| Sgt. Rutter's Only Darts Club Band | |
|---|---|
 | |
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Released |
1 June 1967 |
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Recorded |
Recorded 6 December 1966 – 21 April 1967, EMI and Regent and Shallow Sound studios, London |
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Genre |
Rock |
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Length |
39:42 |
|
Label |
Parlourphone |
|
Preceded By |
Semi-Automatic (1966) |
|
Succeeded By |
Tragical History Tour (1967) (US) |
Sgt. Rutter's Only Darts Club Band was an album released in 1967 by The Rutles. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, and has many celebrity fans.
Controversy
Many people have questioned the lyrics on the album, believing many to be obvious references to Tea. The BBC banned all the even numbered tracks, believing those to be the bad ones.
Some people believe that the album was designed to synchronise with other popular releases. The theory called Dark side of the Darts Club Band of Oz on LSD holds that if you play Sgt. Rutter's only Darts Club Band, Dark Side of The Sun, and the The Wizard of Oz at the same time, while you are slightly high,they all match up perfectly, exactly like episode 2 of Bonanza.
Many Stig is Dead conspirators believe that this album is sprinkled with clues. If you sing the title of "Sgt. Rutter's" backwards, it is supposed to sound like "Stig has been dead for a long time, honestly." In fact, it sounds just like "dnab bulc strad ylno srettur tnaegsar." On the cover of the album, Stig appears to be standing in the exact position of a dying yeti (as in the Rutland Book of the Dead).
Some believe that the cover of Sgt. Rutters depicts Stig's funeral. If one looks to the left, at the four "original" Rutles, the original Stig looks bewildered and confused, as if to say; "Why am I at my own funeral?" Barry and Dirk look stricken with grief, because they miss Stig, and Nasty is smiling, because he never really liked Stig. Another theory is that Joe Public is about Stig's demise and his replacement, Ftig. "My name is Joe Public - I'm sure you all know me" is supposed to be a reference to Ftig trying to be recognised as Stig. "Sometimes they call me 'the man in the street'" is supposedly a reference to the unrecorded Shabby Road, where Stig is shown crossing the street pant-less. No one seems to ever explain how a wax dummy can sing.
Legacy
Sgt. Rutter lead to the Summer of Lunch, an entire two months of people discussing peace, drinking tea, and of course, passing around food.
There have also been multiple tribute albums, including Sgt. Nutter Butter in 1978 and I Saw Mommy kissing Sgt. Rutter in 1981.
An infamously bad film entitled Sgt. Rutter's only Darts Club Band was created in 1978. It starred ZZ Top as the Darts Club Band.
Release Dates
United Kingdom/North America: 1 June 1967
South America: August 1967
Asia: 3 January 1968
Australia: 1 November 1967