The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash - 40th Anniversary

It was forty years ago yesterday that All You Need is Cash first aired on NBC.

So, how and when did you first see this? What did you think? Has this opinion changed? Do you own it on its assorted formats (VHS, Laserdisc, DVD, BluRay)?

 

I'm a huge Rutles fan! I actually heard the album before I saw the movie. A friend's parents had the album and I found it when I was first getting into the Beatles. I thought it was some kind of joke and, well...I guess I was right! I probably rented the (VHS) movie shortly after. I still love the movie too, try to watch it once a year. I own the DVD & Blu Ray. I've been fortunate to see Neil Innes live several times and have met him on a number of occasions as well. He's a wonderful man and an extremely talented musician. Cheers!

 

From my perspective as a young comedy nerd, it was an interesting experiment in welding together the Monty Python and National Lampoon/SNL comedy sensibilities so prevalent in the 70's. Even back then, I thought it was a bit uneven but funny in parts. The funniest things for me were the name of John Belushi's record executive, 'Ron Decline', the Yellow Submarine bit and, of course, the song parodies themselves.

 

Wow, 40 years. I remember it like it was yesterday.
I walked into my local Harmony House record store on a Saturday afternoon and saw the album on display right up front by the door. I was immediately taken by the cover, thinking what is this all about? Bought it with no knowledge whatsoever of the project, I figured, it's got to be good.
Of course I loved it. That Monday evening, the TV special aired. I was floored with how good it was. The fact that Harrison made a cameo appearance just added to it's credibility. In the early 80's I landed my first job in television. My first boss was a chief engineer who had taped it off the air to 3/4" video cassette. Needless to say, I had my own personal copy (Beta I) long before it ever hit the stores.
I now have it on DVD, remains a favorite to this day.

 

A Legend to last a lunchtime!

first saw it as a rental on VHS, own the DVD. Classic music Mock-umentary, and George Harrison is amongst the cast.

 

Happy Anniversary to a Classic

Barry Wom (John Halsey) just kills me every time I watch.

Genius drummer and comic!

 

I watched it on original air date and absolutely loved it. Then I bought the album. Have the laserdisc, DVD, and BD...and of course the CD. I still think the original is fantastic--the "follow-up" Rutles 2 video not so much.

 

And hairdresser!

 

I watched it on the night age 12 -- the Beatles via Monty Python, what could have been better? I still remember cracking up at Punk Floyd and the big safety pin. I actually don't think the film aged terribly well. Still love the Neil Innes songs; Eric Idle already past peak without his comedy collaborators.

 

My turn!

I bought the Rhino VHS at my local and fell for it immediately. I have it on BluRay as well.

It's a drag Eric took all the credit as it's the dead-on pastiches concoted by Neil Innes that really drive this show. Having some genuine rock stars (Paul Simon, Ron Wood, Jagger, L'Angelo Mysterioso) willing to play ball as well as some of The Not Ready for Prime Time Players helps too.

 

Gilda Radner's cameo is one of the best things she ever did.

 

I was there!......in the living room, watching this....10 years old!
Witness to the holy trinity....(Beatles, Python, & SNL)
and, I preached to all that would listen how AWESOME it was!
Of course, looking back, I can understand why some thought I was crazy...
BUT, I DID make one 'convert'!
He only slightly knew of The Beatles, and, after seeing the 're-run' of it, it brought him into the 'Beatle'-fold.
Yes.... "The Rutles" MADE someone a Beatles fan!
We sailed the waves of music together;
-He found "The Who Sell Out" & the "You Are What You Eat" soundtrack in his local library.
-I found "Another Monty Python" & "Previous" at mine.
-We both moved from 'rock' to 'new wave'.
...and while we rarely talk as much as we used to , I'll alway remember my friendship with him.
I know that's not a real opinion, but...
it's stuff like that that elevates a thing to...... an IMPORTANT thing!

 

I too watched it as it premiered. As a 15-year-old nut for the Beatles, Python and SNL, it was essential.

I see in the movie's Wikipedia entry that it was the lowest-rated prime-time show of its week. I looked up, and it's competition that Wednesday night was Charlie's Angels on ABC and the movie The Big Bus on CBS.

 

I watched it when it aired and kept hoping it would air again on NBC, which it never did. I think HBO ran it a few years later with some added mild profanity.

One of the local radio stations had a Beatles-only weekend, and ran a contest where they would play unannounced Rutles songs randomly, and the first caller to identify it as a Rutles song won a prize. Of course, I had a busy signal every time I tried.

 

Cant wait for the remasters.....

 

NBC sanitized the original for delicate American ears. The rest of the world got the naughty bits.

 

I saw it a couple of weeks before the broadcast in 1978 in San Francisco. Warner Brothers had an event at the hotel across from the Tower Records near Fishermans Wharf.

Derek Taylor was there and gave an introduction and chatted with folks . Fun night.

 

You're a superstar, in my book!

 

How fun!
I watched it when it aired. I couldn’t believe how good it was. Really spot on and felt made for the fans. Loved it.

 

Heard Macca didn't really care for it. I thought it was hilarious.

 

Saw it live on NBC, bought the LP a few weeks later, bough the VHS, bought the DVD, got the special edition CD Reissue, acquired the Rutland Weekend broadcast, The 'Archaeology' CD, and The 'Shangri-La' CD-Single.

Silly 1 Note Joke? HELL NO! R4E!

(PS: Why are there NO Rutles Tribute Bands?!)

 

I still have some of the cocktail napkins from that 1978 preview.

 

I watched the original broadcast. I like to think that I still would have found the show brilliant even if it wasn't about my favorite band!

So many memorable lines that hold up 40 year later and are almost secret passwords among Beatle fans: "The second one took even longer" ... "Shocked. ... and stunned." ... "He's lyin!" ... "I don't know where the money is" ... on and on.

 

Re the film: I thought the rock star cameos were awful. The SNL cameos were worse.

There are some nice gags sprinkled throughout (the blues singer's wife tired of documentary crews), though much of it is probably mystifying to non-Beatle fans.

However, the film begins and ends with two masterpiece sight gags with Eric Idle's host battling the TV camera. These two moments are the non-musical highlights.

 

Anyone who thinks Cash wasn't funny should get a load of the belated sequel. Excruciating.