Music

'Velvet Donkey' by Ivor Cutler

Ten genuinely great British comedy LPs

1. Peter Sellers ‘Classic Songs And Sketches’ (Disky)
Contains Parlophone’s ‘Songs For Swingin’ Sellers’ from 1959, as well as his versions of Beatles singles.

2. Rutles ‘Archaeology’ (Virgin)
Neil Innes’s startling 1996 Beatles parody, featuring ‘Joe Public’, the greatest song Oasis never wrote.

3. Jake Thackray ‘Jake In A Box: EMI Recordings 1967-76’ (EMI)
A four-CD compilation showcasing the nearest we got to a Jacques Brel or a Serge Gainsbourg.

4. Earl Okin ‘Musical Genius And Sex Symbol’ (Sony)
Veteran parodist does bossa and swing versions of indie rock classics. Feature continues

5. Alexei Sayle’s ‘Cak!’ (Island)
Early stand-up set, with several well-observed musical parodies.

6. Derek And Clive’s ‘Ad Nauseam’ (Virgin)
A fine fusion of improvised scatology and sketchcraft, containing Moore’s Chopin parody ‘He’s Got The Horn’.

7. Wisbey ‘Dirty Fan Mail’ (Trunk)
Genuine letters written to porn magazines – complete with childish grammatical errors – are re-read and set to music in this hilarious, disgusting and oddly moving collection.

8. Chris Morris ‘Blue Jam’ (Warp)
A strangely soothing experience that recalls The Orb. Contains the grimly hilarious ‘Unflustered Parents’.

9. Ivor Cutler ‘Velvet Donkey’ (Virgin)
Cutler’s spooky whimsy at its finest.

10. ‘AC/DC’ (BBC3 musical, viewable on youtube.com)
Written by Matt Berry from ‘Snuff Box’ and featuring Julia Davis, Matt Lucas, Richard Ayoade and alumni from ‘The Mighty Boosh’, this parody of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ is begging for a DVD and CD release.