubs.

- Neil Innes

But I remember we sold nearly 18,000 records in one day.

- Neil Innes

I mean in recent years, I think you've only got to sell thirty or forty thousand to get a #1.

- Neil Innes

I used to help Viv with the chords and melodies sometimes.

- Neil Innes

We weren't going to play the show-biz game, and be obsequious.

- Neil Innes

Larry only ever wrote one song, and he wrote that with Tony Kaye, I think it was, from Yes.

- Neil Innes

I suppose we all loved those kind of sci-fi movies where terrible things came out of swamps and came to Mars. And there's usually some poor girl. All the guys are trying to desperately handle levers and saying, go to something or other.

- Neil Innes

I think most musicians do like to have a laugh.

- Neil Innes

We then took a shortened version of what we'd been doing in the pubs, with the best gags and things like that, out to cabaret clubs and things in the north of England for six weeks. And we became a big success.

- Neil Innes

It was just us lampooning our own peer group, saying, well hey, where did this stuff come from? And where does British guys get to be so good at it suddenly?

- Neil Innes

Viv had this kind of stage presence where you couldn't ignore it. He walked onstage, he looked dangerous. You just didn't know what he was going to do.

- Neil Innes

I wasn't aware that Track Records were interested in the Bonzos.

- Neil Innes

In many ways, Viv and I were the only ones who were really songwriters.

- Neil Innes

When we did Top of the Pops for the third time, we decided to do it as a television program here called Come Dancing, which is not as rude as it sounds.

- Neil Innes

But I mean, again, Zappa's far more musical than the Bonzos ever were.

- Neil Innes

Eric Clapton always wanted to come out onstage with a stuffed parrot on his shoulder.

- Neil Innes

As I said, when we needed to move over to rock'n'roll, Sam and Vernon couldn't quite make the shift. So that's when Larry took over on drums, and we needed a bass player.

- Neil Innes

I see my role in the Bonzos as being the straight man, in many ways.

- Neil Innes