Editing Neil Innes (section)

===GRIMMS and Monty Python===
The 1970s proved to be a highly prolific decade for Innes as a solo artist, band member and live stage and television performer.

In 1971, Innes briefly reunited with most of his former Bonzo Dog Band colleagues to record their reunion/contractual obligation album ''[[Let's Make Up and Be Friendly]]'', and he, Vivian Stanshall and Dennis Cowan also formed a short-lived touring band named Freaks with [[Keith Moon]] on drums. This in turn led Innes and Stanshall to a union with [[The Scaffold]] and other musicians, poets and performers later that year as [[Grimms|GRIMMS]]. While Stanshall effectively bowed out of this group soon after its formation, Innes remained as one of the permanent core members for the next five years, working with [[Andy Roberts (musician)|Andy Roberts]], [[Roger McGough]], [[John Gorman (musician)|John Gorman]], [[Mike McCartney|Mike McGear]], Dave Richards, [[Brian Patten]], [[Adrian Henri]], John Megginson, future [[Rutles]] bandmates [[Ollie Halsall]] and [[John Halsey (musician)|John Halsey]], and Gerry Conway (among many others). Although GRIMMS was initially conceived purely as a touring [[revue]]-type ensemble, early 1973 saw the release of their self-titled live album, followed by a second studio-recorded album ''Rockin' Duck'' at the end of the same year.  GRIMMS remained an informal enough setup throughout this period to allow the various members to come and go as they pleased and continue with their own outside musical, performing and literary careers, and in 1973 Innes also recorded his debut solo album ''[[How Sweet To Be An Idiot]]'', aided and abetted by various GRIMMS. The group also undertook regular and extensive tours of the UK university and theatre circuit throughout its existence, releasing a book of humorous poetry, lyrics and photographs in 1974 entitled ''Clowns On The Road'' detailing some of their experiences. The final GRIMMS studio LP ''Sleepers'' was released in 1976, after which their activities as a group ceased.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.andyrobertsmusic.com/grimms.html |title=Grimms Page |publisher=Andyrobertsmusic.com |access-date=23 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929033556/http://www.andyrobertsmusic.com/grimms.html |archive-date=29 September 2011  }}</ref>

In the mid-1970s, Innes became closely associated with the [[Monty Python]] team, having first worked with [[Michael Palin]], [[Terry Jones]] and [[Eric Idle]] on the 1960s television show ''[[Do Not Adjust Your Set]]''. He contributed music to the Monty Python albums ''[[Monty Python's Previous Record]]'' (1972) and ''[[The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief]]'' (1973), and played a major role in performing and writing songs and sketches for their final TV series in 1974, after [[John Cleese]] temporarily left the troupe. He wrote a [[Squib (writing)|squib]] of a song called "George III" for the episode "The Golden Age of Ballooning", which was sung by [[The Flirtations (R&B musical group)|the Flirtations]] but billed onscreen as [[the Ronettes]]. He also wrote the song "When Does a Dream Begin?", used in "Anything Goes: The Light Entertainment War". He co-wrote the "Most Awful Family in Britain" sketch and played a humorous stilted guitar version of the theme song, "[[The Liberty Bell (march)|The Liberty Bell]]" march, during the credits of the last episode, "Party Political Broadcast". He is one of only two non-Pythons ever to be credited writers for the TV series, the other being [[Douglas Adams]] (who co-wrote the "[[Patient Abuse]]" sketch, also featured in "Party Political Broadcast").

He appeared on stage with the Pythons in the UK and Canada in 1973, in London in 1974 and in New York City in 1976, performing the [[Bob Dylan]]esque "Protest Song" (complete with harmonica) on the album ''[[Monty Python Live at City Center]]''. He was introduced as Raymond Scum. After his introduction he told the audience, "I've suffered for my music. Now it's your turn." In 1980, he travelled to the States with the Pythons again, subsequently appearing in ''[[Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl]]''. He performed the songs "[[How Sweet to Be an Idiot]]" and "[[I'm the Urban Spaceman]]". He also appeared as one of the singing "Bruces" in the Philosopher Sketch and as a Church Policeman in the "Salvation Fuzz" sketch.

Innes wrote original songs for the film ''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' (1975), such as "Knights of the Round Table" and "Brave Sir Robin". He appeared in the film as a head-bashing monk, the [[serf]] crushed by the giant wooden rabbit, and the leader of Sir Robin's minstrels. He also had small roles in [[Terry Gilliam]]'s ''[[Jabberwocky (film)|Jabberwocky]]'' (1977) and ''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian]]'' (1979), and performed the whistling on the latter's hit song, "[[Always Look on the Bright Side of Life]]".<ref name="Innes">{{cite web |last1=Welch |first1=Chris |title=Neil Innes obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/dec/30/neil-innes-obituary |website=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=31 December 2019 |date=30 December 2019}}</ref> His collaborations with Monty Python and other artists were documented in the [[musical film]] ''[[The Seventh Python]]'' (2008), which premiered at the [[Mods & Rockers Film Festival]] on 26 June 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theseventhpythonmovie.com/|title=Neil Innes is the Seventh Python|publisher=Theseventhpythonmovie.com|access-date=27 September 2014|archive-date=21 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221081420/http://theseventhpythonmovie.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1062964/|title=The Seventh Python|date=26 June 2008|publisher=IMDb|access-date=27 September 2014}}</ref>