Monty Python's Flying Circus was the first album produced by the Monty Python

Monty Python

Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...

 troupe. It was released in both the UK and the US in 1970, with the US version featuring a back cover slightly different from the original UK version. The album featured new versions of sketches from the Monty Python's Flying Circus

Monty Python's Flying Circus

Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...

television series.

Next to the television show itself, it was the first piece of media the Pythons released. It is noted that Terry Gilliam

Terry Gilliam

Terrence Vance "Terry" Gilliam is an American-born British screenwriter, film director, animator, actor and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam is also known for directing several films, including Brazil , The Adventures of Baron Munchausen , The Fisher King , and 12 Monkeys...

 was not included as a member of Python on the album's cast listing (in spite of his brief appearance in the sketch "The Visitors") and Graham Chapman

Graham Chapman

Graham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...

's name is misspelled "Grahame".

It is the only Python studio album to have a laugh track

Laugh track

A laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...

, having been recorded in one day in front of a live audience at Camden Town

Camden Town

-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...

 Hall. Eric Idle

Eric Idle

Eric Idle is an English comedian, actor, author, singer, writer, and comedic composer. He was as a member of the British comedy group Monty Python, a member of the The Rutles on Saturday Night Live and author of the play, Spamalot....

 stated in the book The Pythons, "They were a particularly dead audience."

The copyright

Copyright

Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...

 to the record is still owned by the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

, making it one of the few pieces of material the Pythons themselves do not own. This is also the reason why it did not gain a 2006 special edition release. One of the tracks makes specific mention to the album being in stereo, and Graham Chapman demonstrates it by walking from one speaker to another. The effect was totally lost as the album was recorded in mono, which the Pythons didn't know at the time. They felt disenchanted by the BBC's album producing methods, and for their remaining albums sought very different approaches.

Side one

1. "Flying Sheep"
2. "Television Interviews/Arthur Frampton"
3. "Trade Description Act/Whizzo Chocolates
   Crunchy Frog
   "Crunchy Frog" is a fictional sketch originating from a Monty Python sketch titled "Trade Description Act", inspired by the British law Trade Descriptions Act 1968.- The sketch :In this sketch, Mr...
   
   "
4. "Nudge, Nudge"
5. "The Mouse Problem
   The Mouse Problem
   "The Mouse Problem" is a Monty Python sketch, first aired in 1969 as part of Sex and Violence, the second episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus....
   
   "
6. "Buying A Bed"
7. "Interesting People"
8. "Lumberjack Song"
9. "Sir Edward Ross"

Side two

1. "Arthur 'Two Sheds' Jackson"
2. "Children's Stories"
3. "The Visitors"
4. "Albatross!
   Albatross (Monty Python sketch)
   "Albatross" is a well known sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus. It is particularly known for its opening lines: "Albatross!! Albatross!! Albatross!!" and the question: "What flavour is it?"...
   
   "
5. "The North Minehead By-Election"
6. "Me Doctor"
7. "Pet Shop (Dead Parrot)
   Dead Parrot
   The "Dead Parrot Sketch", alternatively and originally known as the "Pet Shop Sketch" or "Parrot Sketch", is a popular sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus, and one of the most famous in the history of British television comedy...
   
   "
8. "Self-Defence"

Distribution Information

• LP: (1970) BBC Records REB 73M (UK)
• LP: (1970) Pye Records 12116 (U.S.)
• LP: (1970) BBC Records BBC-22073 (UK)
• CS: (1970) BBC Records REMC 73 (UK)
• CD: (1985) BBC/Audio Visual International BBCCD73 (UK)
• LP: (1986) Warner Brothers Records 88375 (ISBN 0-87188-375-9) (U.S.)
• CS: (1994) BBC Enterprises, Ltd. ZBBC 1508 ISBN 0-563-39481-1 (UK) (Canned Laughter series)
• CD: (1996) BBC Audiobooks ISBN 0-56355-820-2 (UK)
• CD: (2006) BBC Audiobooks ISBN 0-56355-820-0 (UK)
• CD: (2011) AudioGO ISBN 978-1-408-46820-3 (UK) (Vintage Beeb series)