Ginger Geezer: The Life of Vivian Stanshall

by Lucian Randall, Chris Welch

The extraordinary story of Vivian Stanshall, lead singer of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, true British eccentric. Charismatic and flamboyant, Vivian Stanshall was a natural frontman for The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. The eccentric group who satirised trad jazz, pop and rock, reached Number five with ‘I’m The Urban Spaceman’ in 1968. A punishing schedule of tours and television followed, including work with the future Monty Python team. The following year, broke and burned out, the Bonzos split up, leaving behind a loyal cult following. Vivian launched into myriad solo projects in music, film and theatre, giving himself several nervous breakdowns in the process. His comic masterpiece, ‘Sir Henry at Rawlinson End’, was heard in radio, on an album, and then hit the big screen. Vivian wrote the musical ‘Stinkfoot’, was narrator on ‘Tubular Bells’ and provided lyrics for Steve Winwood. In person, he was just as multi-faceted, by turns the erudite artist and the truculent Teddy Boy, breathtakingly rude. A powerful figure, tall, red-haired and never less than extravagant in his fashion, Vivian Stanshall was a hell-raiser of legendary reputation – ably assisted through much of the 1970s by Who drummer Keith Moon. Vivian drove the many who loved him to the limit, struggling with terrible tranquilliser and alcohol dependency. He died at home in a house fire in 1995. The story of his turbulent life is utterly compelling.

Genres: Music, Biography

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Pete daPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book extremely difficult to read. It was hard going all the way through, but particularly the parts covering Viv's youth and throughout the Bonzo days.
Why? Well, it's so hard to read a book whilst convulsing with laughter and with tears streaming down your face. There were so many occasions when I had to regain some composure to continue the read.
I may be biased here. The Bonzo Dog Band remain in my memory as the best concert I've attended in my life. I saw them twice in 1969.
Of course this book is also tragic and sad as well as hilariously funny. Steven Fry reviews the book on the back sleeve: 'One of the most talented,profligate,bizarre,absurd,infuriating,unfathomable and magnificent Englishmen ever to have drawn breath.'

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bonzo Dog Band were a British group that performed during the Psychedelic Sixties and were a mad amalgamation of old English Music Hall, trad jazz, psych pop with heavy Dada and Surrealism influences. At its heart was a die-hard eccentric named Vivian Stanshall, a sort of rock version of Gully Jimson, who lived on a houseboat and feverishly created an endless stream of outrageous songs, plays, poetry and graphics. “Ginger Geezer” is his story and reads like some great unknown Alec Guinness comedy. Now if I can only find his version of the Elvis Presley song “There’s No Room To Rhumba In A Sports Car”. RIP Vivian.

[Geoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with those here who say this is a man of real genius awaiting his real biographer. Ginger Geezer is a pop bio, not much more. It has its moments, but someone so astonishing as Vivian Stanshall so obviously was, needs a biographer of deep sensitivity and insightful intelligence.

This book doesn't even come close, but it's better than nothing.

[Libby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll give it another go, but why-oh-why is this such a boring read? I imagined just the opposite and am a huge fan. Fascinating guy, Vivian--must have been painful being that much of a genius. I know there is a story there, and I really hope somebody else tackles the subject.

[Mikael Matthis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This man was a honest to badness genius. His real bio awaits his real biographer. This is your basic pop bio imposed on someone who deserves so much better it's painful.

[Peter Humphreys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read it in a few days and enjoyed it but agree that another biography needs to be written on him by maybe his second wife who it would seem has written a few novels.

[dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Echoing other reviews for this book - it is almost remarkable how ambling a journey through Stanshall's exotic life this transpired to be. The anecdotes are funny but suffer from a bloated repetition where a punchier distillation would better suffice.

In all, I enjoyed the novel because it is the sole book about Stanshall at present. I hope to read a more fitting tribute in the future. One that does not read like Robert Sellers' patchwork pub-talk biogs ('Hellraisers' - great for a light read but ultimately thin on the ground and slim on fact).

However, it was somewhat enjoyable enough to follow Stanshalls' life through a muddy lens, if only due to his force of personality carrying the book. He deserves a little better than this.

[Robert J.E. Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ginger Geezer frames the late Vivian Stanshall as a tortured genius - a brilliant creative fraught with self-doubt, insecurity and addiction. While it serves to provide a fair summary of Stanshall's creative output, this is also the sad, tragic tale of alcholism and the effects it has not just on the individual but the wider circle of friends, relatives and professional contacts.

I've come away with a craving to explore the work that has previously passed me by, but also a frustration and an anger at the individual.

[Googoogjoob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great. This is a workmanlike pop biography. It retells Vivian Stanshall's life from cradle to grave, but doesn't really use his life to illustrate any bigger themes, or the context of the times and places he lived and worked in- the focus is relentlessly on Stanshall himself. What interpretations or analysis it presents are generally contained in quotes from interviewees, while the text itself strives for a bland neutrality. The material is generally sensically presented, but, in some places (mainly the first few chapters) is in frustrating disarray- a better editor could've helped the volume.

Stanshall's life story is not ultimately a very happy one, and as a person, it's sometimes easier to feel sympathy for him than to like him when he's presented "up close" like this. His personal and professional lives were ultimately fatally undermined by alcoholism, a Valium addiction, agoraphobia, a panic disorder, and depression (and perhaps other mental or developmental problems), not necessarily in that order, and he died at age 51 in an apartment fire- burning to death in his cluttered bedroom as he dozed in a drunken stupor. He was both egotistical and hypersensitive in a way that made it impossible for anyone to remain very close to him for long. He was always capable of being extremely offbeat and funny, often outrageously creative, and sometimes demonstrated great compassion and support for others; but he was also self-sabotaging, and capable of extreme recklessness and disregard for himself and for other people. Despite the goodwill and affection of a wide swath of rock stars and media producers, he struggled to consistently produce work, and constantly pushed away the help he needed; he produced, or at least released, no major work at all in his last decade of life. He ultimately proved incapable of or unwilling to either learn from his mistakes or accept help, and died terribly alone and unhappy.

