Watch Jim Nabors rap-sing his pitch for "Gomer Pyle, USMC" (1964)

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Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/03/26/watch-jim-nabors-rap-sing-his.html

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Well that will be my nightmare fuel for the next few days… thanks @pesco!

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I will take any opportunity to inflict this on an unsuspecting public

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Guy’s got range. Seems like he channeled Professor Harold Hill for a few bars.

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Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

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It’s a bit disconcerting to see him out of character. It’s like his IQ jumped up about 40 points. He’s still laying that Alabama accent on thick for the Hollywood talent folks though.

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Seeing this got me going down the rabbit hole. First, I found him singing and was amazed at his voice and the dissonance of his Gomer Pyle persona. Then I found this in wikipedia that just pissed me off (not at him):

Second Lady of the United States and former First Lady of Indiana Karen Pence wrote a statement on Twitter: “So sad to hear about the passing of Jim Nabors. We heard him sing ‘Back Home Again in Indiana’ at the Indianapolis 500 countless times. We will miss his beautiful voice.”

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What stands out to me is how much he articulates his mouth and lips as he speaks, particularly when adding emphasis. I don’t think that I’ve seen that done since I watched this show some decades back. I wonder if that was an affectation, or learned/customary behavior. Must have been a big help for lip readers…

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Nobody gives him credit for being a learned professional. But I can’t believe none of you ever heard his Christmas records. Powerful baritone. He’s not really Gomer Pyle, you know.

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Probably people are too young to remember the ad’s for his records back in the 70s and 80s you would see on UHF channels.

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The obvious lip-syncing in the first commercial is a nice touch.

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3:32 to 3:40 certainly borrows liberally from Seventy-Six Trombones.

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That aint my finger either.

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A staple in my family for 70s and 80s christmasses.

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My deepest sympathies to you.

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I don’t think anyone was brave enough to tell Las Pences…

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Wow, I just killed about 45 minutes down this same rabbit hole, reading about the ol’ Mayberry gang on the wikis. I caught that same thing from Pence, bleh.

But I was just floored how different he sounds, talking versus singing. He’s got some serious lungs. Paint me impressed.

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