Harry Hill titles new album – and reveals guest singers

Harry Hill has finally settled on a name for his new comedy album after being refused permission to call it Sgt Pepper's Volume 2.

The collection of comic songs will now be called simply Funny Times when it is released on Island Records on November 8.

Hill has also invited Bruce Forsyth, John Craven, Coronation Street’s Bill Roach and Martin Fry of ABC to collaborate on some of the 17 tracks.

Included in the album is a calypso song about Susan Boyle, a Spaghetti Western-style tribute to Coronation Street’s Ken Barlow, a George Formby-inspired Smiths medley and a track about Margaret Thatcher buying a burger, with impressionist Steve Nallon providing the voice of the former Prime Minister.

Publicists say the CD harks back to the great tradition of albums by comedy icons such as Monty Python, Benny Hill and The Goons.

Apple Records, which is part owned by Paul McCartney, refused to grant Hill the right to name the album after the Beatles classic. Hill had wanted to recreate the famous Sir Peter Blake cover of the seminal 1967 album – but with knitted characters taking the place of all the stars.

Meanwhile, Chortle today starts serialising exclusive extracts from Hill's forthcoming spoof memoirs, Livin' The Dreem. Click here to read the first one.

The full track listing of Funny Times is 1. Happy Giftmas 2. I Wanna Baby 3. Big Mag 4. Ken! (feat. William Roache) 5. Phone Up Yer Mum 6. Nuggets Nocturne TV 7. Never Be Holly Willougby Symphony (feat. John Craven) 8. Subo 9. Safe As Sheep 10. This Guy’s In Love With You (feat. Martin Fry of ABC) 11. The Disappointment Song (Sex in the City) 12. Alan Titchmarsh Song 13. I Wish My Brother In Law’s Voice Didn’t Go Up at the End of Every Sentence 14. Flat Screen TV 15. I’m Not Anyone (feat. Bruce Forsyth) 16. Smiths Medley (hidden track)

Click here to pre-order the CD from Amazon.

Published: 27 Sep 2010