# The Nairobi Trio

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nairobi-trio/372064>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 9, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nairobi-trio/372064 "2006-09-09T14:28:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nairobi-trio/372064/1 "2006-09-09T14:28:31Z")

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I recently watched Ernie Kovacs’s The Nairobi Trio sketch. I first saw it in the mid-'70s on early-morning TV when I was visiting relatives.

[The Nairobi Trio (original version)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Uw03hS_EMY)  
[The Nairobi Trio (later version)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLHTbjU86pg)

Just thought I’d share this classic in case anyone hasn’t seen it.

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**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nairobi-trio/372064/2 "2006-09-09T15:06:07Z")

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[Here’s a relevant article,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nairobi_Trio) which identifies the tune as _Solfeggio_ and reveals that the gorilla on the left was variously played by such luminaries as Jack Lemmon and Frank Sinatra.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nairobi-trio/372064/3 "2006-09-09T15:54:01Z")

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I’ve often wondered what the tune was. They also used it in the old Colt 45 Malt Liquor commercials. (Haven’t been able to find any of those.)

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**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nairobi-trio/372064/4 "2006-09-09T16:25:13Z")

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They scared the hell out of me when I was a kid!

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**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nairobi-trio/372064/5 "2006-09-09T19:11:57Z")

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[QUOTE=Eve]  
They scared the hell out of me when I was a kid!  
[/QUOTE]  
Me, too! I loved Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams, and the show was wonderfully surreal, but those gorilla heads freaked me out. I actually had nightmares in which the Nairobi Trio pursued me, trying to beat on my head with their horrid drumsticks. I also had nightmares about Ricky Ricardo’s conga drums and Kukla, Fran and Ollie (mostly Kukla and Ollie - Fran wasn’t very scary). I guess I was a sensitive child.

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**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2006, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nairobi-trio/372064/6 "2006-09-09T19:14:51Z")

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Thanks, **Johnny** , seen them many times but always worth another look (and listen).

Kovacs has to be one of the funnist guys who ever lived. He did not live long enough by far.