"The strange thing is, I’m frightfully keen on her too"

February 15, 2012 7:39 AM

Peter Sellers enjoyed doing spoken word covers of songs by The Beatles as performed by different characters. These included “A Hard Day’s Night” done as Laurence Olivier’s Richard III, and “She Loves You” as an Irishman (mildly NSFW), a cockney, an upper class British twit, a possibly particular German, and most wonderfully; Dr Strangelove. [via]
posted by quin (22 comments total)

I mimic the Dr. Strangelove one whenever I want to win an argument with the wife - it sends her screaming from the room.
posted by notsnot at 7:45 AM on February 15, 2012

These are AMAZING, quin! Now I'm really curious to familiarize myself with Sellers work beyond his movies (did he every do stand up?).

I would love one featuring the fabulous Guy Gadbois.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 7:53 AM on February 15, 2012

I've heard the Dr. Strangelove cover previously, and it solidified my love of Peter Sellers' excellent sense of comedy...but...the Laurence Olivier cover of Hard Day's Night was brand new to me and it had me in tears. I truly love him. (Ya! Ya? Ya!)

Thanks so much for the post!
posted by blurker at 7:53 AM on February 15, 2012

I heard the "Hard Day's Night" on the radio years ago. Hilarious. When I'm home... feeling you... holding me tight!
posted by No Robots at 7:58 AM on February 15, 2012

Peter Sellers also covered Unchained Melody with The Goons.

Peter Sellers sings George Gershwin.
posted by usonian at 8:00 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

I remember "She Loves You" in German when I listened to Dr. Demento.
posted by stormpooper at 8:18 AM on February 15, 2012

8/10 for the Irish accent Peter, nailed it pretty well.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 8:18 AM on February 15, 2012

While digging through boxes of 45's at Rasputin Records in San Francisco, I found Peter Sellers doing both Hard Day's Night and Help! I didn't realize he'd done more of these.
posted by cottoncandybeard at 8:19 AM on February 15, 2012

...Sellers' work beyond his movies

It's all about The Goon Show. Unfortunately, in what I can only describe as the greatest tragedy of our time, the BBC recently purged YouTube of the dozens of the episodes that used to reside there. Only a few survive, among them the popular "Jet-Propelled Guided NAAFI," in which Sellers performs eight distinct voices. (Warning: mid-century British topical references abound. The transcript's useful, and it might be helpful to know what a NAAFI is.)

Also stunning: a rapid survey of English accents.
posted by Iridic at 8:32 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Peter Sellers belongs in the pantheon of comedy. You can lose yourself in his voice recordings alone, with the Goons and with LP records like Songs for Swingin' Sellers. In the mid-70s, he gave a very revealing, self-aware, and funny interview with British talk show host Michael Parkinson, during which Sellers shows his ukelele chops.
posted by jleisek at 8:40 AM on February 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

The German and the Strangelove version seem to be the same.

Apart from that, great post, hadn't heard of these before.
posted by MartinWisse at 8:43 AM on February 15, 2012

The story goes that Sellers didn't play the cowboy (ultimately Slim Pickens) role in Dr. Strangelove because he couldn't do a good Texan accent. I can't wrap my mind around the possibility that there was an accent Sellers couldn't do. I just can't.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 9:11 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

The story goes that Sellers didn't play the cowboy (ultimately Slim Pickens) role in Dr. Strangelove because he couldn't do a good Texan accent.

According to Wikipedia, he did worry, at first, that he couldn't do the accent...but then he worked on it and got the accent down pat. But then he sprained his ankle and couldn't work in the small cockpit set, and that's why he didn't do the role.
posted by Praxis at 9:43 AM on February 15, 2012

jleisek - thank you SO VERY MUCH for that!
posted by blurker at 9:52 AM on February 15, 2012

Don't cry, Iridic. There is still Goon Show Radio.
posted by benito.strauss at 9:56 AM on February 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

"She loves ye, Seamus."

*swoon*
posted by flyingsquirrel at 10:34 AM on February 15, 2012

DWS, it may have had more to do with the fact that Sellers injured his ankle during the shooting of the film and was not physically able to play the role. Kubrick wanted Sellers to play it, but Pickens was an inspired Plan B.
posted by jleisek at 11:38 AM on February 15, 2012

Apologies for repeating Praxis's post, and blurker, glad you enjoyed.
posted by jleisek at 11:45 AM on February 15, 2012

that's neat. I always wanted to do a cover of Radiohead's Creep as Igor, singing about his unrequited love for Dr. Frankenstein.
posted by spinn at 11:48 AM on February 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

amazing. My mom and I have been doing the strangelove version to each other since I was a kid
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 1:15 PM on February 15, 2012

Sellers did a great comedy recording called "A Drop Of The Hard Stuff" that was a staple on radio in my youth, usually around St. Patrick's Day since it deals almost entirely in stereotypical Irish themes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6k1lml4AvE
posted by motown missile at 7:36 PM on February 15, 2012

Cigarettes, Whiskey and Wild, Wild Women
posted by homunculus at 2:00 PM on February 16, 2012 [1 favorite]