Dip My Brain in Joy: A Life with Neil Innes: The Official Biography
by Yvonne Innes
Nine Eight Books
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1785121692
$35.99 (discounted at Amazon)

The first pick today (and both of today’s picks are related) in The 2025 PopCult Gift Guide is a perfect gift for the Anglophile fan of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, who included associates of The Beatles, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Mike Oldfield and The Muppets within their ranks.

First up with have the official biography of Neil Innes, written by his widow, Yvonne Innes.

Neil Innes was an English musician and comedian. He rose to prominence as the creative genius behind Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and went on to collaborate with Monty Python and co-created the Beatles parody band The Rutles. Yvonne met Neil in the 1960s and the couple married in 1966. They had three sons and were together for over fifty years until Neil’s death in 2019.

Few individuals have had such an impact on British culture over the past sixty years as the comedy and music icon Neil Innes. He was the songwriting powerhouse of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band. The Bonzos appear in Magical Mystery Tour and wrote the music used for the theme song of The Muppet Show. One of their song titles became the name of the band, Death Cab For Cutie.

Innes was the injector of art college surrealism into 1960s TV comedy, instigating a revolution that led directly to Monty Python, the group he repeatedly joined on screen and stage.

He was “Ron Nasty,” co-founder of the much-loved Rutles, the “pre-fab four.”

In addtion to being the accidental inventor of the phrase ‘Cool Britannia’. Innes was a much-loved children’s TV storyteller, thinker, maker, creator, undisputed national treasure and Britain’s sweet idiot laureate.

And through it all, Neil remained one of the kindest and brightest individuals in showbusiness. Musicians, comedians and fans alike loved being around Neil. He created music and joy and art wherever he went. And the person who loved having him round more than anybody else was Yvonne. Neil and Yvonne met at Goldsmiths College in the 1960s and they went on to walk hand-in-hand through life for over fifty years, until Neil’s untimely death.

This book tells the life story of one of the unsung heroes of British comedy. In addition to his work with the Bonzos, he was a credited writer and performer on the fourth season of Monty Python’s Flying Circus, performed with the troupe in the 1970s and 80s, and appeared in their movies. This is a phenomenal life story. Any fan of The Bonzos, The Beatles, The Pythons or British comedy and music in general will love this.

Available from any bookseller using the ISBN code, or heavily-discounted from Amazon.