"Teach Yourself Heath" is the name of a one-sided 33rpm flexi-disc by Monty Python which was given away free with issue 27 of ''

ZigZag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. In geometry, this pattern is described as a ...

'' magazine in December 1972 and also included inside initial copies of their third album ''

Monty Python's Previous Record ''Monty Python's Previous Record'' is the third album by Monty Python. Released in 1972, it marked the group's first collaborations with regular sound engineer Andre Jacquemin as well as musician Neil Innes, who had previously appeared with fu ...

''. Billed as "Home Tutor Language Course, Number 14 - An invaluable introduction for Beginners to the Theory and Practice of Heath", the track is introduced by

Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries. Palin w ...

after which

Eric Idle Eric Idle (born 29 March 1943) is an English actor, comedian, musician and writer. Idle was a member of the British surreal comedy group Monty Python and the parody rock band The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the Broadwa ...

is heard teaching the listener how to mimic the speech patterns of the then British prime minister

Edward Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conserv ...

. Real extracts of Heath's voice are used to demonstrate. As Palin explained to ''

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an enginee ...

'': "Eric and I spent a day listening to Heath's speeches; at a certain point I went to sleep...I feel the record hasn't done justice to the boredom and inanity of those party political speeches. If it is funny, thank Mr Heath for that. It's all him...""And Now For Something Completely Different: The Recorded Works Of Monty Python", ''

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...

'', No.193, September 1995 The track was released on CD in 2006, as part of the bonus tracks on the special edition release of ''

''.

Faux record titles

The single's back cover lists the following entries in the Home Tutor Language Course series: * 015 Teach yourself

Barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...

* 016 Teach yourself

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People * Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender * Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson Ro ...

* 017 Teach yourself Maudling * (* Deleted) * 018 Teach yourself Nabarro* (* Mono) * 019 Teach yourself Thatcher * 020 More Thatcher * 021 Advanced Thatcher for Students* (* Not available in Wales) * 022 Teach yourself Aggro * 023 Teach yourself Chataway

References

External links

* {{Authority control Monty Python 1972 singles Flexi discs Edward Heath Cultural depictions of British prime ministers Cultural depictions of British men