On this day in 1976, George Harrison appears on stage with Monty Python

Harrison had been a fan of the comedy group since the premier of their first show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus, even reportedly sending a fan letter through the BBC.

As their friendship grew, the ex-Beatle asked if he could appear on stage with the group at one of their live shows in New York and perform the “Lumberjack Song” with them. They quickly accepted, and decided to dress Harrison as one of the “mounties”, a Royal Canadian Mounted Guard. The costume, in combination with a lack of promotion meant that nearly no-one in the audience noticed Harrison joining the show.

Fellow musician Harry Nilsson heard of Harrison’s performance and asked if he could play the same role the following night, with far more disastrous results. Drunk and waving to the audience, Nilsson missed the cue to step back for the curtain close and fell into the audience, breaking his wrist in the process.

This would not be the last time Harrison made a cameo in a Monty Python production. When funding for their second film, The Life of Brian, was pulled the group contacted Harrison, who agreed to fund the production and made another appearance.