And he went something like this…Bob Newhart has died

A ripe old age but what a legacy.

“You, you found a shell on the beach?
You think that’s unusual do ya Willard, finding a shell…Ah, it’s not that kind of shell.

Oh boy, you’ve found a beauty there, Willard. Ha! Do you know how powerful that baby is?
Six city blocks, Willard. Haha…
What d’ya mean, you’ll call me back?
There’s a phonebox seven blocks away.
WILLARD!!!
Now, stop that whining, Willard!
Willard, I know this is dangerous, but if we can save one human life…Oh, that’s the way you feel about it too huh?”

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One of the comic greats. R.i.p Bob.

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the driving instructor is still brilliant.

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Brake! Accelerator! Brake!
…Uh, didja see how she spun all the way to the front of the bus there?

One of the greats indeed…

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the other way of stopping…

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Such sad news but what a talent & his routines were priceless: I remembering hearing some of them on the radio and just being in such pain through laughing so much. RIP Bob.

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Yes quite dangerous if you were driving!

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Am I right in remembering that he issued material on LP?

One of the few comics that did ( assuming my memory is correct ?)

He did IIRC, but I can’t recall the title(s) offhand. I think I used to have one many years ago, which included the bus driving sketch.

Bill Cosby had an LP of sketches too. I seem to have lost that along with Newhart.

All I have now is my old Hancock Blood Donor/Radio Ham and a Round The Horne somewhere…

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The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart. There were others.

Roughly contemporaneous with that release, back in the early 60s a number of comics issued very successful LPs.

Bill Cosby had a number of them. Allan Sherman had three No. 1 albums. Vaughan Meader’s “The First Family” (about the Kennedy) also went to No. 1.

And Woody Allen released several albums of side-splitting stand-up - this prior to his movies.

Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks had The 2000 Year Old Man.

These off the top of my head.

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I’ve always enjoyed Bob Newhart’s material and his unique presentation methods.
The telephone routine of his with Sir Walter Raleigh on the other end of the phone, who is bringing back a shipload of tobacco. Bob is the merchant and Sir Walter is explaining to Bob (who is playing the part of the merchant), just what tobacco is, and what one does with it.
It’s quite hilarious. In general, Bob Newhart has always been such a lovable guy.

And Mel Brooks, a comedic icon for sure … don’t get me shtarted …
At the end of Robin Hood - Men in Tights, they go into a fair of sorts and one of the tents has a sign on it reading, ‘Circumcisions, special, half off’. He’s so subtle, you have to watch the screen the entire time or you’ll miss something. That’s why I never hesitate to watch a Mel Brooks movie a second or third time, like Space Balls, for instance.

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Search on Qobuz. You’ll find several of his sketches and albums.

Gosh, I thought he’d have passed many years ago. My parents had his LPs and so, I guess, having only ever heard his voice when I was young, I always assumed he was much older.

It was a real treat getting to listen to those, ‘The driving Instructor’ of course stands out, but I also recall a monologue on the theory of how planes fly. A long build-up to it hurtling down the runway, then lift-off…’After that, I’ve no idea what the hell keeps it up there’.

G

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I have Round The Horne on my iPad along with Kenneth Williams as Rambling Sid Rumpo on CD

Yep loads. On CD too. Tidal has lots, ‘Something like this…’ covers lots of goodies.

1000006516

This is the one I have

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And on 45 rpm too, here’s the one I have.

Bob Newhart The Button-Down Mind Of Bob Newhart / 1960 Warner / 45 mono EP / WEP6031

A The Driving Instructor
B The Cruise Of The U.S.S. Codfish

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