Two additional points on Mr. Berman: Turns out, his out-of-print CD — the one recorded in 1995 — is back in print, after all. At least, they seem to have it over at www.laugh.com, which features a terrific selection of great comedy albums, including many that were originally on vinyl. They also have CD versions of Shelley's first three albums, including Inside Shelley Berman, for a few bucks less than Amazon charges. I don't get a commission if you order from there but they're so good, I'll suggest you buy 'em there, just to encourage you to buy 'em.
(Actually, they're not all good. Inside Shelley Berman is great. Outside Shelley Berman is very, very good. The Edge of Shelley Berman is much weaker, and I believe Shelley has said that it was done as a contractual commitment and that he never cared for it. Live Again!, which is the one I heard recorded, is terrific. Maybe someday soon, they'll put out his other ones, including A Personal Appearance and The Sex Life of the Primate, both of which were wonderful.)
Also: Someone wrote to ask if there was any reason I didn't mention that I directed Shelley Berman when he did a voice on Garfield and Friends. No reason, other than that it was such a minor moment in his career that I didn't think it warranted mention. He was very funny and very professional, and he seemed a little embarrassed when I tried to tell him how much his work had always meant to me. One of the great parts of doing that show was that I got to hire a number of folks who were in that category, like Stan Freberg, Jonathan Winters, Imogene Coca and Paul Winchell. I'm sure Shelley Berman doesn't even remember that hour or so we spent in a recording studio but I sure won't ever forget it.