Monty Pythons Contractual Obligation Album 1980

Monty Python's Contractual Obligation Album (or simply Contractual Obligation Album) is an album released by Monty Python in 1980. It contains a mixture of mainly songs, some new sketches, and some pre-Python work (rerecorded). As the title suggests, the album was put together to complete a contract with Charisma Records.



The lead track, "Sit on My Face" was sung to the tune of "Sing as We Go", a song made famous by Gracie Fields, and reportedly its inclusion led to legal threats against the Python team for copyright infringement over the melody. Nonetheless, the song was retained on the album and was later lip-synched by the troupe as the opening of Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl.



"Farewell to John Denver," which contained a few bars of Eric Idle impersonating John Denver singing "Annie's Song" (followed by the sound of the singer being strangled) was removed from subsequent pressings of the album on legal advice (reports differ as to whether it had to do with the licensing of "Annie's Song" or the depiction of the popular singer being murdered), and was replaced by an apology spoken by Terry Jones. Later CD releases of the album, however, reinstated the John Denver track.



Track listing



Side 1



1. "Sit on My Face" (Eric Idle & Harry Parr-Davies) – 0:44

2. "Announcement" (Eric Idle & Steve James) – 0:21

3. "Henry Kissinger" (John Cleese, Eric Idle, André Jacquemin & Neil Innes) – 0:48

4. "String" (John Cleese & Eric Idle) – 2:19

5. "Never Be Rude to an Arab" (Terry Jones & André Jacquemin) – 1:00

6. "I Like Chinese" (Eric Idle & André Jacquemin) – 3:10

7. "Bishop" (Terry Jones & Graham Chapman) – 2:33

8. "Medical Love Song" (Graham Chapman, Eric Idle & André Jacquemin) – 2:09

9. "Farewell to John Denver" (Graham Chapman, John Denver & Terry Gilliam) – 0:15 (omitted on from the original release and replaced by an Apology by Terry Jones)

10. "Finland" (Michael Palin & André Jacquemin) – 2:18

11. "I'm So Worried" (Terry Jones & André Jacquemin) – 3:18

12. "End of Side 1 announcement" (Michael Palin) (cassette version only)



Side 2



1. "I Bet You They Won't Play This Song on the Radio" (Eric Idle) – 0:54

2. "Martyrdom of St. Victor" (Terry Jones & Michael Palin) – 1:41

3. "Here Comes Another One" (Terry Jones, Michael Palin, André Jacquemin & David Howman) – 1:58

4. "Bookshop" (Graham Chapman & John Cleese) – 4:22

5. "Do What John?" (Eric Idle & André Jacquemin) – 0:34

6. "Rock Notes" (Eric Idle) – 2:11

7. "Muddy Knees" (Terry Jones & André Jacquemin) – 2:10

8. "Crocodile" (Terry Jones & Michael Palin) – 2:34

9. "Decomposing Composers" (Michael Palin, André Jacquemin, Terry Jones, David Howman, Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Strauss & Johann Sebastian Bach) – 2:43

10. "Bells" (John Cleese & Graham Chapman) – 2:22

11. "Traffic Lights" (Michael Palin, Terry Jones, André Jacquemin & David Howman) – 1:55

12. "All Things Dull and Ugly" (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, André Jacquemin, David Howman & Cecil Frances Alexander) – 1:28

13. "A Scottish Farewell" (Terry Jones, Michael Palin, André Jacquemin & David Howman arr. Terry Gilliam) – 0:23



also included is "Farewell To John Denver" which originally removed from album due to litigation