Rodney Slater (musician)
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Rodney Slater | |
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Background information | |
Born | Crowland, England, U.K. | 8 November 1941
Genres | Rock, pop |
Occupation(s) | Musician |
Instrument(s) | Brass instruments |
Years active | 1962-present |
Member of | Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band |
Rodney Desborough Slater (born 8 November 1941 in Crowland, Lincolnshire) is a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, playing saxophones and other musical instruments (particularly winds).
Career
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
He was a founder member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The band was officially formed on 25 September 1962, at Slater’s home at 164c Rosendale Road, West Dulwich, when Vivian Stanshall and Rodney met and quickly bonded, after being introduced by Slater's flatmate Tom Parkinson. At the time, Slater was already playing in a traditional jazz band at college with Parkinson on sousaphone, and Chris Jennings on trombone.
In the 2004 BBC Four documentary Vivian Stanshall: The Canyons of His Mind, Slater claims that the name was inspired by playing a
He was a core member of the band, and performed on their top five hit "I'm the Urban Spaceman" and on all subsequent recordings except 1972's Let's Make Up And Be Friendly. The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band appeared in the Beatles' 1967 TV film Magical Mystery Tour and also in the ground-breaking ITV television series Do Not Adjust Your Set, which featured future Monty Python members Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. At the time, Slater owned a pet parrot, a pet that Vivian adored, so, Stanshall wrote the song Mr. Slater's Parrot, in 1970.
Slater appeared with the band when they reformed in 2006 performing with them at various shows over the next few years. He was also active in a side project “Three Bonzos and a Piano” with fellow Bonzos
Parrotopia!
In August 2017 Rodney Slater's Parrots released his debut album Parrotopia!, which contained music, dialogue and recitations. The album contains his first works as a writer.[2]
Discography
Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band
Albums
Title | Year |
---|---|
Gorilla | 1967 |
The Doughnut in Granny's Greenhouse | 1968 |
Tadpoles | 1969 |
Keynsham | 1969 |
Pour l'Amour des Chiens | 2007 |
Singles
A-Side | B-Side | Year |
---|---|---|
My Brother Makes the Noises for the Talkies | I'm Going to Bring a Watermelon to My Girl Tonight | 1966 |
Alley Oop | Button Up Your Overcoat | 1966 |
Equestrian Statue | The Intro and The Outro | 1967 |
I'm the Urban Spaceman | The Canyons of Your Mind | 1968 |
Mr. Apollo | Ready-Mades | 1969 |
I Want to Be with You | We Were Wrong | 1969 |
You Done My Brain In | Mr Slater's Parrot |
Solo
Title | Year |
---|---|
Parrotopia! | 2017 |
References
- ^ a b c The Canyons of his Mind Vivian Stanshall, retrieved 6 April 2023
- ^ Rodney Slater's Parrots* – Parrotopia! at Discogs
External links
"Bonzo remnants running around", a 1970 Rolling Stone article by Charles Alverson; on Slater immediately after the end of the Bonzos.