Back in 1964, Peter Sellers (aka Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther films) made a cameo appearance on “The Music of Lennon and McCartney,” a television program produced at the height of Beatlemania. The schtick? To read the lyrics of A Hard Day’s Night in a way that comically recalls Laurence Olivier’s 1955 performance of the opening soliloquy from Richard III. It starts famously “Now is the winter of our discontent …” (See full text here.)
On a very related note, don’t miss:
Peter Sellers Reads The Beatles’ “She Loves You” in Four Voices
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus and share intelligent media with your friends. Or better yet, sign up for our daily email and get a daily dose of Open Culture in your inbox.
Great
I believe it was Steve Allen that first started reading rock song lyrics in this style back in the 1950’s.
Allen’s reading of the lyrics to The Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” is a classic. But I think this piece by Sellers is the best.
Peter Sellers was the genius of voice…..
I have never heard this.Hilarious.
Poor old Clouseau never made Chief Inspector, did he?
…..no but as Peter Sellers and Goldie Horne in ‘There’s a girl in my soup’ the timing is always fantastic.