Graham Crackers, Graham Crackers, Yoakum, Chapman, Law And Suit...

[TJ]

A number of you have asked who Jim Yoakum is and why he is viewed with such disdain whenever his name has come up in conversation. Well, now you can find out for yourself. The full horror starts to unfold at http://www.angelfire.com/super/sotcaabits/forums/threads_yoakum01.html

[Jemble Fred]

I was going to ask whether you'd consulted any lawyers about that, but I suppose it's Yoakum's words on there, so you're fine.

Cheers for the link - is it new? I'm pretty sure I've read through the whole business before, but it's good to have a definite url to point to next time someone asks.

I wonder if he'll be in charge of picking  Americans to play the Pythons for Gin & Tonic? I don't know, we've got Kiwi Satire Boomers, American Pythons. Anyone want to form a group and make a Saturday Night Live biopic? I'll be Dan Aykroyd.

[jutl]

He's clearly a very baity man, and his scripts in that Ojril book were fairly second-rate, but he does have a point there, doesn't he? I mean, the only way to run sites which specialise in these kind of rarities is to steer clear of copyright disputes where they occur by deletion and apology, isn't it? I'm not trying to start an argument, but is what we are saying here that he's a cunt, or that he's factually wrong?

[TJ]

He's clearly a very baity man, and his scripts in that Ojril book were fairly second-rate, but he does have a point there, doesn't he? I mean, the only way to run sites which specialise in these kind of rarities is to steer clear of copyright disputes where they occur by deletion and apology, isn't it? I'm not trying to start an argument, but is what we are saying here that he's a cunt, or that he's factually wrong?

I take it you haven't read the full thing to its conclusion, then...

[jutl]

He's clearly a very baity man, and his scripts in that Ojril book were fairly second-rate, but he does have a point there, doesn't he? I mean, the only way to run sites which specialise in these kind of rarities is to steer clear of copyright disputes where they occur by deletion and apology, isn't it? I'm not trying to start an argument, but is what we are saying here that he's a cunt, or that he's factually wrong?

I take it you haven't read the full thing to its conclusion, then...

Oh... I thought I had... Hang on...

[alan strang]

Some of those pages might not work in certain browsers by the way. I forgot to strip the frame-forcing javascript from all of them (and we can't correct them at the moment because the Angelfire bandwidth consumption has locked us out!)

I was going to ask whether you'd consulted any lawyers about that, but I suppose it's Yoakum's words on there, so you're fine.

When we first republished the threads as an 'archive' (around December 2000) Yoakum did send a 'legal email' to the original server suggesting that we be closed down. The mail was filled with all manner of copyright accusations, although I suspect he was more angry about those message boards threads being collected together in one place since they a) don't show him in a particularly ingratiating light, considering his postition, and b) show him to be a liar (by pretending that none of the offensive messages were actually by him - a trick he also tried to pull on the Google newsgroups a few times).

[jutl]

The mail was filled with all manner of copyright accusations, although I suspect he was more angry about those message boards threads being collected together in one place since they a) don't show him in a particularly ingratiating light, considering his postition, and b) show him to be a liar (by pretending that none of the offensive messages were actually by him - a trick he also tried to pull on the Google newsgroups a few times).

Yes, that does seem a little odd, doesn't it? Still, it's quite endearing that he did it so badly. I don't know, I suppose I was expecting him to be really delusional, unfunny and prickish, whereas I can't help sympathising with him a tiny bit. Don't hate me...

[TJ]

Yes, that does seem a little odd, doesn't it? Still, it's quite endearing that he did it so badly. I don't know, I suppose I was expecting him to be really delusional, unfunny and prickish, whereas I can't help sympathising with him a tiny bit. Don't hate me...

I don't know... some of the delerious accusations (in particular "if my calling robbers "cunts" offended then perhaps I struck a nerve") still rankle even after all this time. Maybe some contextualisation is required, though, in that it was genuinely quite startling to see such generally laid-back posters as Al, Subbes, Sam D and our own Bent Halo driven to such obvious public displays of exasperation and offence by the petulant name-calling and deliberate wilful misinterpretation/re-editing of their posts.

[jutl]

Yes, that does seem a little odd, doesn't it? Still, it's quite endearing that he did it so badly. I don't know, I suppose I was expecting him to be really delusional, unfunny and prickish, whereas I can't help sympathising with him a tiny bit. Don't hate me...

I don't know... some of the delerious accusations (in particular "if my calling robbers "cunts" offended then perhaps I struck a nerve") still rankle even after all this time. Maybe some contextualisation is required, though, in that it was genuinely quite startling to see such generally laid-back posters as Al, Subbes, Sam D and our own Bent Halo driven to such obvious public displays of exasperation and offence by the petulant name-calling and deliberate wilful misinterpretation/re-editing of their posts.

I wonder if, partly, it's a US/UK incompatibility. For example, I found it jarring when he used the word 'wankers' because it just didn't flow correctly in his furious American phraseology. He's a ranter - and as such probably not that used to calm response and argument. I suppose that that might be why he tried to disown his remarks; if you'd all been as feverish and abusive, then he wouldn't have looked nearly so bad...

I got far angrier reading "The Concrete Inspector" than I did reading that though :O)

[alan strang]

Might also be worth pointing here out that Jim Yoakum didn't actually own a copy of the Out Of The Trees script as part of his 'Graham Chapman Archives'. You'd think he'd be pleased we'd brought it to his attention!

As a few people pointed out during those threads, Yoakum was 'legally' in the right - it's just the way he used that whole 'it's the law - what part of 'illegal' don't you understand - end of story' stance to back himself up that was so appalling. And he must have realised this eventually, hence the last few postings.

