Talk:Vivian Stanshall

Deleted quotes
I note User:Hoary has removed a few quotes that I had put in


 * Rawlinson End - quoting a few lines is allowed as I understand it as fair use.
 * Ginger Geezer - again I would have thought the quoting of a few lines in an article like this would be GFDL
 * Opening quote was Rawlinson - who was a character of Stanshall's and written by him - so it is a quote by him - and neatly sums up his drinking problems.

Well He Ho ! Brookie:the wind in the grass 15:30, 12 May 2005 (UTC)

Teds
''The first truly original example of British working class gang culture, Teddy Boys had a highly distinctive look: drainpipe trousers; shoestring ties; suede "brothel creeper" shoes with built-up crêpe soles; long, strongly moulded greased-up hair; and, most importantly, the trademark garment after which they were nicknamed - the "Drape": a long Edwardian frock coat with satin-faced lapels. Originally these would have been sourced cheaply from second hand clothes shops, but before long the smarter Teds were having them tailor-made at considerable expense, in a rainbow of garish colours.'' -- is a pleasing description of teddy boys, but it doesn't seem to me to belong in the article; rather, it should be within Teddy Boy. For now, I plonk it here. -- Hoary 09:39, 2005 Jun 4 (UTC)

Viv's widow and grandchild
For the second time, I've removed mention of a grandchild that Viv never met. If Viv's daughter gets an article for some reason, mention of her daughter may of course go there.

I've also removed mention of a novel that Ki Longfellow wrote after Viv's death. If it had been claimed that, say, the novel was biographical, mention of the novel might be appropriate in this article. But there's no hint that it's relevant. There does not seem to be any reason for links specific to his widow or her work, either. If somebody would like to reinsert these, please explain the reason why on this talk page. -- Hoary 02:12, 2005 Jun 17 (UTC)

"His very non-PC Jesus joke"
We read of "His very non-PC Jesus joke". What was this?

For a moment I had a wonderful picture of Police Constable Jesus &mdash; but no, I fear this "PC" is more likely to be the bugaboo of the American right, automatically applied to any idea that might threaten profits (of companies already making huge profits), "the family", the notion of US preeminence in anything, etc. etc. (yawn). -- Hoary 02:12, 2005 Jun 17 (UTC)


 * If I remember correctly it ends with Jesus doing some fine swimming and someone remarking "not bad for someone with holes in his hands". --80.1.196.17 17:07, 22 April 2007 (UTC)


 * I can attest that this had at least two variants in live performance: for more genteel audiences there was the above, but there was also an extremely vulgar version that ended with Jesus bemoaning his lack of luck with the ladies after encountering Mary Magdalene, and the unfortunate consequence of his 'healing touch' upon a certain part of her anatomy. -- HippyGumbo (talk) 11:29, 21 August 2017 (UTC)

Motivation for the release of Sir Henry at Ndidi's Kraal
We read:


 * A second Rawlinson album, Sir Henry at Ndidi's Kraal (1983), recounts Sir Henry's disastrous African expedition, but disappointingly omits the rest of the Rawlinson clan. It is debatable whether this album should ever have been put out at all. [snip] The results were, at best, a bit of a mess. Then [snip] the record company (convinced that Vivian was on the verge of death and determined to capitalise on the grief of his fans) grabbed the tapes, cobbled them together and released them.

The LP is nowhere near as polished as Rawlinson End, but I find it hilarious. As far as recorded drunkenness is concerned, I find it much less uncomfortable listening than Men opening umbrellas ahead. So if there were a debate, I'd say yes it should have been put out. That aside, what's the source for the assertion that the record company "was determined to capitalise on the grief of VS's fans"? To me, this smells of speculation. -- Hoary 09:21, 8 February 2006 (UTC)

The source of this is me, his wife, who was there for every minute of this debacle. Vivian was not even close to finishing the album, was disatisfied with it, and did not authorize its release. Vivian did not find it hilarious and for the rest of his life was ashamed of it, as well as furious at the betrayal of the "chum" who took it to the record company as soon as he was in hospital, possibly dying. ..Ki Longfellow 16:42, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

