The Rutles Archaeology

Infobox Album | Name = The Rutles Archaeology
Type = Album
Artist = The Rutles


Released = 1996
Recorded =
Genre = Comedy
Length =
Label = EMI
Producer =
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://wc04.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dxfoxqlhldje link]
Last album = "The Rutles"
(1978)
This album = "The Rutles Archaeology" (1996)
Next album = Extra album cover 2
Upper caption = UK Reissue cover
Type = album


Lower caption = The cover to the 2007 UK CD reissue.

The Rutles Archaeology is an album by the comedy band The Rutles. Like their previous release, the album contains pastiches of Beatles' songs.

Three of the four musicians who had created the soundtrack for the 1978 film — Innes, Halsey and Fataar — reunited in 1996 and recorded a second album, "Archaeology", an affectionate send-up of "The Beatles Anthology" albums. The fourth 'real' Rutle, Ollie Halsall, died in Spain in 1992. Eric Idle was invited to participate, but declined.

Like the "Anthology" project that it lampooned, it featured tracks ostensibly from all periods of the Rutles career, sequenced to reflect the fictional band's chronology. (Several of the songs were actually old Innes standards that were dusted off and masterfully given the 'Rutle' treatment.) The reunion was blessed by George Harrison who encouraged The Pre-Fab Four to proceed. (When approached, he told Innes, 'Sure. It's all part of the "soup"...', an encounter that Innes related in interviews in 1996.)

The reunion was triggered by Innes' appearance at the Los Angeles festival "Monty Python: Lust For Glory!", celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Monty Python troupe produced by Martin Lewis for the American Cinematheque. Innes performed two sold-out gigs at L.A.'s Troubadour Club under the name "Ron Nasty & The New Rutles", using a local tribute Beatles band.

Following the success of the shows, Lewis and Innes collaborated on the project that became "Archaeology".

Tracklisting

#"Major Happy's Up-And-Coming Once Upon A Good Time Band" - 2:19
#"Rendezvous" - 2:06
#"Questionnaire" - 2:41
#"We've Arrived! (And To Prove It We're Here)" - 2:09 (recorded in 1978 with Halsall)
#"Lonely-Phobia" - 2:35
#"Unfinished Words" - 2:08 (backing track was recorded in 1978 with Halsall; new vocals)
#"Hey Mister!" - 3:18
#"Easy Listening" - 2:09
#"Now She's Left You" - 2:03 (recorded in 1978 with Halsall)
#"The Knicker Elastic King" - 2:39
#"I Love You" - 2:18
#"Eine Kleine Middle Klasse Musik" - 4:24
#"Joe Public" - 4:03
#"Shangri-La" - 7:43
#"Don't Know Why" - 3:44
#"Back In '64" - 3:14

All songs were credited solely to Neil Innes.

The Japanese release of "Archaeology" includes 4 bonus tracks: "Lullaby", "Baby S'il Vous Plait", "It's Looking Good" (rehearsal), and "My Little Ukulele". "Baby S'il Vous Plait" and "It's Looking Good" were also issued (along with the LP version of "Joe Public") on a UK CD single and 10" of "Shangri-La."

"Baby S'il Vous Plait" was a crude French-language version of an earlier Rutles song "Baby Let Me Be", from the 1978 soundtrack. The song was recorded as a pastiche of the Beatles' two German-language recordings of "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" - with suitably poor translation and even poorer foreign accents.

On February 19, 2007, EMI Gold (UK) released a budget reissue of "Archaeology" with new cover artwork and five bonus tracks: The aforementioned "Lullaby," "My Little Ukelele," and "Baby S'il Vous Plait" surfaced again, and two previously unreleased numbers - "Under My Skin" and "Rut-A-Lot" (the latter a medley of Rutles songs performed live by Innes, rumored to be a jab at Idle's recently successful "Spamalot") - made their first appearances. "Under My Skin" is a cover version of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin", sung with some questionably re-tooled lyrics (the song is accidentally credited to Neil Innes as sole writer).

"ARCHAEOLOGY" - Alternate Versions & Re-Issues

"Archaeology" / Virgin Records America / Vinyl L.P. / U.K. only release / 7243-8-42200-1-3-VUSLP 119

"(Same material as: "Archaeology"/ Virgin Records America/ C.D. / U.K./U.S.Release / 7243-8-42200-2-0)"

Side 1: "Major Happy's Up & Coming Once Upon A Good Time Band","Rendezvous","Questionnaire","We've Arrived ( And To Prove It We're Here!)","Lonely-phobia", "Unfinished Words","Hey Mister!","Easy Listening","Now She's Left You","The Knicker Elastic King"

Side 2: "I Love You","Eine Kliene Middle Klasse Music","Joe Public","Shangri-La","Don't Know Why","Back In 64"
* Vinyl album contains same 16 tracks as the C.D. release.
* Vinyl contains inner sleeve with 2 Rutles photos and album credits,but no lyrics.
* C.D. contains booklet with photos and lyrics.
* Label photo of The Rutles asleep is a parody of the Elton John album "Sleeping With The Past"
* "We've Arrived","Now She's Left You","The Knicker Elastic King","Joe Public" & "Shangri-La" are all re-workings of older material by Neil Innes
* "We've Arrived" is the last Rutles track to contain performances by Ollie Halsall.

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"Archaeology"/ Virgin Records / C.D. / Japanese Version / VJCP-25277
* Contains same 16 tracks as U.K. / U.S. release
* Contains four bonus tracks: "Lullaby","Baby S'il Vous Plait","It's Looking Good (Demo)","My Little Ukelele"
* Contains same booklet as U.K./U.S. release
* Contains supplemental lyric sheets in English & Japanese for all 20 tracks.( Only appearance.)

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"Archaeology" / EMI Gold / 2007 / C.D. / U.K. only release / 0946-3-85349-2-1

*Contains original 16 tracks + "Lullaby","Baby S'il Vous Plait","My Little Ukelele" and the previously un-released "Under My Skin" & "Rut-A-Lot".
*Contains different booklet and artwork,with a condensed history of the Rutles.
*Contains no lyrics.

"SHANGRI-LA" Single Releases ( 1996 )

10" Vinyl Single: "Shangri-La" /Virgin Records America / 7243-8-93929-0-6 VUSA117

Side A. "Shangri-La"

Side B. "Joe Public","Baby S'il Vous Plait","It's Looking Good ( Demo )"

* Neil Innes provides silly liner notes for "Baby S'il Vous Plait" & "It's Looking Good ( Demo )"

* Same material also released as a C.D. Single ( 7243-8-93929-2-0-VUSCD117 )

* "Shangri-La" was also released as a single song promotional C.D. ( 70876-11582-29-DPRO-11582 ) "This version is titled "Shangri-La (Edit)" and runs at 4 minutes & 20 seconds."

ee also

* The Rutles
* All You Need Is Cash
* List of The Rutles fictional albums