On the Google groups he'd habitually get into arguments with people who ran Python sites but who refused to acknowledge his 'importance' in terms of Python/Chapman. And, when he started losing those arguments, he'd suddenly throw in a "By the way, asshole - your website contains material which is copyright the Graham Chapman Estate - kindly remove it" as a knockout blow.

In other words, he enjoyed the 'power' that came with the territory of being associated with the Pythons, even though that association was rather paltry.

The funniest by-product of all this was on the Douglas Adams site - where Adams just shrugged his shoulders at the whole thing, and  Yoakum publicly had a go at him for not backing him up!

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Bump. Don't worry - his film hasn't been greenlit or anything.

But here's the Python chapter from the Liar's Autobiography audiobook, as read by the author (no, I didn't know it existed either).

Worth it for his Terry Jones impression.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8ryd0l

[biniput]

That's one of those sort of things that I didn't think existed let alone was able to hear.  Excellen, Great, a days, nay a weeks highlight.

Is there any more.

[Jemble Fred]

I have the full version of the recording, but not with me. I can't think where I'd have downloaded it from, except this exact forum. Odd.

[Gavin]

I have the full version of the recording, but not with me. I can't think where I'd have downloaded it from, except this exact forum. Odd.

I think that I got it from the pig torrent place, but I know you don't do torrents.

[Jemble Fred]

Perhaps you sent it to me?

Any which way, it is golden. Although I probably haven't heard it all, having put it on to drift off to sleep to several times.

[Gavin]

Perhaps you sent it to me?

Any which way, it is golden. Although I probably haven't heard it all, having put it on to drift off to sleep to several times.

Although I couldn't tell you half the stuff I've sent you I know I didn't send you this because I only got it a week or two ago.

[Blue Jam]

Worth it for his Terry Jones impression.

Yes, you're right and that's coming from Welsh person. Are either of those recent Chapman-related books worth getting, or do they have anything to do with Yoakum? There's Calcium Made Interesting and another one, I think it's a biography but I can't remember.

Is the Python biopic off then? I hope so, I couldn't imagine it being any good. Spamalot sounded like a fucking terrible idea as well, so I was surprised to see it was on at a London theatre I walked past a few weeks ago. A friend of mine who does a radio show and gets sent a lot of crappy promo records got sent the Rutland Isles album last year and said that it was honestly the worst album he'd ever heard.

[biniput]

Regardless of where anyone got it from could someone please bung it up.

thank you.

[leoconsole]

For what it's worth; I have all the Yoakum/Chapman books and I really enjoyed quite a lot of Calcium Made Interesting.

So there

[Pinball]

I'm uploading this:

Graham Chapman - A Six Pack Of Lies
Recorded on 25th April 1988 at the Student Center Ballroom, Georgia Tech. University, Atlanta, Georgia

All material written and performed by Graham Chapman

30 Seconds Of Abuse
The Dangerous Sports Club
Shitties
The Even More Dangerous Keith Moon
Monty Python Fliegende Zircus
Two Films And Six Snakes
Paralyzed At The Polo Lounge
The (Non-Inflatable) History Of Monty Python
Who Wrote That And Who Didn't
A Horse, A Bucket And A Spoon?
Python's Progress (Circa 1988)
And Then There Was....Spam!!!
The Magic Christian
The Liar's Autobiography

I like live recordings :-)

[Banana Woofwoof]

Bump. Don't worry - his film hasn't been greenlit or anything.

But here's the Python chapter from the Liar's Autobiography audiobook, as read by the author (no, I didn't know it existed either).

Worth it for his Terry Jones impression.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8ryd0l

THANK YOU for the PM!

x

[biniput]

Same here.

[biniput]

to PINBALL

To where are you uploading.

I am greedy at times.

[Pinball]

http://rapidshare.de/files/26325240/Graham_Chapman_-_A_Six_Pack_Of_Lies.mp3.html

[Pinball]

http://rapidshare.de/files/26331227/Yellowbeard__1983__XVID_T01_2_0ch_256Kbps_DELAY_0ms.mp3.html

[Jemble Fred]

How does that Six pack of lies differentiate from the commercially available Brown Trouser Job? Much the same running list etc. Not that I'm being prefect-ish, I'm just wondering.

I'd post up my Chapman review from the last Kettering, which takes in all of the books mentioned here, but A) it would be a wanky thing to do, B) it's relatively kind to Yoakum (or at least his recent output) so I'd get a net wedgie from you all, and C) I don't have the textfile on my work Mac anyway.

[leoconsole]

I've seen mentioned a few places an audio cd/tape called 'Spot The Looney',

Does anyone know if this is just a repackaging of Six Pack or is it an entirely different dodgy recording of stuff I've heard a million times?

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Two sketches from Cilla Black's Cilla show (16/12/69), starring Graham Chapman, Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor:

Cricket Commentators

http://www.sendspace.com/file/l9o3qn

That Was Your Life

http://www.sendspace.com/file/wna3t1

[Blue Jam]

I think the tour recording is also sold as "A Liar Live." I think they're all the same, can't remember what my copy's called.

http://rapidshare.de/files/26331227/Yellowbeard__1983__XVID_T01_2_0ch_256Kbps_DELAY_0ms.mp3.html

Aaaarrrggh, Rapidshare is horrible, any other way you could share this? I think there's a DVD of the film coming out soon but I don't want to buy it as it sounds crap. The only thing in it I want to see is David Bowie playing a shark.

[Pinball]

It's only the audio as an MP3, but I'll upload elsewhere..