Your Unauthorized Guide to the Golden Age of National Lampoon Magazine
(1970-1975)

National Lampoon Radio Dinner
(1972)

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COVER: Illustration by Charles White III, lettering by Michael Doret

Contents

SIDE ONE

Deteriorata, Performed by Norman Rose; back-up vocals by Melissa Manchester; bass: John “Cooker” LoPresti; drums: Jim Payne; keyboard: Milissa Manchester; guitar: Christopher Guest; music composed and arranged by Christopher Guest; lyrics by Tony Hendra
A parody of “Desiderata,” the then-popular dorm poster which was turned a minor hit record by Les Crane. Deteriorata was also sold as a poster.

Phono Phunnies, Performed by Christopher Guest and Michael O’Donoghue
Phono Phunnies were the audio version of the magazine’s popular Foto Funnies feature. 

Teenyrap, Performed by Christopher Guest and Naomi R. Page

It’s Obvious, Performed by Melissa Manchester, Christopher Guest, and Tony Hendra

Catch It and You Keep It, Performed by Jackson Beck, Christpher Guest, Jack Marks, Jill AndrĂ©, Windy Craig, and others; from an idea by Benjie Aerenson
TV game show parody where audience members try to catch valuable prizes (including electric knives, dinette sets, even a house) thrown down from the top of the CBS building.

‘Quinas ‘n’ ‘Rasmus, Performed by M.R.D. [initials only—no other info available]

All Kidding Aside (PSA), Performed by Christopher Guest

Phono Phunnies, Performed by Christopher Guest

Teenyrap, Performed by Christopher Guest and Naomi R. Page

Magical Misery Tour (Bootleg Record), Performed by Tony Hendra (as John Lennon), Melissa Manchester (as Yoko Ono); piano: Melissa Manchester; drums: Jim Payne; bass: John “Cooker” LoPresti; composed by Christopher Cerf; arranged by Christopher Guest
John Lennon’s own words are turned against him, making him out as an ungrateful prima donna, in this spooky parody.

SIDE THIRTEEN

Those Fabulous Sixties, Performed by Christopher Guest (as Bob Dylan)
Parody of a K-Tel-type television ad in which Bob Dylan hawks a collection of protest songs

Profiles in Chrome, Performed by Jackson Beck, Christopher Guest, Jill AndrĂ©, Jack Marks, Norman Rose, Alex Bennett, Michael O’Donoghue, Tony Hendra, and Windy Craig (as Richard Nixon)
When the Democrats nominate a Pontiac GTO for the ’72 Presidential election, Nixon counters by transforming himself into a car. The piece ends with America The Beautiful played on car horns.

Teenyrap, Performed by Christopher Guest and Naomi R. Page

Phono Phunnies, Performed by Christopher Guest and Tony Hendra

Pigeons, Performed by Michael O’Donoghue

Suport Your Locol Polece (PSA), Performed by “Loren Order” (as Frank Rizzo)
Includes the notorious phrase “[… world of] morons, psychopaths, and
mental defectives”.

Pull the Tregros, Performed by Diana Reed (as Joan Baez); guitar: Frani Bell; bass: Dean Munson; composed by Tony Hendra; arranged by Christopher Guest
Joan Baez parody in which she encourages blacks to riot in prisons while she cheers them on from a safe distance

Teenyrap, Performed by Christopher Guest and Naomi R. Page

         ng Asi       , Performed by Christopher Guest

Phono Phunnies, Performed by Christopher Guest and Naomi R. Page

Concert in Bangla Desh, Performed by Tony Hendra and Christopher Guest
George Harrison’s Concert for Bangla Desh is given the old switcheroo: an Indian “tragedy team” tells sad jokes before a starving audience in Bangla Desh for the purpose of collecting a bowl of brown rice for George Harrison so he can fast

Clues #1, #2, #3, and #4, Performed by Tony Hendra and Christopher Guest (not listed–scattered throughout the album)
These are short bits not listed anywhere on the album which refer to Paul McCartney and his support for the Irish independence movement. In several of the bits, we hear an Irish tenor in a pub starting to sing “Give Ireland back to the Irish…” cut short by a gun shot.

Album Credits: Sections of Teenyrap written by Christopher Guest; all other material, including lyrics, written by Michael O’Donoghue and Tony Hendra; sound production by Bob Tischler; inside photograph by Larry Couzens; art direction by Michael Gross; recording engineer: Pat Martin; recording technician: Gus Mossler; sound effects: Bob Tischler; musical director: Christopher Guest; producers: Michael O’Donoghue and Tony Hendra; production assistant: Roberta Kaman; executive producer: Jerry Taylor

Released on Blue Thumb Records, 1972

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