"I'll Begin Again" - Jim Nabors (1970)

"I'll Begin Again" (1970)

Jim Nabors

Columbia Records

We give one more version of "I'll Begin Again" from Leslie Bricusse's score for the 1970 movie "Scrooge," this time by Jim Nabors!

Columbia Records released the song as a single from the album "For the Good Times - The Jim Nabors Hour" in 1970.

Give it a listen:

The subtitle of the album is a tie-in to Jim's 1969-1971 TV variety series, which succeeded his popular sitcom "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." which had run from 1964-1969. It sounds like they added some applause to studio tracks to make them seem live.

I always thought Jim Nabors was a fascinating show biz figure, with his big, booming singing voice at odds with his goofy comedy persona. 

I especially enjoyed his work on "The Andy Griffith Show," where his Gomer Pyle was a surreal side character.

I just recently saw him as a guest star on a 1976 episode of "The Muppet Show" (thankfully streaming now on Disney+) and he was extremely likable and seemed like a good sport, not shying away from his Gomer Pyle roots.

My grandmother did not like "Gomer Pyle" at all, but she loved Jim Nabors's singing. I think she had all of his albums - and he had a ton of them!