Bonzo Years
I suggest someone with more knowledge of the subject than me moves most of this into the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band article. Ben Finn 12:26, 4 June 2006 (UTC)

Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead
seems to be deleted. Please sign the online petition at:- http://www.petitiononline.com/MOUA/ to persuade Warner Bros to re-release it.SmokeyTheCat 11:10, 22 May 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Bonzo.jpg
Image:Bonzo.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in Wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 03:01, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Paul is dead
It pains me to bring this up, seeing as how absurd it is, but do you think the allegations made in this (http://digilander.libero.it/p_truth/) site warrant a mention in the article. It alleges, among other things, that Vivian Stanshall died at an ambiguous point in the 1960s or '70s and was replaced by the same person who replaced Paul McCartney after his alleged death. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.94.160.121 (talk) 11:43, 3 February 2011 (UTC)


 * No, because I don't think that is a reliable source. Looks like the ravings of a nutjob, hardly reliable. – ukexpat (talk) 15:25, 3 February 2011 (UTC)

Place of Birth
"Stanshall was born on 21 March 1943 at the Radcliffe Maternity Home in Shillingford, and christened Victor Anthony Stanshall. (The name and the date are certainly correct but there is much speculation about the place, with his mother herself stating Shillingford, Oxfordshire and his father claiming Walthamstow."

If you check Births, Marriages and Deaths index records you find that the only recorded birth of a Victor Stanshall in the 1940s is in Oxfordshire in the period Jan - Mar 1943. The mother's maiden name was Wadeson. He was therefore not born in Walthamstow. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.93.148.176 (talk) 16:33, 18 April 2011 (UTC)


 * The existing source here is no longer working. FreeBMD does indeed show Oxford district: Martinevans123 (talk) 12:02, 3 September 2021 (UTC)
 * The 2004 BBC documentary The Canyons of his Mind: Vivian Stanshall is available on YouTube (apparent copyvio) and yes, from about 1:44, Stanshall describes his childhood and says he (and his Mum and his voices?) were "evacuated from the East End to Shillingford Oxfordshire". Maybe a slip of the tongue? Maybe a joke? Maybe mis-remembered. Who knows. Martinevans123 (talk) 12:12, 3 September 2021 (UTC)
 * I have added this obit source from The Independent, which says "Stanshall was born in 1943 at Shillingford, in Oxfordshire", although the name of the Maternity Home remains unsourced. Martinevans123 (talk) 12:20, 3 September 2021 (UTC)

Personal uncited opinion
To the unnamed person (82.26.68.43) who seems to be trying to air personal grievances on wikipedia, unless you have verifiable online citations for your editing of "Vivian Stanshall" your contributions are not acceptable. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia. As such, it requires proof of assertions made here. If you persist with unverified or unverifiable remarks, wikipedia editors who deal with such matters will be called in to assess the situation. Stellabystarlight (talk) 14:29, 29 May 2013 (UTC)


 * Nothing personal just fact. I am his son and therefore have no need to justify myself to you the unnamed. Wiki is about fact not poor fiction. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.26.68.43 (talk) 19:41, 16 June 2013 (UTC)


 * Wiki is about facts that can be verified by valid citations. If you are a relative and have personal knowledge it makes no difference here unless your information is backed by other online sources.


 * Also, if you are related to the subject, please read the following from the Conflict of Interest article:


 * Writing about yourself and people you know. Further information: ::Wikipedia:Autobiography


 * You should not create or edit articles about yourself, your family or your close friends. If you or they are notable enough, someone else will create the article. You should also avoid writing about yourself or people you know in articles on other topics. This includes people with whom you could reasonably be said to have an antagonistic relationship in real life. If you have a personal connection to a topic or a person, (such as being an employee, familial ties, or other relationship), you are advised to refrain from editing articles directly, and to provide full disclosure of the connection.


