A bit of a chat with Ken Thornton

Ken Thornton is an amazingingly talented multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. Ken is best known for his collaborations with Neil Innes (of The Bonzo Dog Band and The Rutles). Ken first met Neil way back in 1994. He became the lead guitarist in The Rutles between 2001 and 2019. I was incredibly lucky to see The Rutles several times during this period and I loved every minute of it. Last month Ken announced on Facebook he was about to release a self titled 10 track solo album on bandcamp and he previewed a mini clip of a fab song called 'All Alone' I liked what I heard and was keen to discover a bit more about "Rutlin' Ken" so I was delighted when he agreed to do this mini Q and A. Now read on...

Harry Pye: You play every instrument and do all the singing on your album. Did you have anyone act as sounding board or advisor? Ken Thornton: "It was pretty much just me off in my own little world. I didn’t even play a song for friends until I felt I was pretty much done recording it, which didn’t leave much room for making changes. There were some important moments regarding input from friends. Feedback from Neil Innes motivated me to keep writing songs. Most of the new album was written in the last year, but a few of the songs were being worked on half-heartedly back in 2019. My attitude about creating new music was not very good at the time. I had unfinished versions of the songs with me on my iPod when we did the final Rutles tour that year. Neil generally had no desire to listen to new music while on tour, wanting to keep his head in the Rutles zone. Much to my surprise, he knocked on my hotel room door in Bilston and said he would like to have a listen." He listened to "Bluejay" and said it was great. Then he listened to "Foolish Heart" and said, "Another cracker!" He seemed to particularly like the lyrics of that one, and I think he liked the unusual chord changes. Well, as you can imagine, hearing a great songwriter like him say such nice things about some of my songs was very uplifting. He had liked some of my first album, but he was much more enthusiastic about these newer songs. He turned my attitude upside down, and I was inspired to keep going and write more songs. When he died later that year, I put songwriting on the back burner again and hardly touched a guitar for two years or so. I slowly got back into playing with bands and worked on John Halsey's solo record (Songs Of The Donkey Shed), which I had written a silly song for. So, it took a while, but sometime in 2025, I finally got my act together and focused on writing and recording a new album of my own songs. I struggled with the lyrics of "I'm On Fire." Some of the lyrics of the first version were pretty poor, and I knew I wasn’t completely happy with them. I played it for a friend who, after a number of drinks, felt free to openly poke fun at some of the lines. That was what I needed to hear. I threw away most of the original words, kept it focused solely on the event that inspired the song in the first place, and it turned out much better. The only other sounding board example I can think of concerns the song called "Coming For You." It's a ballad that is based on a story that is pretty well-known, and I tried to craft the lyrics so that the listener would probably not suss out the original inspiration until they got to the last verse, if they sussed it out at all. So, I had some friends read the lyrics as a test before locking them in. Playing and singing everything was a lot of fun and challenging, but I don't think I'll do an entire album that way ever again. It's pretty slow going, and I do enjoy working with others."

(Image above: Harry Pye with Ken Thornton at the O2 just after the successful Neil Innes tribute event) Q: You toured as a Rutle for quite some time. What are your happiest memories of being on stage or on the road with the Pre Fab Four "Gosh. I think I could write an entire book. I was very lucky to start playing guitar with Neil just before he put together the first touring band for the Rutles. I grew up loving the songs from the first album, and I had listened to Archaeology many times by then. The phrase “dream come true” is certainly fitting for me getting to be a Rutle. I still can’t believe it happened sometimes. The happiest memories are definitely on the stage playing and singing those songs. It was hard not to have a good time, and nearly every gig was fun regardless of what might have happened on the day leading up to it. The gigs that were the most fun for me were the ones in noisy clubs with the band close together and the audience up close and on their feet. The connection within the band and with the audience seemed to be the best when it was that way. One of my favorite memories is when we did Glastonbury in this big tent that held about 3,000 people. It was packed, even though Paul McCartney was due to play immediately after us on the Pyramid stage. The tent was lit up in such a way that we could see the entire audience smiling, having fun, and singing along. Fantastic! The audiences for the one time we went to Japan were the same way. Pure joy. Another favorite memory is from Glasgow and the first time we saw an audience hold up the letters C-H-E-E-S-E-A-N-D-O-N-I-O-N-S on paper hexagons while Neil spelled it out. I still have the “H” in my scrapbook. John Halsey was unpredictable and very funny on stage. Once in a while, he’d pretend to take a phone call during a song when he supposed to be singing lead or during one of his drum solos. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to call you back. I’m in the middle of a gig…” The drum solos often included funny musical moments too. He knew how to entertain an audience, and it was common for the audiences to start chanting “Barry! Barry! Barry!” During the later tours, we’d do a song that would feature John – a Barry Wom Spectacular. At any given moment, I could turn around to see him pulling a face at me or unexpectedly wearing a silly mask. He would sometimes get me laughing so much that I would play the wrong chord or worse. Thankfully, mistakes usually just made us all laugh even more. There were certain songs which Neil and I sang together like “Goose-Step Mama,” and we’d always make eye contact at some point and smile. Or when we did the dual guitar parts in “Number One” or “Don’t Know Why.” I missed that connection during the Neil tribute concert in 2024. Neil was also very funny on stage, of course, and if you paid close attention, you’d catch little jokes that Neil would throw in like during “Love Life” when he would occasionally change the words to “where there’s a will there’s a relative.” Got me every time! “Doubleback Alley” was glorious when we nailed the harmonies. “Piggy In The Middle” was always a favorite of mine to play, and I usually brought piggy masks along for the band to wear. I enjoyed playing drums for “Back In ’64,” which allowed John to go up front and do the paper-tearing solo. It was the perfect show closer, and would usually have me on the verge of tears by the end. It wasn’t all comedy, of course. Some of Neil’s songs were very moving to play. And that arrangement we did of George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” almost always made me well up, especially whenever we played it in Liverpool. Nothing was better than coming off the stage to the camaraderie after a good gig, which would typically involve a “well done” and a “thank you” hug from Neil. Neil thought the band was at its best in 2019, and there were a lot of plans for 2020 that sadly never came to be."

