Just to inform that I stumbled upon the page and, having fond memories of recod covers from when I was a kid in the sixties, started browsing. I was very surprised to find this particular cover, and I must correct and complete your info about it.

To start the comment of this cover: it is not music!

Raul Solnado was (and still is) a hugely popular actor/comedian in Portugal — he is still alive. His success began in the sixties, with long humurous monologues which now sound (as strange as this may seem) very Monty Python-esque. One of the most famous was «A minha ida à Guerra» («The story of when I went to the war»). It is inedeed hilarious, and if it could be said by John Cleese it would be equally funny… but this isn’t the place to tell you about it.

And that’s the reason for the B-side title: «The story of my suicide». It’s supposed be funny… Not creepy. And there is no music (unless incidental). These were recordings of live «stand-up» performances.

The most popular type of entertainment in Portugal in the sixties was the «teatro de revista», a mixture of song, dance, little sketches, etc, in the music-hal tradition. It was also a known place for criticizing the dictatorship, since many comedians like Solnado used to insert small jokes on the live performances (these were called «buchas», thus illuding the censorship). Everything was, of course, built upon double-meanings and innuendo, as no-one would dare say openly anything against the regime. But everybody in the audience got the message and that was truly part of the experience.

After the revolution in 1974, this type of comedy theatre went into decline, precisely because there was no more need for that kind of duplicity and between the lines jokes.

Raul Solnado’s huge sucess throughout the sixties and seventies naturally declined in more recent years, but he still is widely seen with affection by most portuguese people.

One of his daughters is a popular TV actress.

Hope I’ve helped and congratulations for this magnificent collection of amazing covers. I love it.