 * An exception to editing an article about yourself or someone you know is made if the article contains defamation or a serious error that needs to be corrected quickly. If you do make such an edit, follow it up with an email to WP:OTRS, Wikipedia's volunteer response team, or ask for help on WP:BLPN, our noticeboard for articles about living persons.


 * Stellabystarlight (talk) 20:15, 16 June 2013 (UTC)

New Cross Arms?
Surely that was the New Cross Inn, or else possibly the Amersham Arms in New Cross, but not the "New Cross Arms" which does not seem to exist? The version at gingergeezer, which seems to be copied from "Wednesday, March 8, 1995: An Appreciation, by Neil Innes, in The Guardian, is slightly different:
 * "I first met Vivian Stanshall in a pub in New Cross, not far from Goldsmith's College. He was overweight, wearing a black frock coat, Billy Bunter trousers and carrying a euphonium under his arm. His broad face dwarfed the miniature, oval-shaped, violet tinted Victorian spectacles perched on his nose and, on either side of his head, he sported very large false ears made of unpleasant pink rubber! ... It occurred to me immediately, that here was an interesting man, even for an art student and this was only 1963 - or was it 1964?"

I'm tempted replace the current quite and source, which is given merely as "Stephen Fry's BBC Radio 4 tribute" without any date. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:13, 15 July 2014 (UTC)
 * In the 2004 BBC Four Vivian Stanshall: The Canyons Of His Mind, Innes describes it as "a big heaving Irish pub ... in New Cross, near Goldsmith's College". Martinevans123 (talk) 21:04, 17 September 2014 (UTC)

Rutles Reference Deleted
In the 1970s section, deleted The Rutles reference. Why? Because Viv had NOTHING to do with The Rutles. Yes, Neil Innes , Peter "Oly" Halsall , John Halsey and Andy Brown - all of whom played on the 1978 Rutles album - have played with Viv , and appeared on his albums in various combinations … but NEVER as "The Rutles". Harvey J Satan (talk) 08:55, 30 December 2015 (UTC)

Vivian Stanshall .. Teenage years
To anybody who may be interseted. During the 60's we lived in Leigh-on-Sea Essex. After finishing secondary school, my older brother Tony (aka Toerag) decided to continue his education at Southend school of Art. It was whilst he was there that he first became friends with Vivian. Ours was a free and easy house, with all sorts of people always coming and going. probably as our parents were separated and mum had a very carefree attitud,providing we did not get into trouble with the police ! I was still at school in Rayleigh, and friends often lived some way off. So it was frequently Tony's mob who used to come around- quite often afetr the pubs had closed. Amongst the more regular visitors was .... Vivian ! Always with an instrument of some sort. Together with others they would make up songs about out mum, and stand at the front door signing and playing at full strength. Viv spent many a long day at our house, possibly because he said his father was very strict and didn't approve of his lifestyle. One memory that will always stick with me ..., Viv standing in front of our Rayburn stove with a large mirror above it. Glued to the mirror and telling himself how beautiful and handsome he was !!! Please feel free to contact me if I can help with any other memories about Vivian (alias victor )

Gordon Davies .. aka  Littletoe !¬!!

2A00:23C7:4301:4001:F1DF:FBB:E112:DF3D (talk) 15:50, 12 February 2022 (UTC)


 * Sorry, but personal reminiscences are not WP:RS. You really need a blog-site/ discussion board for this, thanks. Martinevans123 (talk) 16:37, 12 February 2022 (UTC)

Early life and education
"Stanshall studied at Walthamstow College of Art, where he met fellow students Ian Dury and Peter Greenaway.

When he was 10, the Stanshall family moved to the Essex coastal town of Leigh-on-Sea"

Surely he was not studying at WCA before he was 10 – so why is the text sequenced like this? Presumably he moved from WCA to Central, and the text should reflect that – but I lack enough knowledge of the subject to do so with confidence. Harfarhs (talk) 01:37, 29 September 2023 (UTC)