Q: Neil was very proud of the second Rutles record. Do you think Archaeology has the better songs but less laughs? Or do you love them both the same? "I think both albums are absolutely brilliant, but I can’t say I love them the same. I grew up loving the songs from the first album. I pretty much wore out my 8-track tape and first copy of the LP. I played them as much as any of the Beatle albums. I love Archaeology too, but the attachment will probably never be quite as deep as the first Rutles album. He was absolutely right to be proud of Archaeology. It’s fantastic. I was part-owner in a record shop when it came out, and we got an advance copy that we played A LOT. It was great when customers would ask what they had been listening to and even better when they bought a copy! He was also very proud of the Bonzos’ Pour l’Amour Des Chiens album and once expressed to me how it was such a shame that little masterpieces like that and Archeology go out into the world and get largely ignored. In the case of Archaeology, it was in large part due to Virgin pulling the plug on publicity at Dirk’s request. It certainly deserved more attention than it got, even amongst Rutles fans. That brings to mind another favorite memory from the road. The first time we played in Edinburgh was at a place called The Liquid Rooms, and the primary reason I remember that gig so well is that it was the first time an audience seemed to know and appreciate the Archaeology songs as well as those from the All You Need Is Cash era. At some gigs, the reaction to some of the Archaeology songs was a bit lukewarm, but in Edinburgh, they were singing along and enthusiastically applauding."

Q: I think people who love George Harrison's work will love your album. What other guitarists do you think had an impact on the music you make? "The Beatles have easily been my favorite band since I was about four years old thanks to one of my aunts, so it’s no surprise that their influence shows in some of my songs. The other guitarists that influenced me a lot when I was learning to play were Jimmy Page, Alex Lifeson, David Gilmour, and Jimi Hendrix. Later on, I got into players like Jeff Beck, Brian May, Steve Howe, Robert Fripp, John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Eric Johnson, Steve Hackett, and loads of others. Ollie Halsall, of course. I was always looking for new music to listen to, and much of it was guitar-oriented. Everyone I've listened to a lot in my life is bound to be reflected in some way when I play. My interest in Hindustani classical music and African music must also have an influence. It's generally not an intentional thing, though."

Q: If each member of The Rutles that you met were an ice cream flavour what flavour would they be? (as in Neil Innes: Praines and cream, Eric Idle: Banana, John Halsey: Tutti Frutti, Mickey Simmonds: Blueberry, Phil Jackson: Almond fudge - please give reasons for your choices if possible.) "I’ve tried, but I just don’t know how to answer this question. Instead, let me share a Rutles road story. When we were in Toyko, our promoter put us in a hotel in Shinjuku, which is a red-light district. You couldn’t leave the hotel without being accosted by these guys who would try to entice you to go to their clubs and pay to have intimate encounters with the women. These flesh salesmen were persistent, and their pitches got more and more desperate each time they tried. One said to us, “It’s not about the free drinks. It’s about the happiness. You can feel the titties!” He singled me out for some reason and said, “Show me the love, man. Just come take a look. Oh, yes, you are very lucky. The titties are best on Tuesdays!” We just kept on walking. Later that evening, the promoter took us to a restaurant that reminded me of the average restaurant chain in America. The menu was laid out with pictures of the various options. Neil put his menu in front of me pointing to a picture of a dish containing two shapely scoops of ice cream and said, “Look, Ken. The ice cream is best on Tuesdays.”

