In 1978, Charisma Records released the 'Sir Henry At Rawlinson End' album, a forty-minute introduction to the eccentric custodian of the crumbling British country estate, which incorporated characters & music from the various episodes of the Sir Henry saga, originally broadcast on the BBC's John Peel show from October 1975 up until 1991.

The BBC regular re-broadcast Sir Henry even today.

In 1980, Sir Henry was also unleashed on the public as a film, starring the great Trevor Howard & was also issued as book published by Eel Pie Publishing, owned at the time by The Who's Pete Townshend.

The 1990's found Sir Henry used as the concept for a now legendary series of 'Ruddles Beer' adverts that cemented 'Rawlinson's End' in the National consciousness. Stanshall was a major Influence on the cream of the new wave of British comedy in the 1980's including Stephen Fry, Adrian Edmondson, Phil Jupitus & Paul Merton & he remains much loved nearly thirty years after his death.In the years just before his untimely death in 1995, Vivian intended to generate a new album based around the content of three of the final episodes broadcast by John Peel on the BBC; 'Crackpot At The End Of The Rainbow' recorded in February 1988, 'The Eating At Rawlinson End', from August 1988 & 'The Thing At Rawlinson End', from April 1991. For decades it has been rumoured that a new Sir Henry album would be released & now finally Madfish / Snapper Music in collaboration with the Stanshall Family have made that rumour a reality.

Using all the remaining tapes from Vivian's archive, Stanshall expert & performance artist Michael Livesley has managed to put back together the intended release, a process that he has described as like "putting back together a smashed vase". The results are a revelation with the final album now a double LP containing some of Vivian's finest work. Fans of Sir Henry, Old Scrotum, Mrs E & the various bizarre & evocative characters that inhabit the musty 'Rawlinson's End' will be thrilled at the imagined adventures that await them - Vivian's final vision has been realised - 'Rawlinson's End'.

TRACK LISTING

Lady Rawlinson's Lilt
Under The Sea ( Instrumental ) ( 06:08 )
Eggs Is Eggs ( Nice N Tidy ) ( 09:07 )
The Pipes ( Sir Henry ) ( 02:53 )
The Crackpot ( Instrumental ) ( 01:11 )
The Great Eating ( Instrumental ) ( 02:31 )
Buzzing ( Hubert ) ( 01:50 )
Spreading His Light ( Hubert & The Rev Slodden ) ( 04:39 )
Scrotum's Lullaby ( Scrotum ) ( 04:31 )
Under The Sea ( Reprise ) ( 01:15 )
Cackling Gas / Under The Sea ( 05:05 )
Octavia ( 04:04 )
Cul-de-Sac ( Mrs E ) ( 04:35 )
The Quiet That The Spider Knows ( Aunt Florrie ) ( 02:43 )
Tour De Farce ( Instrumental ) ( 00:41 )
Entre Act ( Instrumental ) ( 03:36 )
Diplodocus V Concreton ( 03:18 )
Achmedillo ( Scrotum ) ( 05:38 )
Peristaltic Waves ( The Patient ) ( 02:30 )

During the last five years of his life, ex-Bonzo Dog Band solo artist Vivian Stanshall, was working on a final album of music to follow up his muchloved 1981 album 'Teddy Boys Don't Knit', which featured classics such as 'Terry Keeps His Clips On', 'The Cracks Are Showing' & 'Ginger Geezer'

Stanshall had spent his time in the 1980's working on his 'English Comic Opera in the Grand Tradition' Stinkfoot, which first ran at the Old Profanity Showboat in Bristol Harbour in 1985, with a later revival in London. He had also found success writing material with his friend Steve Winwood, co-writing the title track to 'Arc Of A Diver', working on Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells 2' (he had been an integral part to the original 'Tubular Bells' as the narrator) & various advertising campaigns including 'Lemsip', 'Cadburys' & most famously 'Ruddles Beer'.For a considerable period, Vivian had wanted to record & release another rock album & had been collecting songs as far back as the 1970's. With money he earned from his advertising work, he funded various recording sessions & had interest from a major record label, but sadly he tragically died in a fire before an album could be completed.

The twelve tracks on this album are taken from a selection of sixty or so finished or nearly completed recordings on the tapes left by Vivian Stanshall, as his hitherto unpublished legacy.

Andy Frizell (The Wizards of Twiddly, The Coral & Kevin Ayers) is a musician & producer who worked with Vivian briefly in 1994. Using the surviving recordings, he has pieced back together Vivian's final album adding where required, the missing instrumentation but, at all times, paying reverence to the original vision. The collection includes the Beefheartian monster mash blues of 'Dog Howl In Tune' - also the title track - as well as the wistfully melancholic 'No Time Like The Future' on an album that wears its heart fully on its sleeve. It is by far the most biographical album Vivian ever made & draws on songs from 'Stinkfoot' & other projects. 'Goodbye Mother' is the poignant last song from the project 'Shackleton', based around the exploits of the Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton, which never saw the light of day whilst 'Boy In Darkness' was written by Vivian for a project with Steve Winwood - Winwood's version yet to be released.

Musicians include Jack Bruce (Cream), Ollie Halsall (Pato), Susie Honeyman (The Mekons), Neil Innes & Rodney Slater (The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band), Mike Kellie (Spooky Tooth) & others.

TRACK LISTING

Dog Howl In Tune
Made Of Stone
I'd Rather Cut My Hands
A Good Woman
Goodbye Mother
No Time Like The Future
Strongth
Gecko
Landing On My Feet
Only Being Myself
Boy In Darkness