Decent musical output from a comedian

[bass_dinger]

On 13/02/2021 at 17:22, TrevorR said:

 A certain Mr Bill Bailey. So he’s been a bit tasty on guitar and keys and jokes for a good old time.

He can dance a bit, too.  

[bass_dinger]

If rap counts as music, then Chris Turner is a very capable performer.

From five suggestions, and a random beat, he will improvise a clever, and funny, rap on the subjects given him.  He started out as a stand-up comedian, I am told.  Hear him rap about mitral valve prolapses and waves, here, from 3'21".  
 

 

 

 

[bobbass4k]

Melissa Villasenor from SNL is an insanely good singing impressionist. The sketches may not be to everyone's taste here ("American rubbish!" I hear you cry already...) but it's hard to argue with her pipes - 

 

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, Doddy said:

As far as 'new' music based comedians go, I really like Boothby Graffoe. He's funny, and I think his songs are really strong. My favourite though was Victor Borge- He was brilliant.

 

A chap I know/knew had a spot on his radio show in the early 90s..

[Huge Hands]

i haven't seen Flight Of The Conchords mentioned yet (apologies if I missed it).

 

[AndyTravis]

3 minutes ago, Huge Hands said:

i haven't seen Flight Of The Conchords mentioned yet (apologies if I missed it).

 

It’s business time...

[Nail Soup]

Just remembered this one..... Charlie Higson of the Fast Show was in the Higsons before his comedy career. Here is the excellent "I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys"

 

 

[Killed_by_Death]

 

Tommy Chong, of Cheech & Chong:

 

[tom skool]

Matt Berry has produced a few decent albums

[paul_5]

I’ve always had a soft spot for Alan Sherman; my dad used to play the LP when I was a nipper.

[Maude]

Does Alex Horne count? 

More of a frontman to The Horne Section than an actual musician but the unit as a whole is very good. I'm not sure about 'decent musical output' though. 

I used to quite like Richard Digance back in the day, he has comedic and serious acoustic folky output. 

Edited February 17, 2021 by Maude

[NancyJohnson]

I have two.  Scroll down folks!

While 'decent musically' isn't actually isn't strictly quantifyable here (as both cases they can play well) but first up, the lovely Pippa Evans has a musical alter-ego Loretta Maine.  It was odd, she did a slot at the Comedy Cellar in Bracknell as Loretta Maine (five star/brilliant) and then she came back a year later as Pippa Evans.  Her opening line as Pippa Evans?  'Hello Bracknell!  This is my second time playing here, but last time I was somebody else.' 

Next up, Ben Norris...fellow bass player.  If his voice sounds familiar, he's Martin Freeman's cousin.

 

 

[WinterMute]

Al Murray, when not pulling dodgy pints, is a very decent drummer, his band The Fat Cops don't do much for me but they can play and he's a great bloke, I used to run his shows at the Cosmic Comedy club in the old Greyhound pub.

 

 

[Richard R]

Almost any musical duo: Flanders and Swann, Stillgoe and Skellern, Kit and the Widow,  etcetera etcetera.  I'm a sucker for clever internal rhymes, pianos and dinner jackets.

[Richard R]

10 hours ago, Maude said:

I used to quite like Richard Digance back in the day, he has comedic and serious acoustic folky output. 

Forgot Richard Digence! Saw him years ago and he was very funny, bit the poignant songs were real tear jerkers.

[paul_5]

I’ll just leave this here...

https://youtu.be/jHPOzQzk9Qo

[el borracho]

Haven't seen Russ Abbot mentioned. Household name for his comedy shows in the 80s but he was a seriously good drummer. Good enough to pull off this Gene Krupa song

 

[bassace]

That’s quite tidy.

[AndyTravis]

49 minutes ago, el borracho said:

Haven't seen Russ Abbot mentioned. Household name for his comedy shows in the 80s but he was a seriously good drummer. Good enough to pull off this Gene Krupa song

 

Ah yeah totally forgot about him, which is odd because we sold him a TD kit once...

Also John Thompson and Al Murray are drummers.

[Count Bassy]

On 17/02/2021 at 11:16, Maude said:

Does Alex Horne count? 

More of a frontman to The Horne Section than an actual musician but the unit as a whole is very good. I'm not sure about 'decent musical output' though. 

I used to quite like Richard Digance back in the day, he has comedic and serious acoustic folky output. 

Alex Horne? Really? I didn't realise he was a comedian. Never made me laugh.

[Nail Soup]

3 hours ago, el borracho said:

Haven't seen Russ Abbot mentioned. Household name for his comedy shows in the 80s but he was a seriously good drummer. Good enough to pull off this Gene Krupa song

 

Ah, yes........he was in the Black Abbotts first.

 

On Edit: Just listed to the clip. Great performance.... it was a live broadcast too judging by the little squigly box which came up in the corner before the ad break.

Edited February 18, 2021 by Nail Soup
Additional comment

[Rich]

On 16/02/2021 at 18:56, Nail Soup said:

Just remembered this one..... Charlie Higson of the Fast Show was in the Higsons before his comedy career. Here is the excellent "I Don't Want To Live With Monkeys"

 

And this is a cracker too. 

 

[tauzero]

On 13/02/2021 at 16:05, bassace said:

I walked a nature reserve I had project managed. With Bill Oddie. He was a right miserable git. Just sayin’

He opened the new arts centre at my old school (which also happened to be his old school). Seemed quite a nice chap.

[tauzero]

Flanders and Swann (already mentioned above). Fascinating Aida. Doc Cox, aka Ivor Biggun. All musical comedy rather than comedians doing music, but capable musicians and I happen to find them funny.

[Nail Soup]

1 hour ago, Rich said:

And this is a cracker too. 

 

And could pull it off live too!

And immortalised by Robyn Hitchcock in the mis-heard-lyrics-inspired "Listening To The Higsons":