Spock sings about The Hobbit: The strangest music video ever made
Watch first:
Yes, you just saw Leonard Nimoy sing "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins."
According to Wikipedia:
The recording originally appeared on Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy, the second of Nimoy's albums on Dot Records... A year before the recording was commercially released, Nimoy lip-synched to the recording during a guest appearance on the July 28, 1967 episode of Malibu U, a short-lived variety television series.
Can you imagine the conversation that took place between Nimoy and his agent about this video?
Phone rings. Nimoy picks it up.
Nimoy: Hello?
Agent: Lenny, there's this new show called Malibu U where you can sing your new song about that elf guy, Bilbo.
Nimoy: Ummm... he's actually a Hobbit --
Agent: Yeah, that's what I said. A Hobbit. This is the perfect tie-in with your Spock character! Hobbits have Vulcan ears, too.
Nimoy: I have to wear my ears?
Agent: OK, you don't have to wear the ears.
Nimoy: This really isn't a good idea.
Agent: Look, what if we got a bunch of young girls? What if they were wearing Vulcan ears? We can have them dancing around, and you can just sit there singing your song.
Nimoy: Can I dance with the girls?
Agent: Sure, you can get up and dance. Jump around. Whatever you want! This will make Spock look like he's hip -- dancing around with girls.
Nimoy: I don't know...
A long pause.
Agent: I wasn't going to tell you this, but I heard Bill Shatner wants to do this show, too. But the producers, they told me they wanted you. They say that everyone wants Spock -- not Kirk. Do you want to disappoint your fans?
Nimoy: Well, can we at least be cinematic? Maybe throw in an action scene in the middle where we see Bilbo doing battle?
Agent: Sure, we can throw that in. No problem. I'll write it into the contract. Done!
Nimoy: OK, I'm in. But I'm trusting your judgment on this one...
Agent: Lenny, this is the kind of thing that's going to make you a huge star. You'll be on TV and be a recording star, selling millions of albums. And in thirty or forty years, I bet people are going to be watching this video on their futuristic devices, like something you see on Star Trek. And I'm going to say, "See, I told you that was a good idea!"
Nimoy: Send over the details.