All that considered, this is very much a book for people who are already devoted Stanshall fans. If you don't already love Stanshall's characteristic surreal wit, this book will do nothing to convince you, and it doesn't really try to. The book is very thorough, though, covering all of Stanshall's work, major and minor; and they interviewed almost every relevant individual- from Stanshall's surviving mother and his estranged brother to his two wives, his son, his stepdaughter, his Bonzo bandmates, and many other personal and professional acquaintances. (The only notable omissions are his daughter, Silky, and recurring collaborator Steve Winwood.) Another Stanshall bio, let alone one with the resources and access of this one, is vanishingly unlikely, so I guess this is authoritative by default.

[Paul Cowdell · Rating 5 out of 5]

'I fear that a single one of Viv's thoughts would blow my damn brains out' - John Peel

The English often don't deal well with their geniuses. 'Genius' triggers the English resistance to theory, so it's much easier to marginalise and belittle by smearing them as 'eccentric'. It's wonderful, therefore, to read a biography of a bona fide genius which strains hard against any such tendency right from the off.

Others have complained here that it's 'just a rock bio', which seems a little harsh. The authors, whatever their shortcomings, are sensitive and sympathetic (without being idolatrous or hagiographic), and determined to accept Vivian on his own terms, which involves embracing his own driving vision and convictions as far as they are able. (Of course, the other side of the English dismissal of its geniuses is that they don't get asked about such things often enough, so there's often only a partial record, which seems to have been a bit the case here).

So, probably a 4 for the book, but at least a 6 for the life itself.

'Do have an unusual day - toodle-oo' - Vivian Stanshall

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am an enthusiast of the Bonzo's , the Rutles and Sir Henry- until this book I was largely unaware of Vivian's later work, his collaborations with Steve Winwood, and the propdigious kaleidoscope of creativity that marked his life. The scope and range of his work makes fascinating and comes to an abrupt end with his unfortunate death,

[Hewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

With his wonderful songs and stories Vivian Stanshall made the world a funnier and brighter place. So it was sad to discover, in this often unsettling biography, that his own life was far from a barrel of laughs. An unflinching yet sympathetic portrait of a wayward genius.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am big fan of the Bonzo Dog Band.A good book about the front man .

[Nigel Sutcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivian Stanshall was a charismatic and eccentric English musician, author, and comedian, best known as the frontman for the avant-garde rock band the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. A master of surreal humor and theatrical performance, he adopted various personas, blending posh elocution with a cockney accent. His work, which also includes the concept album series Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, influenced both music and comedy, and he appeared as the Master of Ceremonies on Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells.
The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band: Stanshall was a founding member, shaping the band's unique blend of music hall, jazz, rock, and Dadaist nonsense. Their 1968 hit "I'm the Urban Spaceman" showcased his surreal humor and vaudeville-style performance.
A Master of Personas: He was known for his ability to adopt different characters, from an effete aristocrat to a drunken down-and-out, often shifting between a posh and Cockney voice.
Sir Henry at Rawlinson End: This long-running project, which took the form of books, records, and films, explored the eccentricities of the English upper class through the character of Sir Henry.
Other Work: Stanshall was the Master of Ceremonies on Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells and was a lyricist for Steve Winwood. He also released solo albums and engaged in other creative projects.
Personal Life: His post-Bonzo career was marked by struggles with alcoholism and depression. Stanshall died in a house fire in London in 1995 at the age of 51.

[One Point · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's not many I'd use the word genius to describe. Vivian is one of the few. He painted, composed, performed, sculpted, played multiple musical instruments, sang, did voice-overs - whatever he set his hand to was stamped with that thing that makes the rest of us scratch our heads in wonder. Some don't understand or like it, but no one can say it's boring or "just like so and so." He was a self-destructive one-off, born into a time and a place perfectly suited for him. Who would notice him now in these years of bad art, no art, crap? Simon Cowell would smirk him off the stage.

This book is all we have - yet. It's so far from good enough, I weep. A simplistic pop bio for a man of Stanshall's stature? It can't be - but it is. I gave it two stars because it's there at all. Because the two guys who wrote it at least wanted to write about Vivian.

Where's his real biographer? Where's the one person who could capture, or make a damn good attempt at even understanding, this rara avis?

I wish it were me. Rest Vivian. Wherever you are, I hope you never have to read this book.

[RA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Their (Bonzo Dog Band) attitude merged my interests of music, satire and Mad magazine into a way of looking at the world as an art form. A brilliant thoroughly engaging and improvisational musician/thinker, as the front man for the band. A true tortured genius!!

To quote British writer Stephen Fry, "One of the most talented, profligate, bizarre, absurd, infuriating,, unfathomable and magnificent Englishmen ever to have drawn breath."

Steve Winwood: "He was a one-off.He found a route that brought together elements of the intellectual with rock 'n' roll and comedy and poetry, and it was a unique contribution."

John Peel: "The Bonzos were a chaotic mixture of music hall, rock parody and dada nonsense, in short the quintessential art school band. Absolutely English, Stanshall & Co. brought an absurd sense of humor to a scene that was already beginning to take itself too seriously."

[Think-On-It]

If you'd like to know what I thought of this book, please contact me directly and I'd be happy to discuss it with you.

All the best,

- TB

[Stephen Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

funny book,i wish vivian was still about, i would also recommend the book dear boy
by tony fletcher which also has more about the friendship
between vivian stanshall and keith moon