Larry Smith, often known as "Legs" Larry Smith (born 18 January 1944) is an English drummer known from the satirical comedy jazz (and later rock) group the

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (also known as the Bonzo Dog Band or the Bonzos) was created by a group of British Art school, art-school students in the 1960s. Combining elements of music hall, trad jazz and psychedelic music, psychedelia with sur ...

Life and career

Early life and education

Smith was born in

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and grew up in

Marston, Oxford Marston is a village in the Civil parishes in England, civil parish of Old Marston about northeast of the centre of Oxford, England. It was absorbed within the city boundaries in 1991. It is commonly called Old Marston to distinguish it from th ...

. He suffered from

Rheumatic fever Rheumatic fever (RF) is an inflammation#Disorders, inflammatory disease that can involve the heart, joints, skin, and brain. The disease typically develops two to four weeks after a Streptococcal pharyngitis, streptococcal throat infection. Si ...

and consequently missed school while he was convalescing. During this time, he began painting, and was encouraged by a teacher to enrol in the Oxford School of Art (now part of

Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University (OBU; formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic) is a public university, public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Th ...

) where he studied

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...

. Following this, he continued studying at the

Central School of Arts and Crafts The Central School of Art and Design was a art school, school of fine arts, fine and applied arts in London, England. It offered foundation and degree level courses. It was established in 1896 by the London County Council as the Central School ...

, where he met

Vivian Stanshall Vivian Stanshall (born Victor Anthony Stanshall; 21 March 1943 – 5 March 1995) was an English singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his exploration of the British uppe ...

. Whilst at art college, he would experience the beginning of his first of many persona portrayals:

Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band

Smith was originally invited to join the

Viv Stanshall Vivian Stanshall (born Victor Anthony Stanshall; 21 March 1943 – 5 March 1995) was an English singer-songwriter, musician, author, poet and wit, best known for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, for his exploration of the British upper ...

to be a

tuba The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...

player and

tap dancer Tap dance (or tap) is a form of dance that uses the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion; it is often accompanied by music. Tap dancing can also be performed with no musical accompaniment; the sound of the taps is its ow ...

. Following the release of their first LP

Gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...

, Smith also became the band's drummer. As the drummer he became a core member of the band, and performed on their top five hit "I'm the Urban Spaceman" and on all subsequent recordings. The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band appeared in

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' 1967 TV film ''

Magical Mystery Tour ''Magical Mystery Tour'' is a record by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double EP in the United Kingdom and an LP in the United States. It includes the soundtrack to the 1967 television film of the same title. The E ...

'' and also in the ground-breaking ITV television series ''

Do Not Adjust Your Set ''Do Not Adjust Your Set'' is a British television series produced originally by Rediffusion, London, and then by the fledgling Thames Television for British commercial television channel ITV from 26 December 1967 to 14 May 1969. The show took ...

'', which featured future

Monty Python Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy ser ...

members

Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, songwriter, musician, screenwriter and playwright. He was a member of the British comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band the Rutles. Idle studied English at Pembroke Co ...

Terry Jones Terence Graham Parry Jones (1 February 1942 – 21 January 2020) was a Welsh actor, comedian, director, historian, writer and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones a ...

and

Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. He received the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, BAFTA Fellowship in 2013 and was knig ...

. On 28 January 2006, with other surviving members of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, Smith played a reunion concert at the

London Astoria The London Astoria was a music venue at 157 Charing Cross Road, in London, England, that operated from 1976 to 2009. Originally a warehouse during the 1920s, the building became a cinema and ballroom. It was converted for use as a theatre in t ...

. A countrywide tour, which began in Ipswich and ended with two shows at the

Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was original ...

with

Adrian Edmondson Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter. Part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s, he and his comedy partner Rik Mayall starred in the television sitc ...

and

Phill Jupitus Phillip Christopher Jupitus (, ''Given name#Name at birth, né'' Swan; born 25 June 1962) is a retired English stand-up comedy, stand-up and Improv comedy teacher, improv comedian, actor, performance poetry, performance poet, cartoonist and podc ...

