"Bunn, Wackett, Buzzard, Stubble and Boot", the title of which was among the many rejected suggestions for the name of Monty Python's Flying Circus, dates back to John Cleese's college days.

"Adventure" originates from The Frost Report, while At Last the 1948 Show was plundered for "Freelance Undertaker" and "Memory Training", the latter featuring a newly written coda containing a list of the towns where Monty Python's Life of Brian was banned.

The album also features material from the early drafts of Life of Brian, some of which was published in the film's accompanying scrap book.

Terry Gilliam's 1974 studio recording of "I've Got Two Legs" was the first track from the album to get an official release when it featured on the 1989 compilation Monty Python Sings (with an added introduction from Eric Idle).

In 2014 the songs "Rainy Day in Berlin" and "Rudyard Kipling" appeared as two of three outtakes added to Monty Python Sings (Again).