What do you think?
Rate this book
Fab Fools: The Beatles, The Rutles and Rock'n'Roll Comedy!
There are many Beatles books out there but nobody has yet told the story of the greatest band of all time's real X factor, that special something which elevated them above all their competitors the Beatles comedy. Fab Fools is the full, detailed, hilarious story of how John, Paul, George and Ringo laughed their way to the toppermost of the poppermost their classic films, cartoons and even pantomime, not to mention their experimentations with audio comedy through Sir George Martin s Parlophone comedy classics series. The epic history brings in every comedy legend of the 1960s and beyond: George Formby, Ken Dodd, Morecambe & Wise, Cook & Moore, the Goons, Monty Python, the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, the Simpsons, Peter Serafinowicz, Tenacious D, all the way to Richard Curtis and his recent film Yesterday. And of course, no exploration of Beatles comedy would be complete without the first ever full print celebration of the Rutles - Dirk, Stig, Nasty and Barry. With full support and participation of Neil Innes and friends, Fab Fools documents Eric Idle and co's creation of the most influential rock and roll spoof in history.
- GenresMusic
410 pages, Paperback
Published April 29, 2021
23 people want to read
About the author
Jem Roberts
22 books14 followers• Stephen Fry: "Jem manages to write about popular cultural institutions with knowledge and affection, while avoiding the dismal traps of nerdy fanboyism on the one hand or grandiose cultural pseudo-intellectualism on the other. His research is flawless and the results are readable, illuminating and delightful."
• Tim Brooke-Taylor: "An incredibly good job – and he got it right. It’s difficult for me to judge it totally objectively because it’s all about me, me, me and a few others. But I found it very readable indeed..."
• Brian Blessed: "Tell them, 'Brian loves and trusts me.' What you're doing is so worthwhile, KEEP AT IT!"
• Barry Cryer: "You're very charming, it's a pleasure to go on about it."
• The Times Literary Supplement: "J.F. Roberts's lively, warm-hearted True History of The Black Adder is a celebration of "this incredible feat of comedy production."
• The Telegraph: (The True History...) "Essential for any comprehensive comedy library..."
• Tim Brooke-Taylor: "An incredibly good job – and he got it right. It’s difficult for me to judge it totally objectively because it’s all about me, me, me and a few others. But I found it very readable indeed..."
• Brian Blessed: "Tell them, 'Brian loves and trusts me.' What you're doing is so worthwhile, KEEP AT IT!"
• Barry Cryer: "You're very charming, it's a pleasure to go on about it."
• The Times Literary Supplement: "J.F. Roberts's lively, warm-hearted True History of The Black Adder is a celebration of "this incredible feat of comedy production."
• The Telegraph: (The True History...) "Essential for any comprehensive comedy library..."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 24, 2021
A very well researched and written book. George Martin told the author that he didn’t think The Beatles comedy would translate into print. It does. This covers everything from the humour in their press conferences to the backstory to their films to John’s books and to their associations with the Pythons and The Rutles. It was very much an untold part of The Beatles story.
May 2, 2022
Edit April 2022:
Revisiting this again with the audiobook, which brings the quotations to life (the George Martin impressions are a joy). Roberts connects all the dots to paint a complete picture of all the comedy connections of the Beatles. I also really appreciate his tactful handling of the now-disgraced characters that can't be ignored.
__
New content is the proverbial breath of fresh air for a Beatles fan, and the entirely new and unique approach of 'Fab Fools' offered so much more than I could have hoped for. The premium details from and about dear Neil Innes and co. were just a massive bonus. Often serious writing about comedy sucks the fun out of the original content, but Roberts' bright, witty prose keeps a friendly atmosphere throughout, and it almost feels as if you are in on an inside joke. 'Fab Fools' does rely on a healthy background knowledge (Roberts writes for the obsessive, never the casual fan), but for fanatics as myself, it was like filling in a puzzle with its missing pieces. I learnt so much, and was fascinated to see the many and unexpected ways all my favourite things are connected.
Revisiting this again with the audiobook, which brings the quotations to life (the George Martin impressions are a joy). Roberts connects all the dots to paint a complete picture of all the comedy connections of the Beatles. I also really appreciate his tactful handling of the now-disgraced characters that can't be ignored.
__
New content is the proverbial breath of fresh air for a Beatles fan, and the entirely new and unique approach of 'Fab Fools' offered so much more than I could have hoped for. The premium details from and about dear Neil Innes and co. were just a massive bonus. Often serious writing about comedy sucks the fun out of the original content, but Roberts' bright, witty prose keeps a friendly atmosphere throughout, and it almost feels as if you are in on an inside joke. 'Fab Fools' does rely on a healthy background knowledge (Roberts writes for the obsessive, never the casual fan), but for fanatics as myself, it was like filling in a puzzle with its missing pieces. I learnt so much, and was fascinated to see the many and unexpected ways all my favourite things are connected.
