line up 1

- Rikki Fataar (Stig O'Hara) -- lead guitar, vocals

- John Halsey (Wpm Barringron Womble) -- drums, percussion,

   vocals

- Eric Idle (Dirk McQuickly) -- vocals, bass

- Neil Innes (Ron Nasty) -- vocals, guitar, keyboards

- The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

- Dirk and Stig

- Rikki Fataar (solo effortss)

- Flames (Rikki Fataar)

- Neil Innes (solo efforts)

- Patto (Ron Halsey)

Genre: pop

Rating: 4 stars ****

Title:  The Rutles

Company: Warner Brothers

Catalog: PRO-E-723
Year: 1978

Country/State: US

Grade (cover/record): NM/NM

Comments: sealed copy

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 1058

Price: $40.00

If you're looking at this five track EP, you already know more about The Rutles than is healthy.    Released in 1978, "The Rutles" was a five track, 12" EP distributed to disk jockeys in advance of the the full Rutles LP.  All five tracks were drawn from "The Rutles" LP and were written by Eric Idle and Neil Innes under their Ron Nasty - Dirk McQuickly alter-egos.  Original copies were pressed on clear yellow vinyl.   

"The Rutles" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I Must Be In Love   (Ron Nasty - Dirk McQuickly) - 2:04

Originally written and recorded for 'The Rutland Weekend Songbook' project, 'I Must Be In Love' was reworked for The Rutles project, giving it more of a "A Hard Day's Nigt":pop  flavor.   Regardless, it made for an uncanny recreation of The Fab Four's mid-'60s pop sound, right down to the George Harrison-styled lead guitar.  Warner Brothers tapped it as a single.    YouTube has the original video clip in case you've never seen it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54KBPA20b9Q   rating; **** stars

2.) Doubleback Alley   (Ron Nasty - Dirk McQuickly) - 2:54

Yeah, it sounded like Idle and Innes simply stitched segments of ''Penny Lane' and 'Magical Mystery Tour' together, but you had to admit they managed to capture the special aura found on the source material.  And the horn arrangement was simply magical !!!   rating: **** stars

3.) With a Girl Like You   (Ron Nasty - Dirk McQuickly) - 1:50

Geez, could they have nailed 'If I Fell' any better ?   The accompanying video made it even better.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS73iuwxA7M    rating: **** stars

(side 2)
1.) Another Day   (Ron Nasty - Dirk McQuickly) - 2:09

Probably one of my favorite Rutles numbers as it managed to nail McCarttney's 'Martha My Dear' ...  besides how could you not love a song that managed to mention a glass of wine with Gertrude Stein and had the word pusillanimous in the lyric ?   rating: **** stars

2.) Let's Be Natural   (Ron Nasty - Dirk McQuickly) - 3:23

I'll never figure out how Innes managed to capture Lennon so perfectly - maybe it had something to do with lifting his inspiratiuon fro 'Dear Prudence'.   Simply scary and hysterical at the same time.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFP32Crv6F4   YouTuibe also had Innes and company playing the song at a  2013 concert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3zUooPKtHA     Warner tapped this one as a UK single.    rating: **** stars

A couple of singles were spun off the EP:

- 1978's 'I Must Be In Love' / 'Cheese & Onions' b/w 'With a Girl Like you' (Warner Brothers catalog number K-17125)

- 1978's 'Let's Be Natural' b/w 'Piggy in the Middle' (Warner Brothers catalog number K-17180)

In the States the single was:

- 1978's 'I Must Be In Love' b/w 'Doubleback Alley' (Warner Brothers catalog number WBS 8560)