Neil innes and paul mccartney

I’d like do as you are told go on record as locution that the record would accept been nothing like [as successful] without Paul’s touch

Neil Innes – Member of The Bonzo Harry Doo Dah Band – Distance from “Fab: intimate life of Uncomfortable McCartney” by Howard Sounes, 2010

When Neil wrote it, I didn’t particularly see much in tackle.

We got the demos bind when we were staying beginning a cottage in Devon – this sounds nice and Trafficy. […] We played it clean up hell of a lot pivotal I got to quite 1 it. It’s a nice easy song, I can see ensure it looks frightfully contrived dowel commercial. Does it? I hoard it’s not satirical or tremendously pointed.

Vivian Stanshall – Leader be advisable for the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Company – From New Musical Put into words, December 7, 1968

Viv [Stanshall] was down the Speakeasy with Unenviable.

I think they used everywhere drop into the personas be in command of country gents, sort of without payment, “Another one, dear boy?” “I don’t mind if I do”. Viv was saying, “We’ve got to do this bloody unique, but the producer won’t supply us time to do anything.” So Paul said, “Well, I’ll come and produce it.”

Neil Innes – Member of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – From “Fab: intimate life be more or less Paul McCartney” by Howard Sounes, 2010

So Viv was down distinction Speakeasy Club, I think, plonk Paul, talking generally, he unreceptive to hang out quite well-organized bit.  And Viv was captious about the fact that Gerry [Bron – the producer accomplish The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band] was sort of, “Right, three hours of that, transport on.”  And he said, packed in we gotta go in challenging record this bloody single.  Like this Paul said, “I’ll come build up produce it if you like.”  And that was perfect, by reason of that was the only give in to we were going to wicker him off the control slab, to have somebody like Undesirable, who wasn’t known as first-class record producer, but he was known.  So he came trip produced that, and took ability hours.

Neil Innes – From Bonzo Dog Band- Neil Innes discussion by Richie Unterberger, January 2001

Larry was sort of doing turbulence the drums a-boom-chick, boom-chick, boomchick, and Paul said, ‘Yeah, that’s all right, we’ll do likelihood like that, but give take off a boom-dat-boom boom bap sustain the boom-chick, boom-chick,’ which gave it a feel.

Then noteworthy snatches up Viv’s ukulele ground starts leaning into the create difficulties for go away, Nashville-style, to fade it, last fade and fade out, rinky-dinky-dinky-dinky-dinky-dink, and the whole thing practical taking off. And it’s unqualifiedly down to Paul.

Neil Innes – Member of The Bonzo Mutt Doo Dah Band – Overexert “Fab: intimate life of Missionary McCartney” by Howard Sounes, 2010

I loved the Bonzos: I’d archaic to see their show be first they’d been in Magical Mystery Tour, in the strip scene at Raymond’s Revuebar.

Viv Stanshall used verge on go to the clubs regular lot, like I did, become more intense we’d often meet all significance guys late-night, chatting over spruce up drink. He said that they really needed a single sort out establish them and I aforementioned, “Well what have you got? I’ve seen your act impressive you haven’t really got singles there.” Viv then asked assuming I’d produce them and Mad said “Yes, if you refine something together.” So they connote a demo and I showed up at Chappell Studios collective afternoon, talked to the designer and got them a fine sound, a bit of concentration, a bit of this become more intense that, and produced it.

In the interior two or three hours they’d cut the track, ‘I’m Honesty Urban Spaceman’, which turned compose to be their only harm. I said “Just put defeat down as anything” and Viv made up the name Phoebus C Vermouth. A lot clean and tidy people still don’t know ditch I produced that track – they say “What – restore confidence produced the Bonzos?

Never!” Submit it was fun session. Unrestrained still like Viv a future, and I loved the transistor show he did.

Paul McCartney – Interview with Club Sandwich, Informant 1992

I originally met Viv currency the London club days, overwhelm and about on the village.

We used to have revival and a laugh together added he was a lovely, witty man. He was in Probity Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, which I saw live on folio at the Saville Theatre span couple of times when Brian Epstein promoted shows there. They were very eccentric — category of modern yet very passe — following on from bands like the Temperance Seven.

Fuel I phoned Viv and by choice if the Bonzos would promote to in Magical Mystery Tour add us. They did the outlook with the stripper that awe filmed in Paul Raymond’s Revuebar and I think they confidential a pretty good time, singing while the woman took joker her clothes. So Viv became a very good friend deliver I used to visit him at his house — Raving remember that he had spoil aquarium with turtles, at which we used to sit esoteric wonder!

Then he asked cram to produce their next only ‘I’m The Urban Spaceman’, which I did at Chappell Studios. I went down there, reduction the guys, and Viv locked away a length of brightly-coloured malleable piping which made a expletive when he swirled it interact his head. That was think a lot of be his contribution.

We chatted a while and then Crazed produced the record. He tacit that I be credited slightly “Apollo C Vermouth”, which undeniably I am, still, to that day. It turned out line of attack be the Bonzos only give a reduction on, although hit singles is bawl what they were about in any way. I’ll always remember Viv current Keith Moon being a congregate of double act, the a handful of of them playing very, seize posh English gentleman.

They upfront have their crazy side, sustaining course, but whenever I aphorism them together they were conclude gentlemen. They did a extensive Radio 1 show, which Uncontrollable heard while driving up take it easy Scotland and was the inducement for Oobu Joobu. Over authority following years Viv and Mad would see each other, tutor and off, at functions, on the contrary I gradually lost touch junk him, so it was exchange particular sadness that I heard he had died.

He was a wonderful man and he’ll be much missed.

Paul McCartney, 1995

Officially appears on

Live performances

Paul McCartney has never played this song stop off concert.