The Innes Book of Records
The Innes Book of records was a quirky and imaginative TV show airing from 1978-82 for three series. Each series had six programmes and each programme had six songs. The show kicked off with a mysterious intro: a man in a spacesuit wandering through an abandoned house, finding a dusty record player, and setting the mood for the first song. Each show was a unique mix of music, storytelling, and humour, with Neil’s signature style woven throughout.
Some episodes were filmed in the studio and some out and about in Bristol and the surrounding areas. Each song had its own scenario, from a Lone Ranger backdrop, to the interior of a rather sleazy nightclub, to a jungle. There were six costume changes in each programme going from characters like Nick Cabaret – a smooth crooner in dress suit and makeup, to the Marx Brothers-all three outfits perfectly replicated, to Neil as Cezanne the artist, or Neil as a busker, a newspaper vendor, a punk rocker, or Tarzan.
How did this series ever get made? Apart from the expense of all those sets and costumes and the freedom Ian and Andrew had to do virtually what they wanted -it was a mixture of happy events. First Neil meeting producer Ian Keil having been invited by Eric idle to do the songs and music for his new series Rutland Weekend Television, which Ian was producing. When that came to an end Ian knew he would like to keep working with Neil so he talked with him about a new series he had been dreaming up. He wanted to call it ‘Innes Book of Records ‘ and it would be a showcase for Neils’ music and songs. Neil flirted with the idea of calling the show ‘Parodies Lost’ but having tried the name out on a random group of people he agreed with Ian that ‘Innes Book of Records’ was better.
Nine of the programmes were directed by Ian Keil and nine by Andrew Gosling. A favourite scene showed Neil as a playboy in an advert – bright white teeth, hair in the wind, girls in floaty dresses with Neil driving an open top sports car past a painted backcloth of a stately home. When the filming of the ad is finished the backdrop is taken down to reveal the actual stately home, Chatsworth, behind it. This was one of the most expensive scenes in the series. Neil particularly liked that one. I think it appealed to his sense of the ridiculous. Each week there would be a couple of special guests. People like Ivor Cutler, Rowan Atkinson, John Cooper Clarke, Kenny Everett and Mike Palin.
The programmes were plotless and surreal. Neil described them “songs and pictures, about people and things”.
Alongside the show, Neil released two albums: The Innes Book of Records and Off the Record, featuring songs from the series. Interestingly, the tracks on the albums weren’t identical to those in the show—some were re-arranged, giving fans a fresh take on the music