The Rutles were a fictional band brought to life by the combined talents of Eric Idle and Neil Innes, but it was Neil who played a pivotal role in shaping their sound and identity. Originally conceived as a parody of the Beatles for a sketch on Idle’s Rutland Weekend Television in the mid-1970s, the Rutles evolved into much more than a one-off joke. Neil, a skilled musician and songwriter, was responsible for crafting the music that parodied the Beatles so convincingly. His ability to mimic the Fab Four’s sound while adding his own comedic twist made the Rutles stand out, and the band went on to record two studio albums and achieve UK chart success.

After the success of the original TV sketch, Neil’s music became the backbone of the 1978 mockumentary All You Need Is Cash, which detailed the rise and fall of the Rutles in a parody of the Beatles’ career. Neil wrote and performed 20 original songs for the film, each one a clever pastiche of Beatles classics. His ability to tap into the essence of the Beatles’ music without direct imitation gave the Rutles a unique charm. This mockumentary was a milestone for the band and featured Innes performing alongside a group of musicians who embodied the Rutles’ Beatles counterparts.

The origins of the Rutles trace back to Rutland Weekend Television, where  Neil had initially performed a Beatles-like song called “I Must Be in Love.” . Neil said “ I had the idea of doing it in that black-and-white, semi-documentary style Dick Lester had used in A Hard Day’s Night, mainly because it was cheap, which perfectly fitted the idea of Rutland Weekend.” Eric coined the name The Rutles for the band and took the song ‘I Must Be in Love’ and his sketch of a presenter so boring the camera was running away from him to America, where it was viewed on Saturday Night Live.  After that one showing there was a huge postbag asking for more.  So director Lorne Michaels became involved and managed to get the budget for a sort of docu/film and that was when Neil was asked to write twenty more Rutle songs, music and lyrics, in just three months . Back in his studio, he shut the rest of the world out and wrote one song after the other, not listening to any Beatles music. He managed to write the songs by taking himself back to the 60s, remembering what he was doing when he heard particular songs as the Beatles music evolved, and from there he crafted the new songs. If the melodies worked with one guitar or a piano he knew he was on the right track. It was impossible to communicate with him while this explosion of music and work was happening but it was a happy time for Neil being again stretched mentally and musically. I think it is obvious to everyone that without the songs the film ‘All You Need is Cash’ would not have worked.  It was a brilliant collaboration between Neil and Eric. 

His knack for writing music that echoed the Beatles’ style sparked the idea of creating a full parody band The result was a seamless blend of comedy and music that became the foundation of the Rutles’ success.

Neil’s past connections with the Beatles also played a role in the band’s authenticity. His former band, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, had appeared in the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour, and George Harrison was a fan. Harrison not only appeared in Rutland Weekend Television but also supported the idea of a Beatles parody film. This gave Neil and Eric the confidence to create All You Need Is Cash, and Harrison’s backing helped the project gain credibility, adding to Neil’s already considerable musical prowess.

Musically, Neil was the heart of the Rutles. He wrote, composed, and performed the all the band’s songs, crafting tunes that paid homage to each of the Beatle’s style of song writing even Ringos. He fronted the band during live performances and tours, which continued until 2019, and his role as the creative driving force behind the music was essential to the band’s lasting appeal.

Although the Rutles were a parody, Neil’s dedication to writing genuine-sounding pastiches made the music stand on its own. It was Neil’s ability to both celebrate and gently mock the Beatles that made the Rutles a beloved act.

Since the Beatles had disbanded, the advent of the Rutles filled a huge gap. and, as many Beatle lovers confirmed, the songs were just as good.  Tributes poured in most people feeling like Aimee Mann who said in the 7^th Python film “Some of the Rutles songs are better than the Beatles. I had more of a crush on Ron Nasty than I did on John lennon.”    

However it was not an easy ride for Neil. The Beatles publishers decided that Neil would not have written the songs if it wasn’t for the Beatles ignoring completely the fact that they were written to illustrate the story of the Beatles.  They then claimed 50% of the royalties and were given them in spite of a musicologists report saying that having gone through all the songs -these songs were Neils.   The publishers then took their percentage and  for the first fourteen Rutle songs the listing is Lennon McCartney Innes.  It is still hurtful and unbelievable in the light of the fact that the Beatles themselves based some of their music on other influences.  The credit for writing such clever songs is ignored and and greed takes over. The second Rutles album Archeology shared almost the same fate when Virgin were threatened with a court case if Neil used the name Rutles in any of the pre advertising or marketing  Neil had no idea that the name now belonged to Eric and it seemed Eric did not want that album to be released so he effectively stopped it.  The  problem was that these ‘superstars’ did not bother to look at Neil’s whole catalogue of work.  They saw only what they wanted to see, what fitted their purposes, never realising what a brilliant writer and musician he was. Only George Harrison bothered to listen and he became a fan but there was nothing he could do to help Neil.

On a happier note the Rutles road band  Neil, John Halsey, Mickey Simmonds, Mark Griffiths and Ken Thornton enjoyed huge success among fans which was in the end all Neil really cared about