Not Only Bootleg But Also Not Beatles

Whilst travailing the backwaters of the internet in search of snippets for this blog, I came across the claim that there was an unreleased Beatles bootleg recording, done around 1967 of a song called 'The L.S. Bumblebee'.

I duly listened to it and wasn't convinced.  The Beatles influences where there, sitar drone, hallucinogenic lyrics etc... but it didn't sound like The Beatles.  Sure enough after a little bit of searching I discovered it was performed by none other than Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

Cook and Moore are widely considered the most influential comedy act ever.  They spearheaded the satire boom of the 1960s and paved the way from everything from the Pythons to The Mighty Boosh.

I duly YouTube'd and found this extract from the series Not Only... But Also... showing the full L.S. Bumblebee sketch - keep an eye out for the surprise guest in the segment following the song!

John Lennon appeared no fewer than three times in Not Only... But Also...  in 1964, 1965 and 1966.  I'm still trying to find out his relationship with Cook and Moore but obviously it was more than just a casual acquaintanceship.  

The Beatles has performed in comedy before, most notably with Ken Dodd and Morecambe and Wise but this was as an ensemble.  Was Lennon's relationship with Cook and Moore more personal?  I can easily imagine Lennon's acerbic humour chiming with the satire, surrealism and musical comedy of Cook and Moore.

Whether Lennon personally had any influence on the LS Bumblebee song itself is doubtful, but in a time when  great performers are too often pigeon-holed into one area or another it is good to remind ourselves that crossovers in the 1960s were more common and often surprising than you'd think.