Roger Ruskin Spear

Roger Ruskin Spear (born 29 June 1943[1] in Hammersmith, London) is an English sculptor, multimedia artist and musician. He plays many different instruments. The instruments he plays include saxophones, clarinet, piano, guitars and percussion. Spear was a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band.

Roger Ruskin Spear
Roger Ruskin Spear (in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, 1968)
Background information
Born (1943-06-29) June 29, 1943
Hammersmith, London
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)musician
Instrumentssaxophone, clarinet, piano, guitar and percussion
Formerly ofBonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, New Jungle Orchestra, biGGrunt, Tatty Ollity, The Slightly Dangerous Brothers

Career

Spear was a member of a jazz band that he created called New Jungle Orchestra. He end the band in 1964. After that, he joined the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Spear wrote many songs as a member of the band. They include "Shirt",[2] "Tubas in the Moonlight" and "Trouser Press".[3][4] He is known for his robot creations,[2] and the theremin leg – in "Noises for the Leg" and other songs.

After the Bonzos band ended, Spear was part of the band biGGrunt, with Vivian Stanshall. He also toured with his solo show 'Roger Ruskin Spear and his Giant Kinetic Wardrobe'. It was also called 'Giant Orchestral Wardrobe'. In 1979, Spear formed Tatty Ollity with Dave Glasson, Sam Spoons and Dave Knight. They released a single, "Punktuation" on Rough Trade. In 1982, Spear took part in The Cut Price Comedy Show. It was a weekly programme with sketches and end-of-the-pier jokes. The programme was made by ITV region TSW. It was broadcast on Channel 4. It ran for ten episodes.[5]

In 1985, Spear and Dave Glasson formed 'The Slightly Dangerous Brothers'. They made the single, "Let's Talk Basic". The video for the sone used some of Spear's robot creations. In 1991, Spear played saxophone in Vivian Stanshall's show 'Rawlinson Dog Ends' at the Bloomsbury Theatre, London. Spear had also played on Stanshall's album Teddy Boys Don't Knit (1981). He has appeared on albums such as Go Man Gorman (1977) for John Gorman of The Scaffold. Spear was also a member and co-founder of Bill Posters Will Be Band.

Until 2014, Spear performed with 'Three Bonzos and a Piano'.[6] The group is made up of former Bonzos members Rod Slater and Sam Spoons. It also includes Dave Glasson on piano. They were also often supported on guitar by Andy Roberts (formerly of The Liverpool Scene and The Scaffold).

He later played with a group made up of Bill Posters and Bonzo musicians called BonzoBills.[7] The group included Sam Spoons, Biff Harrison, Dave Glasson, Megs Etherington, Chris Lowe, and Jim Heath.

In addition to his musical activities, Spear taught 3D design part-time at the Chelsea College of Art.


Solo discography
  • Rebel Trouser (1971)
  • Electric Shocks (1972)
  • Unusual (1973)
  • Electric Shocks Plus (2002)

References
  1. "Roger Ruskin Spear Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  2. Unterberger, Richie (29 March 2010). "Roger Ruskin Spear: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
  3. "Songs about musical instruments". BBC. 29 March 2010. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
  4. Glancey, Jonathan (29 August 2007). "Classics of everyday design No 27". The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-11-21.
  5. "BFI | Film & TV Database | The CUT PRICE COMEDY SHOW". 20 August 2011. Archived from the original on 20 August 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  6. "three bonzos and a piano, etc". Threebonzosandapiano.co.uk. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  7. "Bonzo Bills set to wow audiences at the Bull's Head". Richmond and Twickenham Times. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
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