During the recording of The Beatles’ double album, there was a degree of tension between the individual members. On Thursday 22 August 1968, Paul made a comment to Ringo that he’d fluffed while playing a tom-tom. Ringo walked out of the sessions threatening to quit. He spent the next fortnight on a yacht in the Mediterranean owned by Sellers and while there he penned the number ‘Octopus’s Garden.’

At one time Peter Sellers dropped into Apple and was taped having a bizarre chat with the Beatles:

Lennon: “Now, what do you think about Mock Tudor shithouses in Weybridge and places like that?”

Ringo: “I don’t mind them being in Weybridge – it’s just when they try and put them in London, they get in the way of the traffic.”

Lennon: “As you said yesterday, neither your arse nor your elbow.”

Ringo: “I said that?”

Lennon: “I’ll never forget it…Pull up a star’s seat. We’ve been lucky enough this evening to secure the talents of Mr. Peter Sellers here, who is going to give us Number Three.”

Sellers: “Number Three, folks, Number Three.”

Lennon: “How about that, folks? That was Number Three from Peter Sellers. Now on to the next round.”

Sellers: “And there’s more where that came from.”

Lennon: “If I ask him really nicely he’ll probably do Number Five.”

Sellers: “Yes, I might.”

Lennon: “Over to you Peter.”

Ringo: “Is he doing Number Five?”

Sellers: “I can’t count that far these days. I used to be able to.”

Lennon: “Do you remember when I gave you that grass in Piccadilly?”

Sellers: “Really stoned me out of my mind, really. Acapulco Gold, wasn’t it? Fantastic!”

Lennon: “Exactly.”

Sellers: “Sorry I’m not holding any right now.”

Lennon: “We can’t get it.”

Sellers: “Oh, yeah?”

Lennon: “I’ve given up, you know – as stated by Unter Damn Yer (Hunter Davies).”

Sellers: “Well, I’m sorry about that, fellas, but I, you know, if I’d known I was going to see you, of course, I would have had some on me. Because I know how you love it and dig chewing that thing.”

McCartney: Got you, Pete. You got it? Can you dig it?”

Sellers: “Oh yes, God, I can dig it.”

Lennon: “Do you want to make the scene in the gents’ lavatory?”

Sellers: “That’s a groove.”

Lennon: “Way out.”

Sellers: “Exit?”

Lennon: “Just don’t leave the needles lying around, you know. We’ve got a bad reputation.”

Ringo appeared with Sellers and Spike Milligan on London Weekend Television’s ‘Frost on Saturday’ show on 6 December 1969.

Sellers version of ‘She Loves You’, originally recorded in 1965, was finally released posthumously in 1981. 

Peter Sellers died of a heart attack on 24 July 1980.

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