Q: Where and when is it best to listen to your new album? Do you think it sounds best on headphones on your way to work or late night on big speakers, or at a party or in the car etc Do you design the music with an environment in mind? "Well, if you’re anything like me, the best time to listen is when you have the time to sit and listen without distractions. At least initially. There is quite a bit going on in certain songs that you’ll miss unless you immerse yourself in it a bit. I’m a fan of recordings that have some things mixed in subtle ways, so you might not even notice them the first time. For example, there is a train sound effect in one of the songs, but I wanted it to be subtle and blend in with the track. I tend to do the same thing when it comes to echo and reverb effects. I like to put some things in there for those listening with headphones. It wasn’t mixed with any particular environment in mind apart from an assumption of the system being a full-range stereo setup. The stereo placement of various sounds was important. Some songs are a bit psychedelic, for lack of a better word, and have things moving around in stereo. One even flips the stereo imaging right in the middle of the song!"

What next? Previously you released an album called, "Venus de Milo, Please Raise Your Hand," will there be a third solo album? "I already have a number of new songs written and recorded or partially recorded, so I’m definitely working towards another album. Several of the songs are very pop-oriented and didn’t seem to fit well with rest of the songs on the new album. So, I’m thinking that the next thing will be a collection of four or five or these pop songs. One sounds like Everly Brothers meets 1964 Beatles. One is an R&B Tamla/Motown sort of thing. Another reminds me a bit of XTC’s “Mayor Of Simpleton.” I’m also working on writing and recording an album of instrumental rock with a band called Hallucinato - interesting riffs and sounds with odd time signatures and some challenging musical passages. Some of songs are inspired by developing sounds with my old Roland guitar synth. The band is similar to a band I was in called vonFrickle but not quite as far out."

Q: Who is still putting out music that excites and delights you? Do you rate Swift and Sheeran or Nick Cave?, still feel Costello and Dylan have got good albums left inside them? - who are you a fan of? "I’ll admit that I am currently not into a lot of newer music. I used to subscribe to Mojo magazine, and I’d find new interesting things in the reviews sometimes. I listen to the radio in the car sometimes, but it’s rare that I hear something new there that inspires me to look any deeper. Nowadays, it’s mainly recommendations from friends that lead me to something new. The Lemon Twigs is an example of that. I like what they’re doing a lot. I like Gaz Coombes. Ben Folds. Thomas Walsh from Pugwash. Regarding the older heroes, some of them definitely still have something good to bring to the table. I’m glad Peter Gabriel has gotten back to putting out new songs after a drought of more than twenty years. I have only heard a couple of tracks from it, but I hear the rest of Paul McCartney’s Dungeon Lane is really good, so I’ll be checking that out soon. I liked David Gilmour’s last album. Hackney Diamonds by the Rolling Stones is the best thing I’ve heard from them in a long time. I’m sure Jeff Lynne could make another great album, and I really hope he does. Through recommendations from friends, I do find myself getting exposed to “new” music by older bands that I never got into for whatever reason. Little Feat (the Lowell George era) and Sparks are a couple of recent examples. Also, because I love listening to music in surround sound (quad, 5.1, Atmos), I find myself buying a lot of favorite old albums that have been newly remixed in surround. The most recent one was Jeff Buckley’s Grace. Just take my money!"

Q: Neil's solo in Canyons of your Mind is the funniest guitar part of all time. What was his best serious guitar solo? Likewise what are your favorite out of his serious songs? "His guitar solo from “Don’t Know Why” on Archaeology is my favorite. Really, outside of the Bonzos, he did little in the way of lead guitar. “Canyons Of Your Mind” is the funniest, but the intro of “Can Blue Men Sing The Whites” is pretty tongue-in-cheek too. I like the crazy fuzz guitar stuff he did in “Mr. Apollo” a lot. My favorite of his serious songs? That’s tough, because there are so many great ones. And where is line between serious and not serious? Lots of his best songs were a combination of the two. OK, without belaboring, here are the favorites that come to mind in no particular order: Quiet Talks And Summer Walks, Song For Yvonne, Dream On, Evening Sun, Kenny And Liza, Lead Us, The Equestrian Statue, Shangri-La, Not Getting Any Younger, Stealing Time, Montana Café, 9-5 Pollution Blues, Old Age Becomes Me, Eine Kleine Middle Klasse Musik, Back In ’64, and One Of Those People. Is that enough? I could go on…" Listen to Ken's album on Band Camp: HERE