January 4, 2021
A breezy yet meticulous look at the lives of The Fabs and comedy that thoroughly permeated everything they did....and beyond. Definitely a true celebration of Neil Innes' genius alongside John, George and everyone else who made us smile though the darkness.
August 18, 2025
This was one of the best Beatle books I've encountered. The audio version I'd especially fun as Jem Roberts is a good mimic. it delves into the history of Beatles and humor from the humor the Beatles made themselves to humor about the Beatles.
May 15, 2021
Love this book, always been a fan of the Beatles and Monty Python and Innes work on the Rutles soundtrack is unbelievable so it is great to see him get his dues.
July 3, 2021
Got to admit , I wasn't sure about this one and thought it would be a quick, unremarkable, tenuous, cash in on The Beatles. HOW WRONG WAS I!
I've read a lot of books on the Beatles and I would say that this is now in my top 5, maybe top 3, just after 'Tune In' and 'One, Two, Three, Four'. It is a fascinating read with some really insightful and surprising links to The Beatles and comedy. With the likes of Monty Python, The Rutles , Saturday Night Live, The Goons, Morecambe and Wise in the connection, it was a great read for someone like myself who is both a big Beatles and comedy fan.
Well researched and excellently written, I can't recommended Fab Fools enough to all Beatles and comedy fans out there. You'd be a 'Fool on the hill' not to read it!
I've read a lot of books on the Beatles and I would say that this is now in my top 5, maybe top 3, just after 'Tune In' and 'One, Two, Three, Four'. It is a fascinating read with some really insightful and surprising links to The Beatles and comedy. With the likes of Monty Python, The Rutles , Saturday Night Live, The Goons, Morecambe and Wise in the connection, it was a great read for someone like myself who is both a big Beatles and comedy fan.
Well researched and excellently written, I can't recommended Fab Fools enough to all Beatles and comedy fans out there. You'd be a 'Fool on the hill' not to read it!
September 23, 2021
L'umorismo nei Beatles (e non solo)
All'apice della Beatlemania i Quattro di Liverpool non erano famosi solo per la loro musica ma anche per le risposte che davano durante le conferenze stampa, in tempi tra l'altro in cui non c'erano certo i social media manager a preparare il tutto in anteprima. In questo libro Jem Roberts fa una storia dei Beatles, e delle loro carriere solistiche successive, non dal punto di vista musicale ma da quello della comicità, partendo dalle origini liverpooliane che hanno forgiato lo stile del gruppo e continuando con tutte le relazioni con i comici degli anni '50 e '60. Ho così scoperto che quel mondo è davvero piccolo, con intrecci incredibili di persone: per esempio Douglas Adams aveva scritto un soggetto per un film che avrebbe avuto Ringo come protagonista. (Per i curiosi: Adams poi riciclò il materiale nella Guida. La B-Ark con i sanificatori di telefoni arriva da là.) Un bonus nella lettura è indubbiamente la storia di come fu concepito e girato il film All You Need Is Cash, e in generale la storia dei Rutles. L'unico appunto che posso fare, oltre a qualche punto ripetuto che non è passato tra le maglie dell'editing, è che Roberts usa un inglese non banalissimo; avere il libro in formato cartaceo mi costringeva ogni tanto a posarlo per cercare la traduzione di un termine che non mi era chiaro neppure dal contesto.
All'apice della Beatlemania i Quattro di Liverpool non erano famosi solo per la loro musica ma anche per le risposte che davano durante le conferenze stampa, in tempi tra l'altro in cui non c'erano certo i social media manager a preparare il tutto in anteprima. In questo libro Jem Roberts fa una storia dei Beatles, e delle loro carriere solistiche successive, non dal punto di vista musicale ma da quello della comicità, partendo dalle origini liverpooliane che hanno forgiato lo stile del gruppo e continuando con tutte le relazioni con i comici degli anni '50 e '60. Ho così scoperto che quel mondo è davvero piccolo, con intrecci incredibili di persone: per esempio Douglas Adams aveva scritto un soggetto per un film che avrebbe avuto Ringo come protagonista. (Per i curiosi: Adams poi riciclò il materiale nella Guida. La B-Ark con i sanificatori di telefoni arriva da là.) Un bonus nella lettura è indubbiamente la storia di come fu concepito e girato il film All You Need Is Cash, e in generale la storia dei Rutles. L'unico appunto che posso fare, oltre a qualche punto ripetuto che non è passato tra le maglie dell'editing, è che Roberts usa un inglese non banalissimo; avere il libro in formato cartaceo mi costringeva ogni tanto a posarlo per cercare la traduzione di un termine che non mi era chiaro neppure dal contesto.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews