Creative Individuals are always looking for new challenges. Singers want to act, actors want to sing. But not everybody can be a double threat like Frank Sinatra, as the songs below attest.

Sebastian Cabot “It Ain’t Me, Babe” (Bob Dylan)
Does anybody remember the TV show Family Affair? It starred Brian Keith as a widower with two young children (Buffy, who would later die of a drug overdose, and Jody) who lived in a New York City apartment with their morbidly obese English butler Mr. French. Sebastian Cabot played Mr. French.

The album Sebastian Cabot Actor, Bob Dylan Poet is really special. Pompous recitations of Dylan lyrics over cheesy Muzak musical arrangements. I just love hearing Mr. French say the word “ain’t.” This is another nugget from the George Blowfish Collection. Thanks, GB.

Leonard Nimoy “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today” (Randy Newman)
The song is a pretty obscure one from Randy Newman’s first record, but you don’t really have to know the song to understand the damage that Mr. Spock is doing to it. The whole album that this comes from popped up recently over at Stax O’ Wax.

Tony Randall and Jack Klugman “You’re So Vain” (Carly Simon)
The Odd Couple performs in character on this one, which makes it pretty funny. Jack Klugman doesn’t even pretend that he has any vocal skills, God bless him.

Telly Savalas “Sunday Morning Coming Down” (Johnny Cash)
Yes, it’s the greatest song ever written about being hung over, sung by Kojack. I think he’s trying to sound like Dean Martin. He doesn’t.

Jim Nabors “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” (Stevie Wonder)
Jim Nabors actually had a reasonable singing career around the time that Gomer Pile was on the air. I remember my parents going to see him at a little theater they used to have in the parking lot of the Golf Mill shopping center.

The thing about Mr. Nabors’ singing is that it’s both full-throated and strangely devoid of emotion. Mister Spock puts more feeling (if less raw talent) into his vocal stylings.