All you need is spoof

Beatles 'loved Rutles parody'

The Beatles gave their seal of approval to parody group The Rutles, Eric Idle has claimed.

Only Paul McCartney was initially reluctant to embrace the band when they made their debut in a spoof 1978 documentary, the ex-Python says.

Idle said that George Harrison, who bankrolled the Pythons’ Life Of Brian film, was the most enthusiastic.

‘The first time I played George the music, he started to sing, “Instant Karma's gonna get you!” in a very loud voice,’ said the Spamalot creator.

‘Ringo told he liked The Rutles but Paul only seemed to approve when he learned that I had grown up in Wallasey, near Liverpool.

‘I heard John and Yoko adored it, which I thought was sporting of them as Yoko is portrayed as Hitler's daughter.’

Published: 23 Oct 2006

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