, followed during November 2006. The Shepherd's Bush Empire shows were filmed for TV broadcast by the BBC and also released on DVD. A further sold-out concert at the

in June 2008 saw Smith perform with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band where his 'Mr Wonderful' stage persona was a highlight of the concert.

Solo

In 1969, Smith was the first member of the Bonzo Dog Band to release a record outside of the group, albeit as part of another 'group'. Under the pseudonym 'Topo D. Bill', a one-off musical collective that included

Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 1946 – 7 September 1978) was an English musician who was the drummer for the rock band the Who. Regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the history of rock music, he was noted for his unique style of playing and ...

The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

Chris Squire Christopher Russell Edward Squire (4March 1948 – 27June 2015) was an English musician, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes. He was the longest-serving original member, having r ...

and Tony Kaye from

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * Young Eisner Scholars, in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Appalachia, US * Young Ep ...

and fellow Bonzo

Roger Ruskin Spear Roger Ruskin Spear (born 29 June 1943 in Hammersmith, London) is an English sculptor, multimedia artist and multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, clarinet, trumpet, piano, guitars, percussion) who was a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Spea ...

, Smith released a non-comedic cover version of

Jim Pepper Jim Gilbert Pepper II (June 18, 1941 – February 10, 1992) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and singer of Kaw and Muscogee heritage. He moved to New York City in 1964, where he came to prominence in the late 1960s as a member of The ...

's song 'Witchi Tai To' as a single on the Charisma label. The less serious b-side - entitled 'Jam' - was an original Smith/Kaye composition; they would collaborate again on the track 'Rusty', written and recorded for the Bonzos' 1972 reunion/contractual obligation LP''

Let's Make Up And Be Friendly ''Let's Make Up And Be Friendly'' is the fifth studio album by the Bonzo Dog Band and their last album until 2007. The group had already disbanded when United Artists Records (which absorbed the Bonzos' label Liberty Records) informed band memb ...

''. Following the dissolution of the original Bonzo Dog Band, Smith toured with

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...

and

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

and tap-danced in Elton John's song "I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself" from the album ''

Honky Château ''Honky Château'' is the fifth studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released on 19 May 1972, and was titled after the 18th century French chateau where it was recorded, Château d'Hérouville. The album reached number one on the ...

'' (1972). He is also featured in the song "Legs Larry at Television Centre" on

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, dr ...

's 1972 album '' The Academy in Peril'', for which he provides the voice of a television director. In March 2009, Smug Records released ''"Legs" Larry Smith's – 'Call Me, Adolf!, a five-track digital EP produced by

Gus Dudgeon Angus Boyd "Gus" Dudgeon (30 September 1942 – 21 July 2002) was an English record producer, who oversaw many of Elton John's most acclaimed recordings, including his commercial breakthrough, " Your Song". Their collaboration led to seven US N ...

. Smith's first full-length solo album, ''Mr Wonderful'', was released in 2023 by Right Recordings.

Work with George Harrison

Smith was a close friend of ex-Beatle

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...

for many years, and designed the cover for his ''

Gone Troppo ''Gone Troppo'' is the tenth studio album by the English rock musician George Harrison, released on 5 November 1982 by Dark Horse Records. It includes " Wake Up My Love", issued as a single, and " Dream Away", which was the theme song for the 198 ...

'' album (1982). He also sang the theme song of and appeared in the Harrison-backed film '' Bullshot'' (1983), a HandMade Films production. Harrison wrote and recorded a song about Smith called " His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen)", released on his album ''

Extra Texture (Read All About It) ''Extra Texture (Read All About It)'' is the sixth studio album by the English musician George Harrison, released on 22 September 1975. It was Harrison's final album under his contract with Apple Records and EMI, and the last studio album issued ...

'' (1975).

Later works

Smith has designed album covers, exhibited paintings, appeared in award-winning commercials, and created stage-sets.

Discography

Studio albums

Albums

Singles

References

External links

Official Bonzo Dog Band 40th Anniversary Tour web site

''The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band'' by Ian Kitching
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Larry 1944 births Living people English rock drummers English comedy musicians British surrealist artists Tap dancers Musicians from Oxford Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band members British album-cover and concert-poster artists