Mike Nichols & Elaine May Examine Doctors

Last updated
Mike Nichols & Elaine May Examine Doctors
Doctorsnicholsmay.jpg
Studio album by
Released1961 [1]
Recorded1961
Genre Comedy
Length34:37
Label Mercury Records
Nichols and May chronology
An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May
(1960)
Mike Nichols & Elaine May Examine Doctors
(1961)
In Retrospect
(1962)

Mike Nichols & Elaine May Examine Doctors is a comedy album by Nichols and May.

Contents

The ten episodes heard here were originally aired on NBC Radio's Monitor program. [1] The final track is an outtake of Nichols and May improvising.

The track "The Von Brauns at Home", featuring German characters pretending to be Americans, was in the original release but not included in subsequent pressings, because Werner Von Braun filed a lawsuit against Nichols and May for defaming them. It was settled out of court, with Nichols and May, making a formal apology, and promising that the track would not be included in future pressings of the album, and the suit was dropped.

Track listing

  1. A Little More Gauze - 3:29
  2. Interrupted Hour - 4:35
  3. The Von Brauns at Home* - 1:05
  4. Merry Christmas, Doctor - 3:38
  5. Morning Rounds - 1:57
  6. Transference - 2:00
  7. Calling Dr. Marx - 2:39
  8. Thank You Very Much - 2:34
  9. Out of Africa - 2:59
  10. Bedside Manner - 1:11
  11. Physical - 5:06
  12. Nichols and May at Work - 4:29

Influence

In an interview with Pitchfork Magazine, standup comedian John Mulaney described Mike Nichols & Elaine May Examine Doctors (1961) as one of his Favorite Comedy Albums of all time. [2] Mulaney stated, "I got this album for Christmas when I was in junior high. The last track, 'Nichols and May at Work,' is an outtake from recording the album, they were just improvising dialog in a studio. They’re trying to do a piece where a son goes to his mother and says that he wants to become a registered nurse. It’s something you just have to experience, because two people that funny laughing that hard is really, really, really funny. I think it might be the happiest thing ever recorded." [2]

In 2014, John Mulaney tweeted in remembrance when Mike Nichols died: "The last track on Nichols and May Examine Doctors, 'Nichols and May at Work.' The best comedy moment on tape. RIP Mike Nichols."

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References

  1. 1 2 "Lindsay Planer review of Mike Nichols & Elaine May Examine Doctors". Allmusic.
  2. 1 2 "John Mulaney on His 5 Favorite Comedy Albums". Pitchfork . 27 September 2018.