The most famous of the recordings from the 1960s and 1970s were pressed on thin floppy 7" vinyl (sometimes known as "flexi-discs" or "flimsies") [1][2] and they were distributed as "cover-mounts" attached to the front cover of the magazine, which for those issues doubled its price to cover the costs of the recordings. The discs were played at a phonogram speed of either 33 1/3 rpm or 45 rpm and had a duration of approximately 6 minutes.
Private Eye also recorded material released on other configurations including 7" vinyl singles, EPs, 12" vinyl albums, audio-cassettes and compact disc.
In addition to their original releases, some of the recordings have been reissued on vinyl and audio-cassette.
Discography
7" flexi-discs released as "cover-mounts"
• His Master's Vass - Issued: 2 October 1964. Themed around the upcoming October 1964 UK general election Notes: His Master's Voice was the name of a leading record label, "Baillie Vass" was the magazine's nickname for the then Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas-Home
• I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus - Issued: 18 December 1964. A Christmas-themed recording Notes: The title was a play on the well-known Christmas song I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
• The Rites of Spring - Issued: 1 April 1965
• BBC Gnome Service - Issued: 23 December 1966. A Christmas-themed recording. (Label & Catalogue number: Lyntone LYN 1138) Notes: The title was a play on the name of the BBC Home Service - the speech-oriented BBC radio network prior to the launch of Radio 4; Lord Gnome is the name of the fictional press-baron who supposedly owns Private Eye
• Abominable Radio Gnome - Issued: 8 December 1967. A Christmas-themed recording. (Label & Catalogue number: Lyntone LYN 1354). Notes: The title plays off a jingle for the then recently launched BBC Radio 1 station which had dubbed itself "Wonderful Radio 1"
• The Loneliness of the Long Playing Record - Issued: 14 February 1969. (Label & Catalogue number: Lyntone LYN 1677)
• Dear Sir, is This A Record? - Issued: 5 December 1969. A Christmas-themed recording. (Label & Catalogue number: Lyntone LYN 1962)
• Just For The Record - Issued: 4 December 1970. A Christmas-themed recording. (Label & Catalogue number: Lyntone LYN 2140)
• Hullo Sailor - Issued: 1 December 1972. A Christmas-themed recording. (Label & Catalogue number: Lyntone LYN 2558)
• The Sound of Talbot - Issued: 5 December 1980. A Christmas-themed recording Notes A parody of Sir James Goldsmith's short-lived 'Now' Magazine - dubbed "Talbot" by Private Eye.
• Record Damages - Issued: 11 December 1987 A Christmas-themed recording
• Skeye Flexi-Dish - Issued: 1 April 1989 Notes: Parody of Rupert Murdoch's recently launched Sky TV service.
7" vinyl singles and E.P.s
• Private Eye Sings Private Eye -7" E.P. Issued: 1962. (Label & Catalogue number: Artists & Repertoire ARP 1212) [3] Notes: a multi-track E.P. included a trick recording of then Prime Minister Harold MacMillan appearing to sing a pop song
• Neasden - 7" single. Issued: 1972. (Label & Catalogue number: Spark SRL 1059). [4] Notes: A comedy song written by Barry Fantoni and Willie Rushton, featuring Willie Rushton and John Wells with musical comedy group The Alberts. B-side of the single was a comedic arrangement of Schubert's "The Trout" by John Wells.
12" vinyl albums
• Private Eye's Blue Record. -12" album, Issued: 1965. (Label & Catalogue number: Transatlantic Records. TRA 131) [5] Notes: a multi-track album featuring spoken word skits and songs
• Ho-Ho Very Satirical! -12" album, Recorded 1971 but not issued. (Eventually released on audio-cassette in 1998.) Notes: album recorded in 1971 but turned down by record companies because it was considered too controversial.[6]
In 1973, Private Eye pressed a limited edition 12" vinyl album titled Private Eye's Golden Years of Sound - containing its first eight flexi-discs. The album was for private circulation only among friends and it was never commercially released.
In 1980, comedy producer Martin Lewis, a longtime associate and friend of Private Eye owner Peter Cook[7] acquired exclusive rights to all the Private Eye recordings produced from 1962-1980 and arranged for the commercial release of the first ten flexi-discs on a 12" vinyl album to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Private Eye magazine in October 1981. The album - titled Private Eye Presents Golden Satiricals [The Top Ten Flexi-Discs!] was released on Lewis' Springtime Records label, distributed by Island Records. The release included a facsimile of the first-ever issue of Private Eye. [8][9]
In 1998, the flexi-discs album was reissued by Springtime Records as a double audio-cassette set distributed by MCI (Music Collection International) - with the 1962 E.P. "Private Eye Sings Private Eye" as bonus content. At the same time, Springtime also reissued the 1965 album "Private Eye's Blue Record" and gave the first-ever release to the unissued 1971 album "Ho-Ho Very Satirical!" as companion releases to the flexi-discs reissue. The three releases were sub-titled Volumes One, Two and Three respectively. All three releases were on audio-cassette only.
A takeover of MCI's parent company VCI by the Kingfisher Group[10] shortly before the release date [11][12] led to a corporate restructuring of MCI [13] and the closing of the label's comedy division. This resulted in the release of the three Private Eye audio cassette being effectively still-born and very few copies were distributed - making copies hard to find. The cassettes sell for a premium on auction sites such as eBay.
A promotional CD compilation was issued with the Guardian newspaper in 2011, the first and (as at 2015) only digital release of any of the pre-2000 tracks.
• Private Eye's Golden Years of Sound - Issued: 1973 (private release only) (Label & Catalogue number: Lyntone LYN 2745/6) [14] Notes: Private limited edition release of 12" vinyl album containing the first eight flexi-discs (see above)
• Private Eye Presents Golden Satiricals [The Top Ten Flexi-Discs!] - Issued: 1981. (Label & Catalogue number: Springtime Records. HAHA 6002) [15] Notes: Commercial release of 12" vinyl album containing the first ten flexi-discs (see above). Released to celebrate 20th anniversary of Private Eye
• The Best Of Private Eye: Golden Satiricals Presents Volume One: The Famous Flexies! - Issued: 1998. Springtime/MCI. Audio-cassette only. Notes: Reissue on audio-cassette of the 1981 "Golden Satiricals" album.(very limited distribution)
• The Best Of Private Eye: Golden Satiricals Presents Volume Two: The Swingeing Sixties - Issued: 1998. Springtime/MCI. Audio-cassette only. Notes: Reissue on audio-cassette of the 1965 "Private Eye's Blue Record" album.(very limited distribution)
• The Best Of Private Eye: Golden Satiricals Presents Volume Three: The Sarcastic Seventies - Issued: 1998. Springtime/MCI. Audio-cassette only. [16] Notes: First-ever release of the previously-unreleased 1971 album "Ho Ho Very Satirical!" (very limited distribution)
• Highlights From Private Eye's Legendary Comedy Recordings - Issued: 2011. Guardian newspaper free CD. [17] Notes: Given free with the Guardian newspaper on 5 November 2011. Compilation of tracks from the 7" and 12" discs, including some from the 'unreleased' LP and Neasden single