National Lampoon Radio Dinner
Encyclopedia
National Lampoon Radio Dinner is a comedy album from National Lampoon
that was first released in 1972. The humor on the album was very much steeped in the pop culture
of the era and includes such subjects as game shows ("Catch It and You Keep"), the 1972 presidential election
("Profiles in Chrome" - where the Democrats
nominate a Pontiac GTO
to run for office while then-president Richard Nixon
counters by transforming into a car himself) and popular music parodies such as "Deteriorata
" (a parody of Les Crane's
"Desiderata
"), - and "Pull the Tregros", a parody of Joan Baez
.
The latter subject also includes several references and sketches about the solo careers of the former members of The Beatles
. These include "Teenyrap" (two teenagers discussing George Harrison's
Concert For Bangladesh), references to Paul McCartney's
single "Give Ireland Back To The Irish
" (where a Irish tenor begins to sing the song and is repeatedly shot), the "Paul is Dead
" hoax, "Magical Misery Tour (Bootleg Record)" - a John Lennon
parody of the personal songwriting found on the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
album (the lyrics were lifted from his famous 1970 Rolling Stone
interview). Melissa Manchester
made a brief speaking appearance as "Yoko Ono
" on the track.
The album was originally set to be released on RCA Records
, but the company balked at a track called "David and Julie", a highly off-color bit about David
and Julie Eisenhower
. National Lampoon refused to cut the piece and took the album to Blue Thumb
instead, but were met with the same objection. Lampoon relented and the album was released without the offending bit.
National Lampoon
National Lampoon was both a ground-breaking American humor magazine and also a wide range of productions directly associated with that magazine. The magazine ran from 1970 to 1998, and was originally a spinoff of the Harvard Lampoon....
that was first released in 1972. The humor on the album was very much steeped in the pop culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
of the era and includes such subjects as game shows ("Catch It and You Keep"), the 1972 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1972
The United States presidential election of 1972 was the 47th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 7, 1972. The Democratic Party's nomination was eventually won by Senator George McGovern, who ran an anti-war campaign against incumbent Republican President Richard...
("Profiles in Chrome" - where the Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominate a Pontiac GTO
Pontiac GTO
The Pontiac GTO is an automobile built by Pontiac Division of General Motors in the United States from 1964 to 1974, and by GM subsidiary Holden in Australia from 2004 to 2006. It is considered an innovative, and now classic muscle car of the 1960s and 1970s...
to run for office while then-president Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
counters by transforming into a car himself) and popular music parodies such as "Deteriorata
Deteriorata
Deteriorata is a famous parody of San Francisco radio and television personality Les Crane's spoken word recording of Desiderata. It was written by Tony Hendra. It was recorded by National Lampoon as part of their National Lampoon Radio Dinner album of 1972...
" (a parody of Les Crane's
Les Crane
Les Crane , born Lesley Stein, was a radio announcer and television talk show host, a pioneer in interactive broadcasting who also scored a spoken word hit with his 1971 recording of the poem Desiderata, winning a "Best Spoken Word" Grammy.Born in Long Beach, New York , Crane...
"Desiderata
Desiderata
Desiderata is a 1927 prose poem by American writer Max Ehrmann...
"), - and "Pull the Tregros", a parody of Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
.
The latter subject also includes several references and sketches about the solo careers of the former members of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. These include "Teenyrap" (two teenagers discussing George Harrison's
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
Concert For Bangladesh), references to Paul McCartney's
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
single "Give Ireland Back To The Irish
Give Ireland Back to the Irish
"Give Ireland Back to the Irish" is a Paul and Linda McCartney song written in response to the events of Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland on 30 January 1972...
" (where a Irish tenor begins to sing the song and is repeatedly shot), the "Paul is Dead
Paul Is Dead
"Paul is dead" is an urban legend suggesting that Paul McCartney of the English rock band The Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by a look-alike....
" hoax, "Magical Misery Tour (Bootleg Record)" - a John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
parody of the personal songwriting found on the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was received with high critical praise upon release. Critic Greil Marcus remarked, "John's singing in the last verse of 'God' may be the finest in all of rock." In early 1971, the album reached number eight on the UK and went to number six in the US, spending eighteen...
album (the lyrics were lifted from his famous 1970 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
interview). Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester
Melissa Manchester is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Beginning in the 1970s, she has recorded generally in the adult contemporary genre. She has also appeared as an actress on television, in films, and on stage....
made a brief speaking appearance as "Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
" on the track.
The album was originally set to be released on RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
, but the company balked at a track called "David and Julie", a highly off-color bit about David
David Eisenhower
Dwight David Eisenhower II is an American author, public policy fellow, and eponym of the U.S. Presidential retreat, Camp David. He is the grandson of the 34th President of the United States, Dwight D...
and Julie Eisenhower
Julie Nixon Eisenhower
Julie Nixon Eisenhower is the younger daughter of 37th U.S. President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon, and sister to Patricia Nixon Cox....
. National Lampoon refused to cut the piece and took the album to Blue Thumb
Blue Thumb Records
Blue Thumb Records was an American record label founded in 1968 by Bob Krasnow, along with former A&M Records executives Tommy LiPuma and Don Graham. Krasnow had been in the record business for a number of years, working as a promotion man for King Records and also working for Buddah/Kama Sutra...
instead, but were met with the same objection. Lampoon relented and the album was released without the offending bit.
Side One
- DeteriorataDeteriorataDeteriorata is a famous parody of San Francisco radio and television personality Les Crane's spoken word recording of Desiderata. It was written by Tony Hendra. It was recorded by National Lampoon as part of their National Lampoon Radio Dinner album of 1972...
- Phono Phunnies
- Teenyrap
- It's Obvious
- Catch It and You Keep
- 'Quinas 'n' 'Rasmus
- All Kidding Aside (PSA)
- Phono Phunnies
- Teenyrap
- Magical Misery Tour (Bootleg Record)
Side Thirteen (Side Two)
- Those Fabulous Sixties
- Profiles in Chrome
- Teenyrap
- Phono Phunnies
- Pigeons
- Support Your Locol Polece (PSA)
- Pull the Tregros
- Head Bands
- Phono Phunnies, Performed by Christopher Guest and Naomi R. Page
- Concert in Bangla Desh