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Shangri-La
Shang-ra-la

B-Side

"It's Looking Good" (demo)

Released

4 November 1996

Recorded

1996

Genre

Pop Rock - Psychedelic Pop - Progressive Pop

Label

Rutle Corps

Songwriter(s)

Original composition by Nasty; The Rutles version by Nasty, O'Hara, and Womble

Length

7:44
4:25 (edit)

Producer

Jeff Lynt

"Shangri-La" is a song by the Rutles written by Ron Nasty directly before the break-up of the band. However, it was not released, being a part of the infamous "Archaeology tapes" of 1970 which were literally buried by the band. Nasty released a solo version of the song in 1979, wearing a Superman outfit in the music video.

It was later properly recorded and mixed by the Rutles (besides Dirk McQuickly) and released on Archaeology in 1996. It was one of the many previously unheard songs that the Rutles buried as a time capsule in 1970, dubbed the "Archaeology tapes."

Background[]

Nasty as Superman

Nasty wearing a Superman outfit in the music video of his solo version of the song

The song was written by Ron Nasty directly before the break-up of the band. Nasty first recorded it for his ‘Taking Off’ album in 1977 and then featured it on a music video he filmed two years later. Here Nasty dressed as Superman at Butlins holiday camp in Minehead juxtaposed with scenes of crushing poverty in the UK. Nasty’s social commentary at its best.

The first chance fans had to hear it was during Nasty's performance of the song on Saturday Night Live. Low-quality copies of this recording often appeared on bootleg albums, making it even more infamous among fans. In 1988, this copy found some limited release on the record Vast Bastards. At the time this was the only way to listen to a Rutles version of Shangri-La.[1]

Finally, in 1996, fans got to hear a polished and well-mixed version of the lost 1970 recordings, which were excavated and completed by three of the four Rutles for the Archaeology project.

On September 3, a music video was recorded featuring an all-star cast in emulation of the "Love Life" music video.[2] The completed song was later released on 1.

Footnotes[]

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