For National Album Day 2024 Universal Music Recordings and Virgin Records will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the album ‘Monty Python Live At Drury Lane’. Inspired by Terry Gilliam’s unmistakable animations and graphics, the original artwork was created by Kate Hepburn (who later created visuals for Pink Floyd, and the Rolling Stones) and has been adapted for a first release on picture disc by Darren Evans and Holly Gilliam, who were also responsible for 2019 ‘Life Of Brian’ RSD release.

Following the success of four studio albums – ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’ (1970), ‘Another Monty Python Record’ (1971), ‘Monty Python’s Previous Record’ (1972), and ‘The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief’ (1973) – ‘Monty Python Live At Drury Lane’ was recorded in March 1974 on the last night of a sell-out four week-run at the London theatre. It peaked at No. 19 on the UK album chart that July, where it nestled between Marvin Hamlisch’s soundtrack to The Sting, and the debut album from Bad Company.

The album features live versions of sketches made famous on the BBC TV progamme Monty Python’s Flying Circus, written and performed by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin, with support from Lyn Ashley and Neil Innes.

This 50th anniversary celebration can only mean that the following message, that appeared on the original 1974 artwork, was a little premature.

“This could be, but by no means definitely, perhaps almost your very last chance but one to hear some of these classic rib-ticklers, before they are all handed over to the British Museum archives (Loopy and Dappy Things Department).”