In the 1950s, Woody Allen began a career in show business as a comedy writer for tv shows like Your Show Of Shows and The Garry Moore Show. By the 60s, he’d graduated to performing his material in standup venues across America (and in Britain). And for a handful of these years (before embarking on a career of movie making) several of his live performances were captured on disc.
In all there were only three LPs, which were repackaged in the 1970s into two double-LP sets: first as The Night Club Years (which lost a total of only a quarter hour of material) and then re-edited by Woody himself as Stand Up Comic (with a further 20 minutes of performance removed). Both compilations are now available as double compact discs, and prove that forty years later Woody survives the test of time as a first rate stand up comedian.
Woody Allen
Colpix LP (S)CP 518, PXL 518 (1964), Pye/Golden Guinea LP GGL 0388,
reissued as:
The Wonderful Wacky World Of Woody Allen
Bell LP (S) 6008
recorded at Mr. Kelly’s, Chicago in March 1964
(no official track itemisation)
Private Life
Brooklyn (incl. Floyd)
The Army
Pets (incl. Spot)
My Grandfather
My Marriage
The Bullet
N.Y.U.
A Love Story
The Police (incl. Library Book, Neanderthal)
Summing Up
In Britain, Colpix also released EP PX 775 containing:
Floyd
Spot
The Bullet
Woody Allen – Volume 2
Colpix LP CP 488, PXL 488 (1965)
recorded at “The Shadows”, Washington D.C. in April 1965
The Moose
TheKidnapping
Superman
Science Fiction Movie
Eggs Benedict
Footnote
What’s New Pussycat?
Reminiscences
Swedish Movie
Taking A Shower (A Pantomime)
Lost Generation
The Third Woody Allen Album
Capitol LP ST 2986 (1968)
recorded at Eugene’s, San Francisco in August 1968
(no official track itemisation)
The Vodka Ad
Vegas
Second Marriage
The Great Renaldo
Mechanical Objects
Down South
Question And Answer (incl. surreal dream about being chased by a giant NO)
Woody Allen On Comedy
Laugh.com CD LGH 1043
Writing
Formats And Style
Stage Persona
Ad Libs
Audience Response
Relating To Woody
Rise To Stardom
Woody’s Influences
Comedy And Pain
Advice
highlights from the three 1960s discs are featured on the following releases …
The Night Club Years 1964-1968
United Artists 2LP UAS 9968 (1972), E.M.I. 2CD CDECC 31 (7 93969 2)
features everything except
Reminiscences, Swedish Movie and Taking A Shower (from the 1965 disc)
Question And Answer segment (from the 1968 release)
Stand Up Comic 1964-1968
United Artists UA LA 849J2,
Casablanca 2LP NBLP 2-7145, MIM 2-8314, Festival LP L 45801/2
1964:
Private Life
Brooklyn
The Army
Pets
My Grandfather
My Marriage
Bullet In My Breast Pocket
N.Y.U.
A Love Story
The Police
Down South
Summing Up.
1965:
The Moose
Kidnapped
Unhappy Childhood
The Science Fiction Film
Eggs Benedict
Oral Contraception
European Trip
The Lost Generation.
1968:
The Vodka Ad
Vegas
Second Marriage
The Great Renaldo
Mechanical Objects.
The Golden Hour Of Woody Allen
Pye/Golden Hour LP GH 654
60 minutes of material from the Colpix LPs
other Woody Allen material may be found on:
That Was That Was The Week That Was
Radiola LP MR 1123, CD CDMR 1123
Woody is heard in a 3 minute monologue about civil defence from the 1964 NBC television series
What’s Up, Tiger Lily?
Kama Sutra LP KLP(S) 8053
Woody is heard in the introduction only
Play It Again, Sam
Paramount LP PAS 1004
includes dialogue (and music) from the soundtrack
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