Is This Paul McCartney in Disguise?
Was Vivian Stanshall a real person?
Vivian Stanshall was the lead singer of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. They were most active from 1967 to 1969.
The Same Man?
Are there any connections between Vivian Stanshall, Paul McCartney and The Beatles?
Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
The Bonzos performed their song Death Cab For Cutie for the striptease scene of The Beatles' 1967 film, Magical Mystery Tour.
Apollo C. Vermouth
Paul McCartney and the great Gus Dudgeon are credited as the record producers for The Bonzo's 1968 song I’m the Urban Spaceman under the pseudonym “Apollo C. Vermouth.”
Do Not Adjust Your Set (1967-1969)
The Bonzos were the house band for British television show Do Not Adjust Your Set. The show featured Eric Idle, Michael Palin and Terry Jones before their Monty Python days.
Rutland Weekend Television (1975-1976)
Eric Idle and Neil Innis of The Bonzos co-starred on the comedy show Rutland Weekend Television. They created The Rutles—a famous satire of The Beatles.
George Harrison
George Harrison made a cameo appearance on Rutland Weekend Television and funded Monty Python's 1979 film Life of Brian.
Neil Innis
Neil Innis was a member of The Bonzos and The Rutles. He wrote and sang I'm the Urban Spaceman. Innis worked with Monty Python for many years.
English Horn
Viv and Keith Moon
Vivian Stanshall and Keith Moon were drinking buddies and worked on some music together in the early 1970s.
Moon was also friends with Paul McCartney. On the night before his death, Keith Moon attended a party with Paul & Linda McCartney among others.
Percy “Thrills” Thrillington
Paul McCartney created another pseudonym in Percy “Thrills” Thrillington. The “Thrills” character was presented as the star of the instrumental cover version of Wings’ 1971 album RAM. The album Thrillington was released in 1977.
Mannerisms and Physique
The End of Part 1
Paul McCartney has been a great inspiration since I was a kid in the 1970s. I plan to write more about Paul in the coming months.
You should also point out that the man you’re looking at, Paul/Viv, is not the same Paul McCartney who was part of the Beatles during and prior to the summer of 1966. Or did I miss this?