Peter Sellers was a comic genius. A bit ADD at times, but more or less, a classic ahead of his time.

The first two Pink panther films (The Pink Panther and A Shot In The Dark) showcase his slapstick side, Dr. Strangelove displayed his range of characterizations, The Party was amazing improv and Being There was his coup de grace.

He also recorded music – if you could call it that. It wasn’t Grammy-winning songwriting, but the point was brilliant comic material for its time. He did an album of duets with his then crush, Sophia Loren. She does some songs herself as does Peter. There’s even some comic sketches on it with his wide array of British voices. However, its the duets that stand out the most.

Here’s a description of the songs I’ve selected from the back of the album. The songs showcase his beginning as a radio play comic:

All I can say is that if you don’t know who Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren are, then you might just as well traipse upstairs again, clamber right back in between those sheets and stay there, you poor old soul. For if you think for one solitary minute that I’m going to tell you, you’ve got another think coming.

Goodness Gracious Me! is a light-hearted ditty with cardiac references which introduces Miss Sophia Loren (brought to you, incidentally, at great expense and no small loss of life as a singer.) It is a joy to discover that her singing voice is commensurate with her physical charms, radiating a warmth and vitality almost equal to that of Vesuvius, in whose shadow she was raised. Also evident is that sparking sense of fun which was first given full rein in “The Millionairess.” The periodic injections indicative of surprise are provided by Mr. Peter Sellers, whhile the music is supplied – as is in most of the other items – by Mr. Ronald Goodwin and his Orchestra, fresh from their triumphal tour of the breakaway province of Katanga and the offshore islands of Matsu and Quemoy.

I Fell In Love With An Englishman sings Miss Loren. She keeps a remarkably straight bat in the process and we think that she will “hit you for six.”

Bangers And Mash can, perhaps, be described as a gastronomic romance in song.

One interesting thing to note, the song “Goodness Gracious Me”, where Sellers poses as an Indian doctor and Loren as his patient, was released as a single to publicise the film, The Millionairess, and became a chart hit. The song also gave its name to “Goodness Gracious Me,” a popular UK radio and television sketch show from the late 1990s, and a modernised form of the tune with bhangra elements was used as the theme for the program. The comedy sketch show explored the conflict and integration between traditional Indian culture and modern British life. Some reversed the roles to view the British from an Indian perspective while others poked fun at Indian stereotypes.

Enjoy the tracks below and then you may understand when Peter once told his daughter soon after divorcing his wife “Oh, of course I love you sweetheart. Just not as much as I love Sophia Loren.”

Try It Yourself	Listen
Bangers and Mash	Download audio file (bangers-and-mash.mp3)
Goodness Gracious Me	Download audio file (goodness-gracious-me.mp3)
I Fell In Love With An Englishman	Download audio file (i-fell-in-love-with-an-englishman.mp3)